Manhattan Trade School for Girls, New York; New York (N.Y.); School management and organization
II. Departmental: 1. Requisition blanks for purchases made. 2. Order
blank and duplicate for order given by customer. 3. Time slips, wherever
possible, to get exact record of time value of work done. 4. Material
slips, to keep account of what has gone into any orders. 5. Final
billing, to give data for bills sent out from main office and duplicate
filed there for final records.
THE POWER MACHINE OPERATING DEPARTMENT
Aim
To train girls to work on sewing machines run by electric power and to
put a thinker behind every machine as its operator. The department hopes
by awakening intelligent interest in the tool, _i. e._, the machine, to
kindle ambition in the workers. It is only through the intelligent use
of the tool and consequent love of work which follows that we can look
forward to supplying the skilled machine workers of the future. This
training must be given while the girls are in the formative period, to
develop habits of thought and action which will counteract the bad
effects upon the worker that follow division and subdivision of work,
with consequent subdivision of ability, which takes place in all
factories today. When a pupil has been thoroughly trained in the
intelligent use of her tool, when she has learned to construct complete
garments, if she is then, through force of circumstances such as modern
production entails, compelled to carry out one process on the machine
indefinitely, or to make one part of a garment, she still holds the
balance of power in being prepared to do something else when opportunity
or necessity demands.
General Steps in Training
I. A pupil must be given a short time to adjust herself to the workshop
environment, consequently she is put first at some simple work, such as
ripping or cutting up old garments. This gives her freedom while using
her hands to look about the workroom and to get accustomed to the sight
as well as to the sound of machines in action.
II. The pupil is taught to control the power by which the machine is
run, and is then given an intelligent understanding of the mechanism of
the machine or machines she is to operate.
III. The pupil then begins her regular course of work, and her feeling
of responsibility of the value of _time_ is awakened--that is, her
seconds, minutes, and hours, days, weeks, and months are now important
factors in her life, and they may be used for good or evil. In the
language of the department, time may be spent wisely or foolishly, and,
while studying at the Manhattan Trade School, seven hours out of every
day of the girl's life is given over to productive work and should be
accounted for. The department has developed its own plan of time
payments, which is much like the piece-work system employed in trade.
Through its rewards for time well spent it makes the fact real to the
pupils, as no form of punishment could do, that wasted time is gone
forever.
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