FOB A BETTER UNDERSTANDING

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 23, 26 January 1918, Page 11

FOB A BETTER UNDERSTANDING

"Industrial Psychology." By Bernard Musico. ingus and Robertson, Sydney.

Professor Musico delivered a course of " lectures on "Industrial Psychology" at the Sydney University under the auspices of the Workers' Educational Association. These lectures, together with supplementary matter, now appear in book form. The professor defines human psychology as "such accurate and systematic knowledge >about the whole individual mind and' body as will enable us to understand the features and operations of the human mind." He, then shows how psychology is applied to education, law, and medicine, and gives concrete instances of its benefits in teaching, investigation of crime and administration of justice, and in therapeutics. Psychology should, argues the writer, be applied in industry, and its knowledge and practice would, in his view, lead to a better understanding between employe! and employed, and make for bigger production at.least cost and more efficiency with less exertion. Workers would be selected on the basis of their natural fitness for the work they are required to do, and employers would see the value of studying the individual character of each man and assessing his value at its just price; moreover, better conditions and methods of ■working would secure the maximum of output at the minimum of fatigue. Instances are given to show that where judgments and decisions which are always variable have been substituted by order and habit, better returns to both worker and employer have resulted. In one case the professor showed how a bricklayers' union limited the number of bricks per day that its members could- lay under usual conditions. But by using union labour and paying full rates of wages with improved and less fatiguing methods, 350 bricks per hour •were laid on "straight"' work—viz., a factory wall. ■ Professor Musico shows how soon both body and mind tire of the monotony of one task, one kind of work, and how, if not change, at any rate brief breaks are necessary for workers if the best results are to be obtained. He does not admit for a moment that scientific management would mean harder work, or less employment. Reduction of cost of production, he shows," as no doubt everyone who thinks about it will understand, means reduction of. cost to the consumer. But, with scientific management and the saving of "wasteful methods"—or no method at all—increased demands could be met and the standard of living raised for everyone, and that, with highly-paid but efficient labour and greater output at lower rates 5 of cost. Industrial psychology is, in short, the recognition of things as they are, and the motive for enquiry as to how they can be scientifically made better. Its task is to better what has already been done. "To devise practical methods by which its results and those of other sciences may be available for the enjoyment' of all. Is the task of society in general, and especially of Labour and Capital." The book is commended to every employer, every employee, for careful, thoughtful reading. It contains the reasonable, commonsense corrective of much error on I the sides of both Capital and Labour.