3 o8 PROPOSED SYSTEM. 



PRIVATE WORK. 



It may sometimes be permitted to have work done at the ex- 

 pense of private parties, the time of the workmen being dropped 

 from the rolls. The ordinary manner of doing this has never 

 been quite satisfactory to me ; since, on the one hand, the officer 

 or foreman ordering the work done has no absolute certainty that 

 the person for whom the work is done will satisfy the workman's 

 claim; nor, on the other hand, does the temporary employer 

 always feel that his interests are guarded as they would be in the 

 ordinary course of business. For example, the workman may 

 drop half a day by going home, and yet may claim it as private 

 work, etc. 



To meet these objections, and also to satisfy the general rule, 

 that all time must be accounted for on the cards, a standing order 

 is established for private work, say shop-order No. 16. 



Then any small jobs, say repairing an officer's saddle, which 

 are not of sufficient importance to require an order to themselves, 

 are charged to No. 16, and are treated like any other order as far 

 as the supervision of the foremen is concerned. 



At the end of the month the cost clerk should sort these 

 according to the names of creditors and make out bills for pay- 

 ment. When paid, he or the Officer in Charge of the shop should 

 require the workman to receipt each card, preferably by the mark 

 of the ball of the right thumb. See page 153. This settles his 

 claim forever, and disposes of the charge that night otherwise be 

 made that private work 'is done at public expense. It also makes 

 a positive record, showing what was done, and for whom ; whereas 

 dropping the time only gives but a negative indication, which, as 

 far as the records are concerned, is of no value whatever. 



