264 BIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS 



but they were likewise guaranteed a fixed time rate, 

 so that however little work they did they were still 

 paid a considerable wage. As long as there were 

 plenty of shipyard hands available this system worked 

 fairly well, for if a worker persistently slacked, so that 

 he did not earn the guaranteed time rate, he could be 

 discharged. During the war, however, the demand 

 for shipyard hands, and especially for riveters, became 

 greater than the available supply, and the men now 

 controlled the situation. They soon learnt that it 

 was easier and pleasanter to make no attempt to earn 

 their piece rate, but to do as little work as possible, 

 and still receive the very generous time rate which 

 had been guaranteed them. At one period scarcely 

 a riveter earned the money he was paid, and in some 

 weeks they were paid nearly double as much wages 

 as they had earned at current piece rates. When 

 this system of a guaranteed time rate was abolished, 

 the number of rivets per hour put in by the men was 

 very nearly doubled. Taking three trial weeks in 

 I 9 I 5> I 9 I 6, and 1918, the relative number of rivets 

 per hour put in by each squad varied thus: 



Nov., 1915. Nov., 1916. March, 1918. 



Relative number of rivets ... 100 ... 185 ... 198 



There is good reason for thinking that even now these 

 riveters are by no means doing their best, but that 

 they could attain a relative value of about 300 if they 

 worked their hardest. As it is, they get such high 

 wages, and have so little opportunity of spending 

 them, that they lack the necessary incentive. 



The other ironworkers in the yard, such as the 

 platers, caulkers, and drillers, were not so bad as the 

 riveters, but they limited their output likewise to some 

 extent. So serious was the limitation at the worst 

 period that it is probable that in the construction of 



