12 Forestry Quarterly. 



what is being done should be thoroughly explained. With a little 

 study and experiment a satisfactory form may be ruled for mak- 

 ing stop-watch observations. The form for observation in wheel- 

 barrow work (see Taylor p. 151, "Shop Management") will af- 

 ford valuable suggestions. 



The difficulties of working stop-watch observations that are 

 really useful are admitted, but it seems that the above skeleton 

 outline of an analysis of a saw crew's work should not be too 

 difficult to follow. 



A large number of observations of several saw crews, carried 

 on for two or three months, should enable the observer to formu- 

 late a standard "task" for this kind of work. This information 

 should be very detailed in its nature, and should show what a 

 good crew of sawyers can accomplish in a day of ten hours, al- 

 lowing a definite percentage for rest and necessary delays, as 

 determined by the study. It should enable the management to 

 know in a precise way the time required to perform any one of 

 the processes required in the saw crew's work, per day, diameter 

 and species. 



With this information, the management is able to assign its 

 tasks to the saw crews. Mr. Taylor advocates that when the point 

 has been reached where the system is to be applied, the greatest 

 caution should be exercisd not to force it too rapidly on the 

 men. In this instance, we will assume the saw crews are earn- 

 ing S6 per day ($3 per man), and are averaging 18,000 feet per 

 day of timber felled and sawed into lengths. The time study has 

 determined that in the character of timber handled these saw 

 crews should fell and saw into lengths not 18,000 feet, but from 

 30,000 to 40,000 feet. The management singles out a pair of 

 extra good sawyers, and makes the proposition to them that, if 

 they will follow its instructions implicitly and perform within 

 the schedule time each of the operations assigned, it will increase 

 their wages from $3 per day per man to, say, $4. It will be ex- 

 plained that the task assigned is quite possible of attainment with- 

 out extraordinary exertion and that the pace may be maintained 

 indefinitely. The efforts of the management are concentrated 

 on this saw crew in order to demonstrate the possibilities of the 

 system. 



The management knows in a precise way how much time is re- 



