HISTORICAL. 19 



to the operation of a scheme, the development of which he did so 

 much to encourage ; and the latter, my successor in charge, both 

 for his interest in its continuance and for improvements from 

 which I have borrowed the suggestions noted in the text. 



Still, I think it will be acknowledged that it must have had 

 considerable intrinsic vitality to have endured so well my early 

 removal from its charge. I am fain to believe that it was because 

 it met a real want, not only that it furnished the Commanding 

 Officer with superior information without abridging in any way 

 his prerogatives, or that it relieved the foremen of all their cleri- 

 cal labors ; but that besides these and above all other advantages 

 it gave the foremen an assurance that good work done cheaply 

 would be known as such and that a method was provided by the 

 certain and automatic action of which their work would be 

 surely gauged. 



Foremen, as a class, are necessarily among the most intelligent 

 of men and are as quick as any to appreciate the advantages of 

 a good tool. Direct methods suit them best ; they like to work 

 as a dog digs a hole, disposing immediately of present necessities 

 and throwing what they have accomplished behind them, out of 

 sight and mind. They do better and more trustworthy work 

 when not required to record their own performances, and are all 

 the better able to appreciate the efforts of others who can classify 

 and arrange their results for future reference. 



Then, besides, clerks and storekeepers were relieved from the 

 keeping of many books, books which for evident reasons were 

 very imperfectly kept by foremen and storekeepers, and which if 

 correctly prepared by clerks were of necessity based upon the 

 incorrect data given by the others. For example, how expect 

 books to be accurately kept in winter time in storehouses in which 

 fire is not allowed? 



The adoption of the last model of cards did away with the 

 following books and papers kept by foremen : 



1. Reports of fabrication. 



2. Reports of material returned to store. 



3. Stock books of all kinds. 



