MUSIC IN FACTORIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 29, 3 August 1939, Page 24

MUSIC IN FACTORIES

WORK SPEEDED UP

Music in factories can speed up work, according to views expressed in a report on rest pauses and refreshments in industry, issued by the National Institute of Industrial Psychology, says the "Daily Telegraph."

Interviews were obtained with officials of 1050 factories, employing 305,000 people. A percentage ■of 10.7 of the factories provided music,.

Some of tha comments from these officials were:

Employees doing hammer work keep time to swingy music. Manager has noticed work quicken up with introduction of music.

Music has the effect of stopping chatter, and work improves in consequence.

The girls prefer work in the warehouse with music to work in other departments where higher wages ara earned.

Singing is allowed, and they work better, because it stops them talking. People can work and sing, but they cannot work and talk.

Commenting on criticism of "canned* music, the report states:

"We must not condemn 'canned* music too harshly, for its presence ia the factory may be but the modern, equivalent of the flute player of olden days who charmed the ears of Greek ladies as they carried out their household tasks."

It was found that 52.9 per cent, of the factories visited had official rest pauses, which were spent in taking refreshments. Bread was the most common food, and tea the most popular liquid refreshment.