reduction of wages in 1893, the differential rate on the particular job
above referred to was removed, and a straight piece work rate of 25
cents per piece was substituted for it. The result of abandoning the
differential proved to be the best possible demonstration of its value.
Under straight piece work, the output immediately fell to between six
and eight pieces per day, and remained at this figure for several years,
although under the differential rate it had held throughout a long term
of years steadily at ten per day.

When work is to be repeated many times, the time study should be minute
and exact. Each job should be carefully subdivided into its elementary
operations, and each of these unit times should receive the most
thorough time study. In fixing the times for the tasks, and the piece
work rates on jobs of this class, the job should be subdivided into a
number of divisions, and a separate time and price assigned to each
division rather than to assign a single time and price for the whole
job. This should be done for several reasons, the most important of
which is that the average workman, in order to maintain a rapid pace,
should be given the opportunity of measuring his performance against the
task set him at frequent intervals. Many men are incapable of looking
very far ahead, but if they see a definite opportunity of earning so
many cents by working hard for so many minutes, they will avail
themselves of it.

As an illustration, the steel tires used on car wheels and locomotives
were originally turned in the Midvale Steel Works on piece work, a
single piece-work rate being paid for all of the work which could be
done on a tire at a single setting. A fixed price was paid for this
work, whether there was much or little metal to be removed, and on the
average this price was fair to the men. The apparent advantage of fixing