Page:Walter Renton Ingalls - Current Economic Affairs (1924).pdf/153

Rh broken stay bolt. Up to the time of the McAdoo administration of the railroads this was a matter that could be put right by a boiler-maker and his helper, and in much less time than such a replacement takes now. Here are the stages of the operation as laid down by the various shop crafts:


 * 1. The cab carpenter and his helper remove the running board.
 * 2. The sheet metal worker and his helper take off the jacket.
 * 3. The pipemen remove the pipe.
 * 4. The machinist and helper remove the running board bracket.
 * 5. The ox-welder and helper burn out the staybolt.
 * 6. The boilermaker and helper take out the staybolt.
 * 7. The boilermaker and helper put in the staybolt.
 * 8. The running board bracket is replaced by machinist and helper.
 * 9. The running board is fastened on by a cab carpenter and helper.
 * 10. The jacket is replaced by a sheet metal worker and helper.
 * 11. The pipe work is replaced by a pipefitter and helper.

Twelve men are thus ordained to do the work of two! This is merely one instance of many. Not only is needless work created in this utterly wasteful way, but the shop foremen are continually at a loss lest they offend some particular union in the allotment of work. They never know when a dispute between two of the unions will arise.

The policy of labor unions in “making work,” either by increasing the number of men that are to do a specified job or reducing the performance of a man doing one job constitutes an economic restriction of the first order of magnitude, one whereof the consequences are bound to be grave. There are some of their evil practices that may be, and should be, forbidden by law. The great remedy is, however, the open shop and the establishment of free competition and the general right of everybody to work, which theoretically is possessed by all citizens but practically is not.