RATIONALISATION

Grey River Argus, 10 June 1935, Page 8

RATIONALISATION

Is it Sweating ?

Geneva reports that a discussion on the part the International Labour Organisation should take in the studv of

“scientific management” was marked by a spirited speech from Mr. 11. Dennison, United States Government representative, at a recent meeting of the Governing Body.

The Scientific Management Institute has been closely connected with the 1.L.0., and the question before that day’s meeting was whether it should continue to receive a subsidy from the Organisation.

It was eventually decided that provisional arrangements should be considered for the setting up of a body inside the 1.L.0. but with outside support, which would be responsible for studying the social, technical and economic. aspects of rationalisation.

Mr. IL Dennison, who is head of an American paper manufacturing firm, and a pioneer of scientific management, supported the proposal that the 1.L.0. should do something to continue the Institute’s activities.

He said that, while scientific, management should really benefit all sections connected with industry, employers were inclined to regard it as a means of increasing profits without increasing the well-being of workers. This gave rise to the opinion in workers’ circles that rationalisation was another word for sweated labour.

4 ‘ Rationalisation,” Mr. Dennison declared “is not merely the replacement of man by machine or making man do more work. “It is a study of the total organisation, so that human beings are selected more wisely, are fitted more wisely. are related to each other more wisely. ’ ’