4 Materials and Their Handling 



a steam-engine. The refinery takes crude oil and 

 turns it into gasoline, kerosene, and lubricating oil. 

 All these industries must have materials. If the 

 forests are destroyed, if the mines give out, if no 

 freight is offered, if no materials are available for 

 the factory, the industry whatever it is ceases. 

 1 he workers must then move to where materials 

 can be obtained, change their occupation, or 

 starve. Materials are as necessary to an industry 

 as men both are vital. Without men and the 

 labor they put upon it, all material would remain 

 useless and, for the most part, valueless. With- 

 out materials to work with, men would be idle and 

 soon desperate. 



Every foreman, therefore, has as definite a re- 

 sponsibility for the efficient and profitable handling 

 of the materials under his care, as for the just con- 

 trol of his workmen and the effective use of his 

 machinery. 



Materials Must Be Ready II' hen Deeded. 

 \ lenry L. Gantt once told the writer that, in his 

 opinion, "Two-thirds of all the gain possible 

 through the most efficient management could be 

 realized by having all the material ready when 

 you want it, where you want it, and in the condi- 

 tion you want it." This was independent of all 

 time-study, wage systems, or any of the frills of 

 modern efficiency systems. But, simple as this pro- 

 gram sounds, it represents two-thirds of the whole 

 problem of management and comprises the larger 

 part of production control. 



