the vested interests and the common man-第15节

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with　an　eye　single　to　turning　out　a　serviceable　product；　instead　
of；　as　usual；　being　managed　with　an　eye　single　to　private　gain　in　
terms　of　price。　
　　　　To　the　spokesmen　of　〃business　as　usual〃　this　rating　of　
current　production　under　the　pressure　of　war　needs　may　seem　
extravagantly　low；　whereas；　to　the　experts　in　industrial　
engineering；　who　are　in　the　habit　of　arguing　in　terms　of　material　
cost　and　mechanical　output；　it　will　seem　extravagantly　high。　
Publicly；　and　concessively；　this　latter　class　will　speak　of　a　25　
percent　efficiency；　in　private　and　confidentially　they　appear　
disposed　to　say　that　the　rating　should　be　nearer　to　10　percent　
than　25。　To　avoid　any　appearance　of　an　ungenerous　bias；　then；　
present　actual　production　in　these　essential　industries　may　be　
placed　at　something　approaching　50　percent　of　what　should　be　
their　normal　productive　capacity　in　the　absence　of　a　businesslike　
control　looking　to　〃reasonable　profits。〃　It　is　necessary　at　this　
point　to　call　to　mind　that　the　state　of　the　industrial　arts　under　
the　new　order　is　highly　productive；　　beyond　example。　
　　　　This　state　of　the　case；　that　production　in　the　essential　
industries　presumably　does　not　exceed　50　percent　of　the　normal　
productive　capacity；　even　when　driven　under　the　jealous　eye　of　
public　officers　vested　with　power　to　act；　is　presumably　due　in　
great　part　to　the　fact　that　these　officers；　too；　are　capable　
business　men；　that　their　past　training　and　present　bent　is　such　
as　has　been　given　them　by　long；　exacting　and　successful　
experience　in　the　businesslike　management　of　industry；　that　their　
horizon　and　perspective　in　all　that　concerns　industry　are　limited　
by　the　frame　of　mind　that　is　native　to　the　countinghouse。　They；　
too；　have　learned　how　to　think　of　industry　and　its　administration　
in　terms　of　profit　on　investment；　and；　indeed；　in　no　other　terms；　
that　being　as　near　as　their　daily　work　has　allowed　them　to　take　
stock　of　the　ways　and　means　of　industry。　So　that　they　are　still　
guided；　in　some　considerable　part；　by　considerations　of　what　is　
decent；　equitable　and　prudent　in　the　sight　of　conservative　
business　men；　and　this　bias　necessarily　goes　with　them　in　their　
dealings　with　those　ubiquitous；　intricate　and　systematic　
dislocations　of　the　industrial　system　which　have　been　found　
profitable　in　the　management　of　industry　on　a　footing　of　
competitive　sabotage。　They　still　find　it　reasonable　to　avoid　any　
derangement　of　those　vested　interests　that　live　on　this　margin　of　
intangible　assets　that　represents　capitalised　withdrawal　of　
efficiency。　
　　　　In　so　characterising　the　situation　there　is；　of　course；　no　
inclination　to　impute　blame　to　these　businesslike　officials　who　
are　patriotically　giving　their　best　abilities　and　endeavors　to　
this　work　of　enforcing　an　increased　production　in　the　essential　
industries　and　diverting　needed　labor　and　materials　from　the　
channels　of　waste；　nor　is　it　intended　to　cast　aspersions　on　the　
good　faith　or　the　honorable　motives　of　those　grave　captains　of　
industry　whom　the　officials　find　it　so　difficult　to　divert　from　
the　business　man's　straight　and　narrow　path　of　charging　what　the　
traffic　will　bear。　〃They　are　all　honorable　men；〃　But　like　other　
men　they　are　creatures　of　habit；　and　their　habit　of　mind　is　the　
outcome　of　experience　in　that　class　of　large；　responsible　and　
remunerative　business　affairs　that　lie　somewhat　remote　from　the　
domain　of　technology；　from　that　field　where　the　mechanistic　logic　
of　the　industrial　arts　has　something　to　say。　It　is　only　that　the　
situation　as　here　spoken　of　rests　on　settled　usage；　and　that　the　
usage　is　such　as　the　businesslike　frame　of　mind　is　suited　to；　at　
the　same　time　that　this　businesslike　usage；　of　fixed　charges；　
vested　interests　and　reasonable　profits；　does　not　fully　comport　
with　the　free　swing　of　the　industrial　arts　as　they　run　under　the　
new　order　of　technology。　Nor　is　there　much　chance　of　getting　away　
from　this　situation　of　〃incapacity　by　advisement；〃　even　under　
pressure　of　patriotic　devotion；　fear；　shame　and　need；　inasmuch　as　
the　effectual　public　opinion　has　learned　the　same　bias　and　will　
scarcely　entrust　the　conduct　of　its　serious　interests　to　any　
other　than　business　men　and　business　methods。　
　　　　To　return　to　the　argument。　It　may　be　conceded　that　production　
in　the　essential　industries；　under　pressure　of　the　war　needs；　
rises　to　something　like　a　50　percent　efficiency。　At　the　same　time　
it　is　presumably　well　within　the　mark　to　say　that　this　current　
output　in　these　essential　industries　will　amount　to　something　
like　twice　their　ordinary　output　in　time　of　peace　and　business　as　
usual；　One…half　of　50　percent　is　25　percent；　and　so　one　comes　in　
sight　of　the　provisional　conclusion　that　under　ordinary　
conditions　of　businesslike　management　the　habitual　net　production　
is　fairly　to　be　rated　at　something　like　one…fourth　of　the　
industrial　community's　productive　capacity；　presumably　under　that　
figure　rather　than　over。　
　　　　In　the　absence　of　all　reflection　this　crude　estimate　may　seem　
recklessly　hasty；　perhaps　it　may　even　be　thought　scandalously　
unflattering　to　our　substantial　citizens　who　have　the　keeping　of　
the　community's　material　welfare；　but　a　degree　of　observation　and　
reflection　will　quickly　ease　any　feeling　of　annoyance　on　that　
score。　So；　e。g。；　if　the　account　as　presented　above　does　not　
appear　to　foot　up　to　as　much　as　the　conclusion　would　seem　to　
require；　further　account　may　be　taken　of　that　side…line　of　
business　enterprise　that　spends　work　and　materials　in　an　effort　
to　increase　the　work　to　be　done；　and　to　increase　the　cost　per　
unit　of　the　increased　work；　all　for　the　benefit　of　the　earnings　
of　the　concern　for　whose　profit　it　is　arranged。　It　may　be　called　
to　mind　that　there　still　are　half…a…dozen　railway　passenger　
stations　in　such　a　town　as　Chicago；　especially　designed　to　work　
at　cross　purposes　and　hinder　the　traffic　of　competing　railway　
corporations；　that　on　the　basis　of　this　ingeniously　contrived　
retardation　of　traffic　there　has　been　erected　a　highly　prosperous　
monopoly　in　the　transfer　of　baggage　and　passengers；　employing　a　
large　equipment　and　labor　force　and　costing　the　traveling　public　
some　millions　of　useless　outlay　yearly；　with　nothing　better　to　
show　for　it　than　delay；　confusion；　wear　and　tear；　casualties　and　
wrangles；　twenty…four　hours　a　day；　and　that　this　arrangement　is；　
quite　profitably；　duplicated　throughout　the　country　as　often　and　
on　as　large　a　scale　as　there　are　towns　in　which　to　install　it。　So　
again；　there　is　an　exemplary　weekly　periodical　of　the　most　widely　
reputable　and　most　profitable　class；　with　a　circulation　of　more　
than　two　million；　which　habitually　carries　some　60　to　80　large　
pages　of　competitive　advertising　matter；　at　a　time　when　the　most　
exacting　economy　of　work　and　materials　is　a　matter　of　urgent　and　
acknowledged　public　need；　with　nothing　better　to　show　for　it　than　
an　increased　cost　of　all　the　goods　advertised；　most　of　which　are　
superfluities。　This；　too；　is　only　a　typical　case；　duplicated　by　
the　thousand；　as　nearly　as　the　businesslike　management　of　the　
other　magazines　and　newspapers　can　achieve　the　same　result。　These　
are　familiar　instances　of　business　as　usual　under　the　new　order　
of　industry。　They　are　neither　extreme　nor　extraordinary。　Indeed　
the　whole　business　community　is　run　through　with　enterprise　of　
this　kind　so　thoroughly　that　this　may　fairly　be　said　to　be　the　
warp　of　the　fabric。　In　effect；　of　course；　it　is　an　enterprise　in　
subreption；　but　in　point　of　moral　sentiment　and　conscious　motive　
it　is　nothing　of　the　kind。　
　　　　All　these　intricate　arrangements　for　doing　those　things　that　
we　ought　not　to　have　done　and　leaving　undone　those　things　that　we　
ought　to　have　done　are　by　no　means　maliciously　intended。　They　are　
only　the　ways　and　means　of　diverting　a　sufficient　share　of　the　
annual　product　to　the　benefit　of　the　legitimate　beneficiaries；　
the　kept　classes。　But　this　apparatus　and　procedure　for　capturing　
and　dividing　this　share　of　the　community's　annual　dividend　is　
costly　　one　is　tempted　to　say　unduly　costly。　It　foots　up　to；　
perhaps；　something　like　one…half　of　the　work　done；　and　it　is　
occupied　with　taking　over　something　like　one…half　of　the　output　
produced　by　the　remaining　one…half　of　the　year's　work。　And　yet；　
as　a　business　proposition　it　seems　sound　enough；　inasmuch　as　the　
income　which　it　brings　to　the　beneficiaries　will　presumably　foot　
up　to　something　like　one…half　of　the　country's　annual　production。　
　　　　There　is　nothing　gained　by　finding　fault　with　any　of　this　
businesslike　enterprise　that　is　bent　on　getting　something　for　
nothing；　at　any　cost。　After　all；　it　is　safe　and　sane　business；　
sound　and　legitimate；　and　carried　on　blamelessly　within　the　rules　
of　the　game；　One　may　also　dutifully　believe　that　there　is　really　
no　harm　done；　or　at　least　that　it　might　have　been　worse。　It　is　
reassuring　to　note　that　at　least　hitherto　the　burden　of　this　
overhead　charge　of　50　percent　plus　has　not　broken　the　back　of　the　
industrial　community。　It　also　serves　to　bring　under　a　strong　
light　the　fact　that　the　state　of　the　industrial　arts　as　it　runs　
under　the　new　order　is　high