--5- 



Mr. S. - "Well, I »m Vfillieon Smith. They call me 'Bill.' Mind if I 

 call you 'Jack?'" 



J. - "No, sir, that's wliat all my friends call ne." 



Mr. S. - "Fine, I'm glad you are here to help us. Jack. Let' sit down 

 here and get acquainted and I'll tell you something about our 

 place. Have you ever worked on a fa:in. Jack?" 



J. - "No, sir, but I have worked summers delivering groceries and I 



carried a paper route. Then of course, I v>rorked around our yard 

 but it isn't farm work." 



Mr. S. - "i.Tell, don't worry about that. Jack, I Icnow you are going to 



like farm v;ork and I will shov/ you all about the jobs you will 

 have to do. Farming is mighty fine work. It is mostly outdoors 

 where we have plenty of fresh air and sunshine. By the vra^', 

 that's why lots of people play golf; to get plenty of fresh 

 air, sunshin." and exercise. Vfell, we have all three right here 

 on this farr.. You are vrorking with grovang plants and animals, 

 and ycu learn a lot that wrill be of real interest and help you 

 as long as j''Ou live. By the v/ay, my wife wants to meet you. 

 She told me to bring you up to the house when you cane. Boy, 

 is sh*; a good cook! She puts out lots of good food and plenty 

 of it." 



They go into the house where ivir. Smith introduces 

 Jack to his wife who carries on a pleasant conver- 

 sation with him, telling him she is glad that lie 

 has come to help them, 



Mr. S. - "lYell, Jack, let's go out to the barn now. Just as you were 



coming I was about ready to start cleaning out the coy; stable. 

 That isn't the most interesting work we do around here but it 

 is a job that has to be done every day. You see, on this farm 

 we produce milk, and babies in the cities drink this milk. The 

 milk has to be clean and sv/eet and wholesome, V/e can't produce 

 good cleann milk in a dirty cov; stable so we try to keep our 

 stable and our cows nice and clean all the time. Do you vj-ant 

 to take that fork over there and we v/ill clean this up and when 

 we get done we v/ill do something else," 



This conversation continues vath the main object of getting acquainted. 

 Jack is shovm his room. The importance of dressing safely is explained to him 

 so no loose tie or long unbutton^jd sleeve or any part of his clothing would be ^ 

 likely to cause him to trip or be caught in a machine. 



The first dayy on any new job is the most important for developing atti- 

 tude and morale. The new worker should be made to feel that his contribution is 

 important, that he is doing necessary v;ork, that he will not be expected to know 

 all the answers but he will be carefully shovm how to do each job. If he is not 

 accustomed to rath.^r vigorous work, he should be told not to go too fast or hard 

 unless he is able to do so without unusual tiring or fatigue. (Adapted from a 

 talk given at Baltimore, Maryland, February 12, 1943 by L. J. Fletcher, VJar 

 Activities Committee, American Society of Engineers.) 



— Roy E. MOBer 



