successively the two leading men who had been trained to the work leave
because they were offered much larger salaries elsewhere. The study of
"unit times" for the yard labor took practically the time of two trained
men for two years. Throughout this time the day and piece workers were
under entirely separate and distinct management. The original foremen
continued to manage the day work, and day and piece workers were never
allowed to work together. Gradually the day work gang was diminished and
the piece workers were increased as one section of work after another
was transformed from the former to the latter.

Two elements which were important to the success of this work should be
noted:

First, on the morning following each day's work, each workman was given
a slip of paper informing him in detail just how much work he had done
the day before, and the amount he had earned. This enabled him to
measure his performance against his earnings while the details were
fresh in his mind. Without this there would have been great
dissatisfaction among those who failed to climb up to the task asked of
them, and many would have gradually fallen off in their performance.

Second, whenever it was practicable, each man's work was measured by
itself. Only when absolutely necessary was the work of two men measured
up together and the price divided between them, and then care was taken
to select two men of as nearly as possible the same capacity. Only on
few occasions, and then upon special permission, signed by the writer,
were more than two men allowed to work on gang work, dividing their
earnings between them. Gang work almost invariably results in a failing
off in earnings and consequent dissatisfaction.