DIVISION OF THE NAVY DEPARTMENT. 35 



as shown on page 34, which he drops into a box suspended by a string from 

 the plan gallery, which is periodically examined by the plan clerk and the 

 requested plans taken out, charged and dropped on the desk requesting them 

 direct from the gallery. If the plans are at the Navy Yard the plan clerk 

 telephones for them. 



The draughtsman can then go about his other work, and by the time he 

 is ready to take up the job the material necessary will be ready, at his desk, 

 being brought by the regular messenger system. 



Action. — Letters of action are prepared by the employee doing the work. 

 His work during the preparation of material for the letter is frequently vised, 

 and help, advice and more detailed instructions given by the chief draughts- 

 man and the officer on duty in the particular room. 



All subjects are vised by one or both of these responsible men. 



All letters are written in conformity with standard forms of which we 

 have issued printed samples. 



Formerly, all such letters were written on scratch paper, dropped into the 

 outgoing receptacle with a tag marked "Typewriting Division," and taken 

 by the messenger on his regular route to the typewriting division where they 

 were written and returned by the regular messenger system to the writer for 

 final checking. More recently we have been detailing stenographers to make 

 regular trips though the drawing rooms at stated times to receive the letters 

 by dictation. 



A trial has been made of the dictaphone but so far we have not been 

 able to make a success of it. 



In the criticism branch where no plan board is used, a running list of jobs 

 received is kept by eac?h employee entered on a form provided for the purpose, 

 showing date of receipt. When the job is completed he enters the date of 

 completion and draws a line through the whole entry. 



This current record is kept in view on the top of each desk or table and 

 is consulted by the visiting officer to insure that tasks are being treated in the 

 order of their urgency and that nothing is overlooked. Jobs more than six 

 days old require special explanation. A sample of this form is shown on page 1 8 . 



Tickler. — ^A great assistance in all parts of the work has come from 

 establishing a "tickler box." Special colored cards are supplied to all 

 employees on which they enter memoranda of things they wish to be reminded 

 of. These are dropped in the basket and by their color are known to be for 

 the tickler box, where they go by the regular messenger system. 



Planning. — If the job is long and complicated it is marked "plan" on 

 the route slip. 



In the case of a job in the design and scientific branch, if it can be taken 



