This demand for men teachers is especially noticeable in the special

subjects in high schools, and it is growing even in the regular

subjects. Even in English, which has been taught pretty largely in the

past by women, there is a growing feeling that more men should be

employed. Heretofore, men fitted by nature and training for teaching

English in the high schools have generally gone into journalism or

magazine writing.

In the teaching of mathematics in high schools, applications rather than

pure theory are being more and more emphasized. Here men generally have

a wider range of information and experience than women, so that the

teaching of mathematics in high schools should offer increasing

opportunities to returned service men.

The method of teaching history, too, is gradually changing, so that it

is more attractive to men than formerly. Particularly attractive should

it be to returned soldiers and sailors, who have had such an important

part in making history during recent months.

The teaching of modern languages is tending to open up somewhat to men.

There will be a growing demand for teachers of French and Spanish, and

this demand can not readily be filled satisfactorily for some time to

come. It should open up good opportunities, therefore, to returned

soldiers and sailors. French has been neglected in American secondary

schools, particularly in the central and far West. Spanish, until a very

few years ago, was almost unknown in high-school courses. Recently it

has been introduced rapidly. It is not certain, of course, yet that it

will continue to develop under normal conditions, but it is certain that

South American trade will grow faster after the war, and this fact

should encourage the spread of the study of Spanish.

In the past we have made the mistake of leaving the teaching of foreign

languages too much to teachers native to the countries whose language

they teach. In the future we shall be careful not to make the mistake

that we made in the teaching of German. We shall put the teaching of

foreign languages more largely into the hands of American-born teachers.

We can scarcely do better than to intrust such work to the care of

returned soldiers and sailors who equip themselves for this task.

There has long been a great demand for well-prepared men teachers in

sciences in the high schools. The chances for men in these subjects in

the future are likely to be better than they have been in the past. Many

men with scientific training will return from the war with disabilities

unfitting them for their former occupation, and to such the field of

science teaching may seem very promising. Opportunities will be

especially good for men who have been trained in scientific or technical

colleges, which include in their curricula the sciences usually taught

in high schools.

For more advanced high-school work in industrial arts in the large high

schools, men are needed who can teach one of the branches of industry

intensively, giving their whole time to such subjects as wood-working,

metal working, printing, or mechanical drawing. A man who is a

journeyman workman in any industry already has most of the training

necessary for this line of teaching. Men teachers are needed also to

teach some of the regular school subjects from the industrial point of

view. For instance, there is occasionally need for men to teach shop

mathematics or the sciences concerned in the industry, but they should

be familiar with shop work and shop problems in order to make their work

fit into the needs of the shop courses.

There are opportunities also in the field of teaching vocations.

Positions are rapidly opening up in public all-day, part-time, and

evening vocational schools; also in apprentice schools conducted by

business establishments.

Opportunities for teaching positions in this work range from permanent

employment on the staff of a school or college to temporary employment

in conducting evening courses for a number of weeks. Many institutions

of all grades conduct full-time day courses, and also conduct special,

part-time or evening courses, at certain times in the year. Thus

opportunities are open either for full-time or part-time employment. In

industrial cities where evening industrial and commercial courses are

conducted there is often an opportunity for a man to secure a position

as instructor. He can do this instructing and retain his day employment.

Usually there is more demand for agricultural training in the

agricultural and thinly settled States, and for trade and industrial

training in the cities of the industrial States, though both forms of

training are carried on to some degree in practically all the States. In

any part of the country a prospective trade instructor is more likely to

find opportunity in the larger cities.

PROMOTION

Teaching positions in colleges and universities pay more money, of

course, than those in high schools. It is equally true that instructors

in high schools are paid more money than those in elementary schools.

This difference in salary is largely because of the greater amount of

training required for the better paying positions.

In general, high-school teachers, for example, must have pursued an

educational course at least four years in advance of the grade of the

subject which they teach in the high school. This means graduation from

a college, or what is commonly called the A. B. degree. The standards in

most colleges have been raised so much the last few years that one must

have at least two years of education in the college subject which he

expects to teach, beyond the four years’ work of the college. This means

at least the master’s degree and, in many institutions, the doctor’s

degree.

Any young man ambitious to become a college instructor should recognize

that his chances of success in the work are very poor unless he is able

in some way to secure the proper preparation. In many cases this is done

by graduating from a normal school to teach in elementary schools.

Later, by saving his money, the teacher is able to complete an A. B.

degree, which makes him eligible for desirable teaching positions in

high schools.

A third step for the ambitious man is that the second return to a

college or university for the purpose of securing specialized training

which entitles him to the master’s or doctor’s degree. He is then

eligible for desirable college and university positions.

Any man interested in education as a profession should, therefore, take

stock of his native ability, his interest in the profession, his present

educational qualifications, the grade of position to which he aspires,

and the amount of sacrifice he is willing to make to meet its

requirements.

After a few years’ experience in actual teaching one may qualify for a

supervisory position or an administrative position. There are many

positions of this character. There are positions as supervisor of art,

music, drawing, physical training, manual training, agriculture, etc.,

in the grades and in the high schools. There are supervisors also of

certain grades, like supervisors in the primary grades, the intermediate

grades and the upper grades. Men can very well do this supervisory work

in the intermediate and especially in the upper grades. Sometimes one

supervises the teaching of all subjects in a group of buildings. On the

administrative side there are opportunities as principals of buildings.

Sometimes the work of the principal is wholly that of administration.

Sometimes it combines with the administrative work, the work of

supervising actual teaching. From principalships and supervising

positions one may pass on to the position of superintendent.

A young man of ability and ambition with the proper training can

reasonably hope to become principal of a large building, or

superintendent of a fairly good sized school system, if he is willing to

pay the price of hard work for 12 to 15 years.

Administrative positions on the strictly business side of schools, such

as superintendent of buildings, or of supplies, are open to men of

course, who have not had teaching experience at all. Generally, however,

these positions are filled by men who know something of the teaching

problem itself. More and more there is a tendency to bring the business

administration and education administration nearer together.

In the future, therefore, promotions even in the business field of

school work will doubtless take place more and more through the avenue

of the educational field. In both of these fields, the business and the

educational administration of school work, there is a distinct future

for fine vigorous men, who have the power of arranging their thoughts

and facts in an orderly way when they are taking up matters for

discussion with their associates.

The soldier who enters the field of education has a far wider horizon,

and therefore a better opportunity for promotion, than one equally well

equipped in other respects who has not borne arms.

ESSENTIALS OF THE IDEAL TEACHER

It is difficult to judge in advance one’s fitness for teaching. Probably

the biggest single element determining success is love for children or

for youth. If a man can play with them with pleasure, he has a pretty

strong evidence of an understanding of child nature that will be helpful

to him in teaching.

Prof. George Herbert Palmer, in his monograph “The Ideal Teacher,” says

that there are four essentials of the successful ideal teacher. These

may be briefly indicated as follows:

1. So long as a teacher is content to keep in his possession information

or facts he is not a teacher at all. He must transfer these facts to

minds of others in order to be a teacher. It goes without saying that

the teacher must have knowledge, a wide range of information about

various things, before this knowledge can be passed on to someone else.

The teacher’s duty is that of taking a thought out of his own mind and

putting that thought into the minds of others. It goes without saying,

therefore, that he must have possession of the thought in the first

place himself.

2. The teacher must have a passion to lead others to learn. This

eagerness must be accompanied by imagination which leads the teacher to

put himself in the place of the pupil. This means that the teacher has

to take facts and wrestle with them until they are lodged safely and

permanently in the minds of the pupils. The teacher must see the things

that confuse the pupils and after seeing these difficulties must clear

them away. There is always the temptation for the teacher to blame

failure on the dullness of pupils rather than to ask whether the

teaching has been adjusted to the conditions of the pupil’s mind.

3. In addition to the intellectual wealth and the sympathetic

imagination above mentioned, the ideal teacher must make the pupils like

to learn. Too often school work is offensive and results in arousing a

rebellious spirit on the part of pupils.

4. The ideal teacher must be willing to be forgotten--to have his kind

acts overlooked--to be generous, even in the absence of praise. If

praise and recognition are essential to him the prospective teacher may

as well give up the profession.

TEST QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION

The discharged soldier can decide to some extent what his teaching

chances are by asking himself questions like the following: Have I

attended evening school or taken instruction work, or gone to lectures,

or enrolled in correspondence schools, or done anything previous to

entering the Army which would lead anyone to suppose that I was

ambitious to advance in my vocation? When in the Army, did I obtain

recognition for capacity for leadership and for teaching others?

Have I in the past looked upon teaching as a desirable profession

where one could render service at a fair compensation? Have I

“Stick-to-it-iveness” to attend a teachers’ training school and adapt

myself to classroom work with books, catalogues, reports, and lectures

on the theory and practice of education?

One looking forward to a position in vocational education should ask

himself such questions as the following: Have I actual technical

knowledge of some trade or am I only capable of practicing a few

operations connected with the trade? Have I ever been interested in

social and economic life that lies behind the vocational life? Did I

ever join any organization connected with an occupation or pursuit which

promotes the economic and educational welfare of its members?

Each prospective teacher should ask, Have I a strong personality?

Nothing awakens within a child sleeping moral qualities so well as

contact with a strong attractive personality. The problem of the school

is to find the teacher inspired with patriotism, filled with zeal, and

favored with intellectual interests.

TEACHING NOT EASY WORK

The question of health, also, is an important one for the person who is

looking forward to teaching. Many people feel that school hours are

short, and that, therefore, a great amount of physical endurance is not

needed in the work of teaching. Because of the particular strain of the

teacher’s work it is a mistake to think of the workday at all in terms

of hours. It has been said that one hour of teaching is equivalent as

far as fatigue is concerned to two hours of ordinary study done in

quiet without the necessity of speaking. The four or five hour teaching

day, therefore, becomes the equivalent of an eight or ten hour day, and

on top of that must be added two hours a day for correcting papers,

preparing lesson plans, etc.

It is said that teaching is hard on the eyes and the nerves and the

lungs, so that people suffering seriously from either eye, nerve, or

lung trouble should hesitate to go into teaching as a life work, unless

there are prospects of early recovery. It is further stated that a

higher percentage of deaths occurs from tuberculosis among teachers than

among persons in other occupations, although the mortality from this

disease is higher for female teachers than for male teachers. Teachers,

especially beginning teachers, frequently suffer from nervous strain.

Almost 50 per cent of the nervous cases are said to appear during the

first 5 years of teaching, while during the first 15 years of teaching

87 per cent of such cases occur. Nevertheless it is to be noted that

insurance companies class teachers among their good risks.

TRAINING REQUIRED

Men who have gotten no farther than the eighth grade in their general

education might be fitted to teach some vocational subjects. Teachers of

elementary subjects, either in the ungraded rural schools or in the

graded city schools, should have the equivalent of a high-school

education, and teachers in high schools should have the equivalent of a

college education with emphasis placed upon the subject taught. Teachers

in normal schools should have a year or two of work beyond the college

course, and teachers in colleges and universities are generally expected

to have from one to four years of post-graduate work.

In addition to this general training in subject matter one should have

professional training dealing with the methods of teaching and

supervising. The demand for men with this special training in the

teaching profession is growing. The minimum general education required

for a principalship of a school is graduation from a good high school.

In addition to this there should be at least two years of study, which

is largely professional, such as one would get in a normal school or in

the department of education in a college or university. Even further

study than that, of course, is desirable, and the best positions

generally go to men who have spent several years in study beyond college

graduation. Recent studies show that men who have received even a small

amount of professional training advance more rapidly than those who have

depended alone on their native ability and general education.

For the positions that are largely administrative and supervisory men

who have already had experience in the field of teaching may secure the

necessary technical preparation by taking a year’s training in any of

the numerous colleges of education or normal schools which prepare for

these fields. Present-day courses in theory and practice, leading

directly to positions named above, offer unexcelled professional

training in these fields.

Various States of the Union have different laws governing the

certification of teachers. Some of the States require a definite amount

of education of a general nature, plus education of a professional

nature, plus an examination. Other States depend more upon the

examination. The present tendency is to raise the requirement for a

general education, to add to the requirement for a professional

training, and to lay less stress upon the examination. Anyone who is

thinking of entering the teaching profession, however, should before

doing so look up very carefully the laws in force in the State in which

he plans to teach.

Applicants for teaching positions in educational institutions of any

grade must generally show the authorities in control that they possess

whatever qualifications may be considered necessary, including

education, training, experience, and personality.

In general, the higher the grade of the institution, the higher the

requirements. Colleges, technical schools, and universities all

practically require for the lowest teaching positions on their regular

staff at least a degree equal to that granted by the institution.

Schools of secondary grade do not, as a rule, set the standard as high,

while schools of intermediate grade set up intermediate qualifications.

The requirements for teachers in schools of secondary grade vary widely.

If under private control, no definite statement can be made, since each

school sets up its own standards. Good privately controlled schools,

however, tend to set up about the same requirements as schools of

corresponding type that are under public control.

In the great majority of States teachers in schools under public control

must be certified before they can be employed. This certificate is

usually granted after some form of examination has been successfully

passed and is commonly given by the State educational authorities.

Usually certificates are granted only to persons having certain

educational and other qualifications. The requirements, examinations,

subjects, etc., are usually given in bulletins issued free by the

departments of education of the different States. Some large cities have

certifying systems of their own.

In most States teachers of agriculture must be graduates of a four-year

course in an agricultural college or institution of similar grade, and

in addition, must have had a practical farming experience.

In trade and commercial schools and departments the general tendency is

to secure for practical or shop instructors men who actually know the

occupations that they are to teach. In industrial day schools and in

evening courses in these schools, there is generally required proof of a

certain length of journeyman experience in the trade to be taught

following an apprentice experience or its equivalent, and proof also of

an elementary school education or its equivalent.

Teachers of technical or related subjects (shop mechanics, drawing,

etc.), are usually required to have had several years of technical

training and to have had some contact with industry.

SALARIES

Financial returns from teaching are not large. But teaching usually pays

at least a comfortable living from the very first. Many people enter the

profession for this reason. It is said that the money returns from

teaching are, on the average, less than in law, medicine, or business.

Salaries of high-school teachers, however, are said to be on the average

somewhat higher than those of ministers, doctors, and lawyers. In all

lines of teaching the salary range is rather large. The number of years

that it takes to reach the maximum salary varies greatly in the

different States. In Indiana it is said that the maximum for men,

excluding principals, is reached on the average in 6 years, whereas in

Massachusetts the maximum salary for men, excluding principals, is not

usually reached under 15 years. In Massachusetts the maximum salary

received by teachers is about twice as great as the minimum salary.

The beginning wage for men teachers in rural schools ranges from $60 to

$90 per month. The beginning wage of men teachers in the graded schools

in cities is considerably more. The minimum salaries of all teachers,

men and women included, in 85 of the largest cities in the United

States, ranges from $405 to $1,080, whereas the maximum for such

teachers in the same cities ranges from $630 to $1,820.

Teachers in industrial arts receive from $1,000 to $2,500 a year, while

supervisors of such subjects receive from $1,600 to $3,000 a year.

Salaries paid State and local directors for administering vocational

instruction range from $2,500 to $5,000.

Principals and superintendents of schools generally receive salaries

ranging from $1,000 to $4,000, and in some of the larger cities salaries

for superintendents have recently been materially increased. During the

past three or four years some superintendents of our largest cities have

been getting from $10,000 to $12,000.

REWARDS OTHER THAN FINANCIAL

While the salary for teaching is not as great as one would probably

receive in commercial lines, nevertheless there are other rewards that

tend to make teaching attractive. In the first place, there is apt to be

more permanency in a teaching position than in a commercial position.

Teachers are not easily dismissed without cause. Hours are shorter, thus

giving regular opportunity for exercise in the open air. In most States

neither dissatisfaction of pupil nor parents is cause for dismissal of

the teachers. In many States, too, if the schools are ordered closed,

the salaries of teachers must go on in full. The rather long vacations

in teaching give opportunity for travel or study or work, as one may

elect.

Social insurance is rapidly being provided for teachers. Pension systems

for city school teachers started in Chicago in 1893. At the present time

there are 21 State pension systems, while 4 other States have laws

permitting local organizations to set up pension plans. In addition to

the State systems there are 64 city and county systems in operation.

Some of these systems are not satisfactorily worked out, but within the

last few years a great deal of careful study has been given to this

work. The movement for social insurance is recent but wide-spread and

still growing. A total of 34 States are at present represented in this

movement in either State systems or local systems within the State.

Retirement in these systems is most frequently on the basis of 30-year

service. In about six-sevenths of the systems the teachers contribute to

the funds, most frequently 1 to 2 per cent of their salaries.

In schools reporting pension systems for teachers the average salary is

$730 a year, while the average pension is $500 a year.

Finally, teaching is its own reward. For the person who likes children,

who appreciates the social advantages of the profession, who wishes to

make his life count greatly in the lives of other people, and who has an

ambition to do something for the national service in a vital way, the

profession of teaching should be attractive.

HOW MANY YEARS WILL IT TAKE TO ESTABLISH ONE’S SELF IN THE TEACHING

PROFESSION?

For men teachers the rate of advancement in salary varies greatly with

different communities and with different personalities. The number of

years of teaching necessary before the maximum salary is reached ranges

from 6 to 15 years or more. Men continue to be advanced, however, by

being promoted to principalships after their chances for further

advancement as teachers are reduced to a minimum.

HOW GREAT IS THE NEED FOR MEN TEACHERS?

At one time education in the United States was largely in the hands of

men. At the present time it is largely in the hands of women. A tendency

is growing to bring more men into the teaching profession. The demand

for teachers is generally and greatly increased of late. The growth of

high schools during the past generation has been very rapid. Twenty

years ago there were 200,000 pupils enrolled in 2,500 high schools of

our country, thus representing one in every 210 of the population.

To-day there are approximately a million and a half pupils in

approximately 15,000 high schools, representing one in every 66 of the

population. In some localities one person in every 25 is enrolled in a

secondary school of some sort. This expansion of the secondary schools

of the United States has not yet ceased. There has been marked increase

also in attendance at normal schools and colleges, but this increase,

while great, has not been as rapid as the increase in high-school

attendance. The very recent development of vocational training is adding

to the demand for men in the teaching profession. It would seem,

therefore, that the teaching profession would offer an attractive field

for many of our returning soldiers, sailors, and marines.

Undoubtedly, the disabled soldier, sailor, or marine returning from this

great war has a number of very great assets which he could market to

advantage in educational work. Not the least among these is the

advantage which he will enjoy over the civilian because of the natural

admiration of young people for the soldier, sailor, or marine. With this

as a start, other things being equal, his chances of success and of

advancement as a teacher are very good.

The attitude of the community toward him will be one of respect and

admiration. From this he can reap rich rewards in influence and

friendships.

Every man who has gone to war must have thought more deeply than ever

before about his country and its many problems. He comes home, perhaps,

with many changed points of view. Naturally he desires to play a part in

refashioning the spirit or the customs or practices, and even the

institutions of this country. There is no more effective place in which

to do this than in the schoolroom through the continuous everyday

influence which the teacher brings to bear upon the lives of young

people.

PLAN No. 1103. FARM MANAGEMENT AS A VOCATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This monograph was prepared by Dr. Walter J. Quick, Special Agent for

the Federal Board for Vocational Education, under the direction of

Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Division of Research. Acknowledgment is

due E. H. Thomson, Acting Chief, and Dr. E. V. Wilcox, agriculturist of

the Office of Farm Management, United States Department of Agriculture,

for suggestions and data, also to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research

Division, for editorial assistance.

If you have been asking yourself the question, “Can I now with my

disability undertake to manage a farm on business principles and expect

to make a financial success of it?” you will be interested to learn that

farm management is one of the most important training courses offered

you by the Federal Board for Vocational Education.

Upon good business management depends success in farming, that most

important industry in the United States--the industry which many of you

boys returning from the war will wish to enter, the one which needs you

perhaps more than any other, and in which you may expect to earn ample

rewards through scientific methods.

Farm management has been defined as “the science of organization and

management of farm enterprise for the purpose of securing the greatest

continuous profit.” It is the business end of farming. It deals with

farm organization, methods, accounts, and credits, and is, therefore, of

interest to all classes of farmers, including owners, managers, and

tenants.

BUSINESS METHODS PAY

In agricultural affairs as they have been carried on, the lack of

business methods has been amazing. Absolute mismanagement has frequently

been the principal cause of discouragement, failure, and abandonment of

farms. This influence has prevented many from taking up farming, but one

who has a genuine love for the farm and who has or can get some

practical experience on the farm may take a course of intensive study in

farming and farm management under the direction of the Federal Board for

Vocational Education, and then develop into a successful farm manager.

The candidate must not forget, however, that farm management is a

profession, and that a person without experience should not expect to

become a successful farm manager in a few weeks by taking a short course

at some agricultural school. What is worth getting requires time and

effort in this as well as in other things.

Many who have felt full confidence in farming, and have invested their

money in it and applied business principles to it, have proved that the

same measure of success will attend farming under business management as

attends other industries when properly managed. Tens of thousands of

farmers in the United States have demonstrated this by earning

substantial profits.

DIVERSITY OF FARM BUSINESS

Whatever has been true in the past, the manager of a farm to-day must be

a business man capable of negotiating complicated transactions, buying

and selling, and attending to the diverse details of organization and

management.

You should consider well your adaptability for the diversifications of

general farm life; your inclination to acquire an intimate knowledge of

the principal affairs and at least a comprehensive acquaintance with

everything related to farming. As a manager you must keep accurate

accounts; you must know live stock as well as crops; you must be a

mechanic, and ready to lend a hand with your laborers if your condition

permits; in a word, you must be broad minded and tactfully co-operate

with your men. You must have a practical knowledge of crops, of their

seeding and harvesting, of the principles of plant breeding,

propagation, and adaptation to soils. You must understand animal

husbandry, breeding, growing, and feeding the animals produced to a

market finish or for milk production.

DOVETAILING ACTIVITIES

By careful study the many activities on the farm can be so dovetailed

together as to produce a maximum of crops and live stock economically.

Systematic organization must be extended to every department of the

farm. Labor must be efficient and well employed; teams and machinery,

sufficient and in good condition; and marketing timely, it being borne

in mind that quality and condition are quite as important as is quantity

of product.

MISMANAGEMENT WORSE THAN BAD WEATHER

Variations in profits from farms are more largely due to mismanagement

than to unfavorable seasons or fluctuating prices. Farming has become

decidedly a business proposition. The abnormal demand now being made

upon the United States for food and other agricultural products to be

consumed at home and in European countries makes the extensive

application of scientific farming imperative.

Many farms, unprofitable because of mismanagement, could by

reorganization be systematized and developed into profitable, lucrative

undertakings. Accompanying this reorganization, the application of

business principles and practical management to scientific methods is of

paramount importance.

With this better farming there must be associated reliable accounting,

demonstrating a business warranting banking credit. It is often claimed

that farmers can not keep books, when as a matter of fact, while they do

not do bookkeeping in the generally accepted term, nine out of ten, from

notes jotted down, have as accurate knowledge of the financial side of

their enterprise as the majority of business men. This has been

repeatedly proven by the hundreds of farm surveys, representing many

States, by the Office of Farm Management of the Department of

Agriculture, through which it was found possible on almost every farm to

obtain an accurate financial statement from the memoranda kept by the

farm owners, their managers or tenants, and to ascertain the profits.

Thorough organization with method and accounting simplifies management,

curtails expenses, makes possible larger returns with less outlay, and

establishes credit, which will not longer be denied the farmer when he

adopts business methods and can show the bank his statement of annual

business conditions.

FUNDS FOR DEVELOPMENT AVAILABLE

Farms have been likened to huge sponges from their ability to absorb

money and labor, but the capable manager can make investment of money

and labor in farming profitable. Uncle Sam, it may be noted, has

arranged for the advance of money through the Federal Loan service, and

local banks stand ready now as never before to accommodate the farmer

temporarily with the necessary funds for development operations. Many

farms, like some manufacturing plants, are being run to only half

capacity or less by a “one-horse tenant,” caretaker, or discouraged

farmer. They are awaiting men and money, ready to absorb both, and if

they are reorganized and managed on a business basis they will become

highly profitable.

THE NEED FOR MANAGERS

Only 60,000 farms out of 6,361,000 employed managers and superintendents

according to the 1910 census. But it is practically certain that more

than one farm in a hundred would have been operated by managers had

there been a larger number of effectively trained men available to men

owning, or in position to own, farms large enough to justify the

employment of a manager. With the number of improved farms increased to

probably 7,000,000 by this date, the demand is greater for this class of

trained men. The department of Agriculture and the State agricultural

colleges report inability to fill numerous calls for farm managers and

superintendents, and the advertisements in the agricultural and

live-stock papers for them indicate that the demand continues. The small

percentage of profits from the inefficient management of idle and

incompetent tenants makes tens of thousands of farm owners not living on

their places very desirous of securing active farm managers, capable of

introducing scientific methods.

We believe, in fact, we know, that there are in the country numerous

“old time” farm owners who are barely making a living, while their farms

are constantly depreciating in value. Unquestionably such owners would

receive better returns by employing farm managers. The combination of a

number of farms with co-operative handling, under a competent farm

manager, on the community principle, would reduce expenses for

machinery, teams, and power, and make possible more economic employment

of labor. The existence of such conditions offers an excellent field of

activity to the man who is trained well enough to see and to use these

opportunities. Knowing the possibilities such a man might be able to so

thoroughly convince the owners of a number of inefficiently operated

farms of the advantage of having them worked as a unit and thereby get

them to adopt his plans. The country is full of landed estates of

sufficient area to justify the owners in employing specially trained

men. Syndicates and individuals have been for years buying groups of

neglected farms and orchards in the southern States. These are almost

invariably being handled by scientifically trained farm managers. The

properties have improved under modern methods of culture and have in

most cases shown profits within two or three years, notwithstanding the

necessary outlay to bring the run-down property into productive

condition. Similar conditions obtain in New York and other northern and

western States.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANAGER

Managers are responsible for success in farming. Upon their experience

and ability depends the securing of the “greatest continuous profit,”

and, in fact, the securing, in many cases, of any profit at all. They

direct, plan, and systemize the regular farm duties.

The manager must arrange an advantageous distribution of farm labor,

keep in intimate touch with all the farm work, know how to do it and be

able to judge when it is well done, know what reasonably to expect of

his men, know how to direct labor so as to meet adequately each season’s

demand and so as to provide employment at all times.

The manager must study the efficiency of different classes of workers.

Too often farm profits are thought to depend upon small wages rather

than upon experience and ability. The good manager will not make this

mistake. The old belief that anyone can farm has been abandoned. Almost

anyone can learn to farm, but the losses by the inexperience of an

apprentice must be carefully avoided. Many a prospect of a full crop of

corn as evidenced by the regularity of “stand in the row” has been

reduced to a three-fourths return by an inexperienced plowboy plowing

the young plants out or leaving them covered. An experienced plowman

with an improved cultivator would have made a profit possible where the

inexperienced hand caused a loss. The better worker is worthy his hire

and better wages. The demand is growing in farming as in other

industries for trained workers. The yields that the farm manager is able

to secure are dependent so largely on his knowledge of labor and ability

to direct it, that particular study should be given the labor problem of

the farm by anyone preparing to assume the responsibilities of farm

management.

Farm work is not accomplished by separate groups of workers so much as

by the same group of workers being employed in the appropriate

undertakings at different seasons, as the manager directs.

The competition for satisfactory farm labor has become so keen that

far-sighted managers pay special attention to the conditions under which

their laborers, as well as their skilled hands, live. A little money

judiciously expended in providing buildings that are livable and

homelike, a little liberality in the matter of time, a chance to garden,

to keep a cow or a few hens, or to do some of the many other things that

serve to keep satisfactory labor, may return a profit far out of

proportion to the expense represented. In other words, the farm manager

must profit by the experience of the manufacturer and avoid excessive

“labor turn over.”

SMALL FARMING AS A PREPARATION FOR FARM MANAGEMENT

Large farms and estates employ crews of men and utilize expensive

equipment. They especially require the services of well-trained and

reliable farm managers, capable of selecting practical foremen and

laborers, and of keeping well in hand the details of all farm processes

necessary to economical management. But good management is essential

also on small farms, operated by owners or tenants, as well as on large

estates. The owner, and generally the tenant as well, are their own

managers, and managing a small farm well is one way of learning the

profession of the farm manager. The small farmer as well as the large

must consider well the location, climate, soil, lay of land, water

supply, and other features of his farm, so as to determine the most

suitable type of farming under existing conditions. He, as well as the

large farmer, must keep accounts, organize the farming operations in

proper sequence, determine upon cropping, direct the preparation of

soil, fertilizing, seeding, cultivating, harvesting, and all the minor

details of live stock, breeding, raising, and feeding, do the buying as

well as the marketing of crops, live stock, and live-stock products.

AREA OF EMPLOYMENT

The geographical area of farm operations, and consequently of the demand

for farm managers, is co-extensive with the United States.

IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY

The farm manager must have an intimate knowledge of tools and machinery

and an inclination to employ only the best and most modern implements,

even if special financing for a year or so must be undertaken in order

to farm most profitably. Tractors, modern machinery, and labor-saving

implements should be studied, wisely selected, and purchased, even if it

is found necessary to buy on terms.

WHY TAKE TRAINING

You can hardly have had sufficient agricultural experience, if you have

not had college or vocational training in some agricultural institution,

to justify you in not taking advantage of the opportunity for a

vocational course in farm management, if you look forward to a career in

this profession.

If you have had only limited practical experience you may become a farm

foreman, in which as wide an experience is not required, thus securing

for you an opportunity for development and promotion to the higher place

of manager. The training that will develop a good farm manager is

equally valuable for promotion to the position of county agricultural

agent. This work is increasing, attractive, and remunerative. Men with

sufficient training, experience, and ability to “mix” with the farmers

can do a valuable work. All training and experience with money saved for

an initial payment are stepping stones to farm ownership.

Notwithstanding disabilities, which are seldom disqualifying and rarely

prohibitive, you with farm experience occupy an ideal position for

training in farm management and its accompanying opportunity for

advancement.

Opportunity for promotion is exceptional in farm management and will

naturally be accorded you--in fact, you will be given preference--if

your efficiency is evident. Men with ideas, who think and do things, are

in demand on the farm. Having taken the vocational training in farm

management, having skipped no links in the chain of development, and

having acquired by reading and observation all the information

pertaining to it, promotion will be but natural and rapid in the

occupation which you have made a specialty, and upon which you have made

yourself a reliable authority. Think it over seriously. Upon training

depends your future, your occupation, and your success in life. You may

succeed without training, but you are more likely to succeed if you have

been retrained and readjusted to the new conditions which will confront

you in earning a livelihood.

After training you should not expect to begin at the top unless you have

had practical experience and are in a position to become an owner or a

tenant at once.

SALARIES

The positions of farm manager, superintendent, or foreman are considered

from the salary rather than the wage standpoint and are usually of

annual engagement for the calendar year, as practically all farm

operations have ended with the close of the year, making it a most

suitable time for the changing of men, if found advisable. The salary

paid is proportionate to experience and efficiency and commensurate with

that of other callings. As in other occupations, it may be small at the

start, but will increase with efficiency. Commonly farm managers and

superintendents are receiving annually from $1,000 to $3,000, and on

large estates often $4,000 or $5,000, with many perquisites, such as

dwelling, garden and truck land, fuel, and the privilege of keeping a

cow, pigs, and poultry. Farm foremen are paid from $500 to $1,200 with

perquisites. Sometimes the beginning salary is a little less than the

minimum, but often carries a contingent bonus when the year ends with

satisfactory results. The general level of pay is likely to advance

under the unusual conditions which now obtain in agriculture.

Your salary in the country may be less than in the city, but your living

expenses are greatly decreased by the perquisites mentioned, and in not

having presented to members of the family the temptations of the city to

spend money unnecessarily. Then, too, the healthful conditions of the

country prevent much sickness and consequent loss of time and there are

therefore fewer doctor’s bills. Therefore the saving from the annual

income as farm manager is equal to, and in a majority of cases, exceeds

the returns from a city position, besides placing you in line for

independent ownership.

As in other positions, that of manager and the amount of salary

commanded varies with the magnitude of the farm and the capacity of the

manager to develop himself and the opportunities entrusted to him. A

farm boy, after two years in an Agricultural College, took a foreman’s

position starting at $600 a year and perquisites, the second year he

received $900, then became manager at $1,800, and now receives $3,000.

In five years he has quadrupled the income.

OVERCOMING YOUR DISABILITY

Your disability has an excellent opportunity of being overcome in

farming. Handicaps that would interfere in other training courses are

corrected in many of the farm processes by the therapeutic exercises so

interesting and variable. The opportunities are so great that the

handicapped may develop his own vocation on the farm. Devices to beat

your handicap and make it possible for you to do the things you did not

imagine you could perform have been invented and manufactured in almost

every country for the benefit of the disabled in war, which Uncle Sam

has now available for your use.

When you are advised that your handicap permits you to return to the

farm, the sooner the practice of your training is begun the greater will

be the therapeutic value. This is your reconstruction, your individual

man-struggle for restoration in correcting the disability which you

acquired in the great world-struggle.

As a farm manager, landowner, tenant, supervisor, superintendent, or

foreman, the experienced man capable of using a trained brain in

directing others can succeed in spite of almost any disability. If the

occupation places you in position to devote your time principally to the

management of your farm, or the one you have in charge, you can assign

to others such work as you may be incapable of performing yourself.

EDUCATION

Your knowledge of the common school branches, especially English,

mathematics, and current literature will greatly assist you in studying

the elementary principles of chemistry; in comprehending the analyses of

soil and water, the protein and carbohydrate contents of the feeds,

milk, and plants, quite necessary in the selection of feeds for the

proper balancing of rations; in the understanding of plant breeding,

growth, and propagation; in studying entomology and obtaining a

practical knowledge of insects, pests, diseases, and the bacteria of

milk, water, etc., and in acquiring some knowledge of physics and its

application to the soil, drainage, buildings, machinery, heating,

lighting--all vastly important to the farm manager.

Technical training is valuable in adapting many farm processes to

increase the profit on certain crops and makes special projects worthy

of careful consideration by the disabled, seeking side-line

opportunities on the farm for alternating employment when regular

operations can not be pursued.

The knowledge to be gained in the vocational training course will depend

upon your previous education, experience, and application. All the time

necessary will be allotted to the course. It is, however, advisable not

to overtax your strength, but acquire efficiency gradually. You will be

advised by the training instructors as to your ability to undertake new

features and widen the scope of instruction.

Getting back home to work again should be, and doubtless is, your

greatest ambition, hence the importance of reaching your decision at the

earliest possible moment and applying for the training which Uncle Sam

has in readiness for you. Seek an early opportunity for advisement while

in the hospital. You will find the attitude of your old friends, your

own family, and your former employers all that you could possibly

expect, in their desire to assist you in getting “over the top” in

agriculture. The disposition of your fellow workmen will be to give you

every encouragement and to lend a helping hand whenever and as long as

you need it. They will take a justifiable pride in you and your

determination to be a man among your former fellowmen in civil life and

to train for a self-supporting and honorable occupation--one that will

enable you to remain true to agriculture and to your country in its

efforts to produce for the world the food which is now so greatly in

demand; to prevent hunger and starvation, and to quell food riots in the

war-afflicted countries.

The new year 1919 is upon us and spring is rapidly approaching,

reminding us of farming activities and that activities in farming should

have our prompt attention this year of all others, that starvation may

cease with a bountiful harvest.

To you is offered free this exceptional opportunity to readjust yourself

back into civil life in American agriculture by selecting farm

management as your vocational training course.

It is all up to you.

Give it consideration _now_.

Agricultural literature is available in all libraries and consists of

treatises and textbooks suitable for reading with the idea of the

definite study for perfecting knowledge to be applied in pursuing any or

many lines of agriculture. Many books have been written in the story

plan and are most attractive and inspiring. Others are the best

translations from other languages; even “Farm Management of the Romans”

can now be secured in nearly all libraries of countries prominent in

agriculture.

Libraries now make it a point to keep the leading current agricultural

periodicals on file for the reader.

The Department of Agriculture bulletins, agricultural reports, farmers’

bulletins, and special works on agriculture are always available to

everyone desiring them; likewise similar literature issued by State

agricultural colleges and experiment stations, applicable directly to

local State conditions, are especially helpful and will be supplied

regularly as printed, to all addresses supplied.

We append a list of bulletins germane to the subject of this monograph

and which will be found interesting and beneficial.

AGRICULTURAL BULLETINS

The Use of a Diary for Farm Accounts. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 782.

Farm Practices that Increase Crop Yields in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Farmers’ Bulletin No. 981.

Farm Practices that Increase Crop Yields in the Gulf Coast Region.

Farmers’ Bulletin No. 986.

Labor Requirements of Dairy Farms as Influenced by Milking Machines.

Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 423.

The Normal Day’s Work of Farm Implements, Workmen, and Crews. Department

of Agriculture Bulletin No. 412.

A System of Farm Cost Accounting. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 572.

A Method of Analyzing the Farm Business. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 661.

Systems of Farming in Central New Jersey. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 472.

Farm Management Practice of Chester County, Pa. Department of

Agriculture Bulletin No. 341.

Seasonal Distribution of Farm Labor in Chester County, Pa. Department of

Agriculture Bulletin No. 528.

Labor Costs and Seasonal Distribution of Labor. Utah Agricultural

College Experiment Bulletin No. 165.

A Normal Day’s Work for Various Farm Operations. Farmers’ Bulletin No.

3.

An example of Successful Farm Management in Southern New York. Bulletin

of the United States Department of Agriculture No. 32.

Value to Farm Families of Food, Fuel, and Use of House. Farmers’

Bulletin No. 410.

Lease Contracts Used in Renting Farms on Shares. Bulletin of the

Department of Agriculture No. 650.

Replanning a Farm for Profit. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 370.

Waste Land and Wasted Land on Farms. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 745.

A Simple Way to Increase Crop Yields. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 924.

Clearing Land. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 974.

Better Use of Man Labor on the Farm. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 989.

Saving Farm Labor by Harvesting Crops with Live Stock. Farmers’ Bulletin

No. 1008.

A System of Tenant Farming and Results. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 437.

PLAN No. 1104. OCCUPATIONS IN THE AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This monograph was prepared by M. R. Bass, special agent of the Federal

Board for Vocational education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John

Cummings of the research division for editorial assistance.

The purpose of this monograph is to give a brief description of some of

the work done in the manufacture of automobiles. No attempt has been

made, however, to go into the machine shop side of the industry, a

field in which lie possibilities for placing thousands of reeducated men

in good positions. The monograph is limited to automobile assembly work.

Manufacturing automobiles and automobile accessories is one of the

foremost industries of the United States. One manufacturer alone is

known to have turned out more than 3,500 complete automobiles in one

day, and to have turned out in one year some 350,000 cars. Many concerns

produce from 50,000 to 125,000 cars annually. The 1914 census of the

industry gives the value of the automobile products as $632,831,474, and

wonderful changes in the last four years have greatly increased the

value of the products of this industry, which was practically unknown 20

years ago.

A recent study developed the fact that there are some 85 occupations in

the automobile manufacturing industry, which in its various branches

offers excellent opportunities to mechanics, apprentices, and men who

wish to take up a new trade. A man with even very limited qualifications

can surely fit in somewhere.

The industry is still growing rapidly and branching out into what may be

called an automotive industry, embracing the manufacture of motor

trucks, tractors, and airplanes, as well as of automobiles. A mechanic

in one branch of the industry may shift easily to other branches.

Certain factories have discontinued general manufacturing, and have

specialized in the manufacture of automobile units or parts, such as

engines, transmissions, frames, and axles, and the manufacturer who used

to build practically all of his automobile has been persuaded to buy

certain units from these specialty manufacturers. Small manufacturers

have thus been enabled to build a part of a car and to buy the rest from

unit manufacturers, and many small factories have been started in this

way.

Work in the various automobile factories varies from purely unskilled to

highly skilled labor. The unskilled employments include those of machine

operators, assemblers, subassemblers, tool room keepers, janitors,

watchmen, and checkers, while the skilled employments include those of

special machine men, tool makers, die sinkers, heat-treatment experts,

dynamometer testers, ignition experts, inspectors and general mechanical

experts.

Good wages are paid, common laborers in some plants receiving from $3 to

$5 per day. Well-trained, skilled mechanics, of course, earn much higher

rates.

Standardization of automobile parts is gradually bringing about

standardization of the automobile as a whole, which greatly simplifies

the work of the mechanic who builds and repairs automobiles.

Trucks are being more extensively used by wholesale and retail

merchants. Overland freight is being carried by truck trains, between

small towns, and even long-distance hauling is meeting with success.

This increased motor-truck service is increasing the demand for

mechanics in the factories, and also for truck drivers.

Automobile factories are usually located in large cities, where raw

material and supplies are at hand. Shipping and labor conditions also

are carefully considered. A very large percentage of the automobile

output is manufactured in the States of Michigan, Ohio, New York, and

Indiana. The State of Michigan alone produced 80 per cent or four-fifths

of the pleasure vehicles manufactured in 1914.

ORGANIZATION OF AN AUTOMOBILE PLANT

Large plants are made up of a number of departments. The office is the

chief executive department. Here the plant is checked up, all

correspondence taken care of, and all financial, educational, and

business matters attended to. Closely connected with the office usually

are the drafting rooms, where new models, changes in models, and

experimental changes are made, since all such changes are first made on

drawings. The engineering and experimental departments may also be

located in the office building. In the experimental department all

changes are worked out, and research work is carried on. If such changes

prove to be a betterment they are made on the blue prints, and are then

made in the factory throughout. Since even a minor change may cost the

factory thousands of dollars, all changes must be carefully considered.

Other departments include those organized for engine, frame, axle, and

chassis assembly, the paint department, and other departments according

to size of factory and product manufactured, whether a complete

automobile or an automobile unit.

The staff of men who handle a department usually includes a general

superintendent, assistant superintendent, department foreman, section

foreman, timekeeper, inspectors, and checkers.

The superintendent in many cases is a man who has come up through the

ranks, and superintendents of this kind are usually the most efficient.

Assistant superintendents, foremen, and others also are usually men

picked from the ranks. Men with common-school educations are holding

responsible positions in many factories and are drawing large salaries.

In each factory will be found an efficiency man or production manager,

whose duties are to put into operation new methods, machines, and

devices to increase production.

There will be found also an educational and welfare department in each

factory, which looks after the welfare of workers, settles disputes

between workmen and foremen, and in individual cases shifts workers from

one shop operation to another. As a rule, the hospital or first-aid

division is located in this department, which may undertake also the

organization of training classes in such subjects as will increase

efficiency, and may arrange for entertainments and the organization of

clubs.

PROGRESSIVE ASSEMBLY METHOD OF MANUFACTURING

Progressive assembly means assembly of parts by stages, or step by step.

In this work a man does one operation only, although he may be

frequently changed from job to job, according to his ability as workman

or mechanic.

Special equipment is required for this method. The work starts with the

frame as a skeleton, which is placed either on a conveyer, that is moved

very slowly, or on a special framework equipped with casters that it may

be moved freely from place to place.

Where the conveyer is used, the conveyer is from 100 to 200 feet long,

and moves at the rate of about two feet per minute, although the rate

varies from factory to factory. By the time the frame or skeleton

reaches the end of the conveyor the automobile is practically complete.

The various units have been attached as the frame moves slowly down the

floor. In some factories the automobile is so completely assembled that

the engine is started and, after a short road test, the car is driven to

the shipping platform. This means that in some factories an automobile

is completely assembled in less than an hour. As the automobiles are

placed close together on the conveyer a finished machine is turned out

every minute or so.

Let us now proceed through the progressive assembly by units.

PLAN No. 1105. PLACING THE FRAME

The frame with its necessary brackets and springs having been assembled

in a subassembly department, is placed upon the conveyer. Where the

frame is heavy, an air or hydraulic hoist is used. This operation is

usually done by two men, who must be able to move about freely but are

not compelled to climb or to move rapidly. A man capable of hooking a

chain to the frame and who is able to move a short distance can easily

qualify.

PLAN No. 1106. FRONT AND REAR AXLES

The frame having been placed upon the conveyer, the spring and front and

rear axles are then attached. The rear axles are usually mounted by two

men with the aid of a hoist. These axles like the frame have been

assembled in a subassembly department of the factory.

The men who attach the axles to the frames need not be expert mechanics

but must know how to handle wrenches and hand tools. They must be able

to move about freely and be able to start the nuts or bolts and tighten

them. Special tools are used where possible to save time. Time is a big

factor in this department. If the mechanic does not complete his

operation in a given number of feet on the conveyer, he will interfere

with the next operation. The conveyer is moving all the time and he must

complete his operation within his allotted space.

PLAN No. 1107. MOUNTING THE TRANSMISSION

Following the assembly of the axles to the frame, the transmission gear

set is mounted and bolted into place. In many cases the transmission is

attached to the engine (unit power plant), in which case this operation

is completed when the engine is put into place. The men doing this

operation need not be skilled mechanics, but must be able to use hand

tools and move about freely. A man with an artificial leg could do this

work easily. Again a man with one good hand and part of other could do

this work.

PLAN No. 1108. PLACING THE ENGINE

The engine is the next unit attached to the frame. In placing the engine

a hoist is used and no heavy lifting is required. The engine is lowered

into place and securely bolted. The propeller shaft also is attached and

necessary connections are made. Usually the engine has had the

carburetor, ignition system, and starting and lighting equipment

attached to it in the engine department. For this operation men do not

need to be mechanics. A workman must be able to handle hand tools such

as wrenches, screw drivers, and hammers, should have strength enough to

help place the engine, and should be able to move about freely. This

work is all done standing and moving about. All work of this nature is

passed upon by an inspector.

PLAN No. 1109. MOUNTING THE RADIATOR

The next operation is mounting and bolting the radiator into place, and

connecting the water hoses to the engine. This operation is one that

requires sufficient strength to lift the radiator into place, and is

usually taken care of by one man. He also must be able to handle hand

tools.

PLAN No. 1110. SECURING THE STEERING GEAR

The steering gear is next secured to the frame, an operation which is

usually taken care of by one man with possibly some little assistance by

a helper. The operation requires a man who can lift the gear and put it

into place. It is rather an awkward piece to handle and the employee

should be physically able to handle it.

PLAN No. 1111. WHEELS AND BEARINGS

The next operation is mounting front wheels and bearings. This requires

a little more skill and care than some of the other operations that have

been mentioned. The mechanic must clean and lubricate the wheel bearings

and mount and adjust the wheels, which must be neither too loose nor too

tight. He must also secure his adjustment by means of the locking

devices furnished. If he is a careless mechanic he may leave something

undone, thereby endangering the lives of users of the car after it

leaves the factory.

The man who looks after this operation must be capable of lifting the

wheels into place and adjusting them. The operation calls for a man with

a normal body, although minor defects would not prevent him from doing

the work efficiently.

The rear wheels require practically the same attention that the front

wheels do. However, this operation may vary with the particular type of

rear-axle construction.

PLAN No. 1112. DASH AND INSTRUMENT BOARD

The next operation is lowering into place and securely bolting the dash

and instrument board. This is commonly taken care of by two men, whose

requirements are the same as for axle, transmission, and engine

assembly. The operation is unnecessary where the dash is not a separate

unit.

PLAN No. 1113. STARTING THE ENGINE

The dash on some cars has the fuel tank attached to it. In such cases

the chassis is now practically completed. We will say it has now reached

the end of the conveyer. Here gas and water are put in the containers

and the engine is ready to start. This operation is sometimes

accomplished by placing the rear wheels of the car between two revolving

drums, which will cause the rear wheels to revolve.

The gear-shift lever is placed in some selected gear position and the

clutch engaged; this in turn revolves the engine, and if the ignition is

switched on, the engine will start. This operation saves considerable

energy in cranking, or saves the electric current in the starting

battery. After the engine is started, the chassis may be driven away on

its own power, an operation which requires a man who can efficiently

handle an automobile.

PLAN No. 1114. INSPECTION

The chassis is now driven to the road-test department, where it is

inspected for grease in the gear cases and such other inspections as may

be necessary. Inspectors here need not be highly trained mechanics. Men

with handicaps could take care of this work very nicely.

PLAN No. 1115. ROAD TESTING

Possibly a road-test body is next attached to the chassis. This body

usually contains sufficient weight (rocks, iron, or sand) to make up the

equivalent of the automobile body. The chassis is then given a run over

the country roads. Here the trained mechanic is necessary, able to

adjust the carburetor, ignition, starting and lighting equipment,

brakes, rear axle gears, and clutch. In fact almost any part of the car

may need adjustment. He must be able to locate trouble of all kinds. In

many cases the chassis test is very limited and the tester makes out a

report, the work indicated being done in a department by less skilled

mechanics who have specialized in one job, such as, for example, brakes.

Where this method is used, the tester must be sure of his report. A road

tester need not have a perfect body, but he must have practical

experience and be physically able to handle a car.

[Illustration: Plan No. 1114. He that Hath a Trade Hath an Estate]

There are many jobs in the testing department that a handicapped man can

do, and the chances for advancement in this department are very good.

PLAN No. 1116. DYNAMOMETER TEST

After the chassis has passed the inspector of the road-test department

it may be given a dynamometer test. This is accomplished by attaching an

electric dynamometer to the rear wheels either by belts or chains. The

engine is then operated at various speeds and the horsepower developed

noted. If it is not up to the average, a close inspection is made to

determine where power is lost, whether in the engine, transmission, or

rear axle. The dynamometer tester must be a man who has been trained for

this particular job. He must understand his machine and be able to use

simple formulas. Slight physical disabilities would not interfere with

his efficiency. This is a desirable occupation and usually leads to

something better.

After the final chassis test the chassis is thoroughly washed and new

wheels mounted. This is a job similar to that spoken of under front and

rear wheels. The chassis then goes to the paint shop for its final

finish. Here the body and fenders are fitted.

PLAN No. 1117. IN THE PAINTING DEPARTMENT

There are many jobs in the painting department that are very well

adapted to a handicapped man. He can become a rubber (one who rubs the

surface of a body to make it smooth) if he has only one hand and one

good leg. He can learn to paint, or he can learn to do upholstery work.

This is one of the branches of the automobile industry in which the work

is easy, and being inside work it should be a desirable occupation. The

pay is good in any of these branches of the work.

PLAN No. 1118. COMPLETING THE CAB

Following the body and fenders the top is put on, then the windshield

and instruments.

The tires and demountable rims are then mounted. (An old set of tires

are used for road-test work.) This is another place where handicapped

men may fit in, as certain handicaps would not interfere with the

putting on of rims and tires.

PLAN No. 1119. FINAL INSPECTING AND TESTING

The car is now completed and is delivered to the final test department.

Here we have inspectors, testers, and checkers. In this department the

car is carefully inspected as to missing parts in final assembly,

finish, tires, and general condition. An expert makes a final test of

the car. He drives it a few miles and notes the general running of the

car. He may make final adjustments on the carburetor, etc. If the car

passes his inspection, it is carefully checked as to equipment and

tagged. In this department the tools are put in and the car made ready

for shipment or to be driven away.

The men in this department must be men who have come up through the

ranks, or men who are thoroughly familiar with the construction of the

particular make of automobile. The inspector is usually a man who is

able to fill out reports and keep his records. The checker does similar

work, while the final tester must be a mechanic whose judgment of the

mechanical condition of the car is not to be questioned. Handicapped

mechanics could qualify for this position providing they were able to

handle the car properly. One good hand and a part of the other and

possibly one leg would allow a man to do this work. Wages are good and

the position is a responsible one.

PLAN No. 1120. PREPARATION FOR SHIPPING

From the final test department, the car goes to the shipping department.

There a crew of men load the cars and block them for shipping. The men

employed here must have good strong bodies as they have to move the cars

by hand and oftentimes considerable lifting is necessary. A handicapped

man could hardly qualify in this work unless his injury had been very

slight. Wages for this work are higher than those of common laborers and

the work is steady.

PLAN No. 1121. UNLOADING, STORING, AND DELIVERING CARS

The car is now ready for shipment and is transported to the agent of the

manufacturer. Here a small crew unloads the cars and takes them to the

warehouse for storage.

The men in this unloading crew are usually a little better grade of men

than the loaders. Usually each one of these unloaders can drive or steer

an automobile. The cars are sometimes driven away from the unloading

platform under their own power, while in other cases they are towed at

the end of a rope or cable. This branch of work is not very steady, and

oftentimes the crews are made up of mechanics from the repair shop.

After the car has been placed in the warehouse for storage some one must

check it up. This is usually done by the record clerk. The agent now

puts his salesman out to sell the car and after it has been sold it is

necessary for some one to deliver it to the customer. The car is brought

from the warehouse to the garage or service department where it is

inspected. This inspection consists of filling the fuel tank, oil

reservoir, radiator, and grease cups, inflating tires, and making a road

test. After delivery the customer must be instructed as to the proper

way to handle the car, and several men are employed for this service.

AFTER HISTORY OF THE CAR

The car is now in the hands of the customer, and after he has had some

service out of it, it finally becomes necessary for him to have the car

gone over and adjusted. He brings the car to the repair department for

this work, which requires various specialists such as, for example,

engine specialists, and specialists on ignition. In time the car is

practically worn out or the owner wants a new one, and he therefore

trades his old car on a new one or sells it outright.

Possibly the used-car dealer gets hold of it for resale. If so, he

cleans it up, adjusts it, and possibly has it painted. Here again the

services of helpers, mechanics, and salesmen are required.

Eventually the car finds its way to the junk dealer as no longer usable.

This dealer tears the car to pieces and sells the brass, aluminum, iron,

and steel taken from it. In many cases the car is an orphan--i. e., a

car that is no longer manufactured--and the junk dealer saves such parts

as may be sold to owners who have cars of the same make, but who are

unable to purchase new parts. In this way many old cars are rebuilt and

the life of the car extended several years. But in the end the car and

its parts find their way to the scrap-iron dealer.

The scrap-iron man carefully assorts the various metals. Frames and

other parts are cut to pieces with oxy-acetylene cutting torches, and

the pieces are eventually sold to manufacturers, automobile companies,

and other buyers. Material used in a car 10 years ago may in some cases

be remolded and used in a car of the same make. From the beginning of

the first piece made to the return of the junked automobile, the

services of many thousands of men, skilled and unskilled, are required

at every stage in the manufacture, maintenance, and salvaging of cars.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Working conditions as found in various factories are very good. In most

factories the employee receives a great deal of attention. Practically

all of the large factories have built hospitals, private schools, lunch

rooms, rest rooms, club rooms, and play grounds, and have established

welfare departments. The factories have been carefully surveyed and the

ventilation and sanitary conditions brought to the highest point of

efficiency. The average day is nine hours. Some factories work 8 and a

few work 10 hours per day.

Living conditions are good in practically every locality where the

automobile industry may be located. Street-car systems allow employees

to live out in suburbs, where their rents are cheaper and where they may

have small gardens.

There are some occupations, as stated above, which are not the most

desirable for a man who has the education and ability to learn

something better, but many of these occupations pay good wages, the work

is steady, and the man can always find employment in them. Very few of

the factories shut down during normal years, which means that a man is

practically insured of steady work.

MOTOR TRUCK AND TRACTOR ASSEMBLY

What has been said here concerning automobile assembly applies equally

to motor truck and tractor assembly.

MANUFACTURE OF AUTOMOBILE UNITS

In the following paragraphs general statements will be made regarding

the construction of each automobile unit, the nature of the work, the

physical and mental qualifications of workers, and the desirability of

the occupation involved. While the same class of work differs

considerably from factory to factory, it is nevertheless true that

up-to-date factories have much in common.

PLAN No. 1122. FRAMES

Automobile frames are made of pressed steel. Steel for the frame is run

through a powerful press, which presses the side and cross members into

proper shape. These presses are handled by men trained for this

particular job. They must know when the work is right and how to adjust

the machines. The dies which form the frames often break and require

replacing and adjusting.

After the frame parts have been pressed into shape and sheared to

length, they are passed to the assembly department. Here large punch and

drill presses are used to make holes for rivets and bolts. The holes are

first marked from a template or are layed out by a layout man. A

template is a jig or fixture that will allow all the holes to be marked

uniformly so that parts will be interchangeable and uniform. This worker

or layout man must be able to read blue prints. He must also be able to

move about freely.

After the frame members are marked they go to the press men where the

holes are made. These men do not need to be expert mechanics. They are

known as machine operators, and do nothing else but punch and drill

holes in these pieces. A handicapped man could operate many of these

machines.

The parts are now passed to the assembly floor where the frame is to be

assembled. Here we find men who assemble the parts from blue prints.

Other men clamp or bolt the frame together. Oftentimes the frame is put

in a jig to hold it until completed. Rivet men work on the frame next,

or possibly the same men who assemble it will rivet it. Some frames are

hot riveted while others are cold riveted. Where the frame is hot

riveted, the rivets must be heated. The common practice is to heat the

rivets in an oil or gas furnace. Rivets are passed to the riveter while

red hot and he places them in the holes; he is usually the buck up man,

i. e., the man who holds the rivet in place with a large bar while it is

headed on the other side. Two men are required for riveting, which is

done with an air hammer. Each rivet takes but a few seconds. In a few

places riveting machines (squeezers) are used which save considerable

time. The man who does this work must be able to move about freely, and

should have two good hands in order to handle the tools and rivets.

The frames may next pass to a department where other parts are attached,

such as step-board hangers and spring hangers. It is now ready for

shipment or for the paint department, as the case may be.

The frame construction does not require a large number of expert

mechanics. Oftentimes some of this work is paid for by the piece. All of

the piecework is inspected; and if not up to standard, must be

corrected.

Framework is considered rough work and a man should be in good health to

undertake it. General working conditions are good and work is steady.

PLAN No. 1123. SPRINGS

Automobile springs are manufactured from high-grade steel. The steel

must be heat treated and tempered so as to withstand thousands of

vibrations which may tend to crystalize the steel and cause it to break.

If the spring is tempered too hard it will break, and if it is not hard

enough it will sag. Heat treatment of spring steel is a science in

itself.

Red-hot steel is run through a mill which rolls it to the proper

thickness and width. It is heat treated and forged to the proper shape

and tempered in a bath, (oil-water, etc.), as may be best suited to that

particular steel.

The compounding of the steels used in making springs requires careful

attention. Here experts who have made a study of steels and alloys are

employed, and the men engaged in this work must generally have had

college training.

Rolling mills and forge machines are handled by men who have been

trained to operate them. A handicapped man could handle some of the

machines, some of which require two good hands while others require but

one hand. Some can be operated by men with one leg.

Springs are assembled after being matched and formed, and are then ready

for shipment. In assembling springs they must be scaled and oiled. The

oil is to prevent rust while the scaling is done to remove the

shell-like crust that may form in tempering. The spring bolt bushings

are also installed in this department. A man having one good leg and two

hands could assemble springs. Spring work as a whole requires a great

number of men, some of whom must be highly trained in their special

work, while others need no special training. The work is inside, wages

are good, and factories run practically the year round. Spring factories

are usually located near large automobile centers. While some automobile

manufacturers make their own springs, the majority purchase from spring

factories.

PLAN No. 1124. FRONT AXLES AND SPINDLES

Front axles, unlike the frame, are forged instead of being pressed into

shape. In the pressed steelwork the dies that shape the piece move

slowly under great pressure. In the drop-forge work one die is

stationary, and the other attached to a large weight operated by power

is lifted several feet and released, striking the piece laid upon the

stationary die a hard blow, and forging the metal into the shape. Before

being placed in the drop forge machine the metal is heated in a blast

furnace to the proper temperature.

Front axles are drop-forged from a solid bar of steel. They are forged

into an I-beam form which gives them great strength. The end of the axle

is forged into the shape of a fork or yoke.

This rough forge work is done by men who are capable of handling the

weight of the axle and who can handle the machine. Care must be

exercised or the dies will be ruined. Two to three men are usually

necessary for each drop forge machine. They must bend the axle to proper

shape while it is still hot. The axle is given a rough jig test before

it goes to the heat-treatment department. After the axle is forged it

goes to the heat-treatment department, where it is heated to take out

any internal strain. In forging steel, the structure is disturbed and

put under strain, and reheating of heat treatment relieves this strain,

giving the steel greater strength.

The men who run these heat-treatment furnaces have been trained for this

particular work, and they must move about freely and be able to handle

the axles.

From the heat-treatment department the axle goes to the machine shop for

the machine-work.

In another section of the axle department steering spindles are

drop-forged. These parts are much smaller and are made in many different

shapes. In fact, very few automobiles of different makes use the same

shaped steering spindles. As this work is lighter, a man with one good

leg and one arm can do some of the operations. A forge or blacksmith

shop is usually connected with the drop forge department. In the forge

shop the steering spindle arms are bent to the proper angle so as to

give perfect steering to the automobile. The men must be qualified to do

simple forge and bending work, and handicapped men could fit in here

very well.

In the forge and spindle departments working conditions are not of the

best, as there is noise, smoke, and the smell of hot steel. The light of

the fires also is hard on the eyes. Pay is good, however, and the work

is steady.

Small parts of the front axle are made and furnished in the machine

department. All parts are finally passed to the assembly department.

In the assembly department the front axle and spindles are assembled

ready for the automobile. Here we find stands for holding the axle

forging, while the spindles are being attached. This operation requires

men who can put together these parts. They must be able to handle tools

and do the work in a thorough manner. Considerable judgment must be

exercised. The bolts and parts must be lubricated before assembling, the

proper adjustments made, and all nuts and bolts securely locked in

place. The inspector passes upon all this work to see that it is

properly done. A man must be able to use hand tools and move about, and

should be able to use both hands freely.

In another department hubs for wheels are made. Here are the powerful

presses in which the hubs are pressed out, and the punch and drill

presses for making holes. Operators of these machines have duties

similar to those of men in the spindle department. Hubs require some

machine-shop work, which is done in the machine shop. Either ball or

roller bearings must be placed in the hubs to reduce the friction.

PLAN No. 1125. BEARING MANUFACTURE

Bearing manufacture is practically an industry in itself. In this plant

or department, a force of real mechanics is employed, men who are

authorities on steel and the heat treatment of steel. The wheel bearings

of an automobile receive many severe shocks and strains, and a poor

piece of steel or a poorly heat-treated piece of steel may do

considerable damage to the car. Roller and ball bearings are used in

several places in an automobile. They are used in the engine, magneto,

generator clutch, transmission and rear axle. Wherever it is desirable

to reduce friction to save power, an antifriction bearing is used.

Research work as connected with bearing manufacture covers a large

field. It includes not only work in the laboratory but as well work done

in the field, wherever tractors are used. The engineers are always

watching their product for any chance to improve it.

In manufacturing bearings, whether ball or roller, a high-grade pure

iron is selected. This raw material is put into furnaces and melted.

Alloys are added in proper portions to make a tough, close-grained

long-wearing steel, able to resist shocks. Samples of this steel are

tested in the laboratory as to their hardness, grain, and tensile

strength. This is work for a carefully trained metallurgist, who must

have well-trained assistants. Handicapped men who are technically

qualified can take up this branch of the industry.

After the steel has been compounded it goes to the drop-forge

department, where the balls or rollers are rough forged. The trip hammer

in this department is controlled by one foot, and the steel must be

turned over several times in passing through the various dies. The

rough-forged balls or rollers are next taken to the machine shop or

grinding department.

In the various departments of the bearing manufacturing plants small

electric cars are used to pull trailers loaded with parts to various

points of the factory. The operator of these cars must be a man who has

the free use of one foot for operating the brake, and he must have two

hands to operate the control levers. This work is usually done standing

on the truck. However, some of the operators are provided with seats.

The balls and rollers are next machined and ground to size. They are

then carefully assorted as to sizes and passed to the inspection

department, where men sitting at benches carefully check and test each

piece, using special testing devices and machines. This department could

readily use a man with one leg, but he should have the free use of two

hands. A loss of one or more fingers would not be a serious handicap. As

this work is all inspection work, it is done sitting. The department is

usually quiet, and the work is not hard. Conditions and pay are good.

In another department the races (inside and outside) and the retainers

are manufactured. The work is similar to that done in the ball or roller

department, although the pieces are different. It includes forging,

machining, grinding and inspecting.

The bearing parts have been made and tested, the bearing is now ready

for assembling. In the assembling department men sit at their work. A

man with one leg, and possibly one who had lost both feet, might find

employment. Some of the work is done by machinery, while some is

handwork. The pieces are placed upon benches, and the bearing is then

assembled and placed in a machine that clinches the cage or retainer so

as to hold in the balls or rollers. The bearing is then ready for the

inspector who determines whether or not it has been properly put

together, and if the balls and rollers are free in the cages.

The next step is to lubricate the bearings with an acid-proof grease to

prevent rust. The bearing is then wrapped in oil paper and placed in a

box ready for the storeroom or for shipment.

There are several operations in this department where a handicapped man

could secure employment. The work as a whole is not hard, conditions are

excellent, and the wages are good. Some of the work is noisy and is not

desirable for men with certain disabilities, but on the other hand there

are places where men who have only one eye, arm, or leg could find

employment on equal terms with other men.

It should be noted that large bearing factories have many improved

methods of manufacturing which vary considerably from that described

above. Only a general statement has been attempted.

PLAN No. 1126. REAR AXLES

The building of rear axles is practically an industry in itself. There

are several large companies who do nothing else but manufacture gears,

and front and rear axles. In this branch of the industry we find all

kinds of work going on, including forging, pressed-steel work,

machining, heat treatment, and oxy-acetylene welding.

The rear-axle housing may be a casting or it may be pressed steel, or a

forging. Where castings are used we have foundry work employing molders,

core men, flask men, and cupola men. Most of the jobs in the foundry

require men of sturdy build and good physical condition. Some foundry

work, however, such as inspection, core work, and testing small

castings, can be done sitting. Again there are jobs, such as trimming,

grinding, and filing, that can be done by a man with one arm or one leg.

The average foundry man is well paid and works short hours, but the work

is dirty and not generally well suited for handicapped men.

The pressed-steel department of the rear-axle factory is equipped with

special machines for pressing various parts into shape. Some of these

machines could be operated by a man with one good leg or one leg and one

arm.

In another department of the axle factory, brake supports are assembled.

Here men stand at benches, riveting and bolting to the axle, housing the

various necessary braces, and other pieces. Some of this work is heavy

and some very light.

Gears for the rear axle, some eight in number, have been machined in the

machine shop, heat-treated in the heat-treatment department, tested and

inspected in the inspection department, and are now ready for the

assembly of the differential.

In the machine shop and inspection department much of the work could be

done efficiently by handicapped men who have been trained for it. Some

of this work requires technical skill, some a technical education, but

some of it requires just plain everyday common sense.

The differential housing (two halves) is usually a malleable casting. It

is machined in the machine department and inspected in the inspection

department.

All of the necessary parts for assembling the differential are brought

to the differential assembly department. Here men fit gears, rivet gears

to cases, and assemble the differentials. In some places this work is

done by the progressive method, one man putting on one piece and another

man another piece, while in other places one man assembles the whole

differential. In this department, a man with one leg and two good hands

could very well do the work. He must be able to use hand tools, and must

know how properly to adjust the gears in the case. The operation is

quickly learned and does not require a highly trained man.

After the differential is assembled, it passes to the inspector, and if

it meets the necessary requirements, it is ready for the rear axle.

The rear-axle housing having been equipped with brake supports, trues

rod and brake levers, is ready for the brake bands and shoes. The brakes

are lined with an oil and waterproof lining, which is riveted to the

bands or shoes. This operation is done in a riveting machine, each rivet

being countersunk and headed. Riveting is done by one man who does

nothing else but rivet brake lining to the bands or shoes. A handicapped

man might do this work.

The lining having been riveted to the bands, they are now ready for

assembling on the rear-axle housing. In some factories a whole axle is

assembled by two men, while in others using the progressive method, it

is assembled by a number of men, each man doing one specific operation.

After the fittings have been applied to the axle housing, it is then

ready for the differential assembly, which is the work of one or two

men. They must know how to install the bearings properly on the

differential and drive-pinion shaft, and must know how to adjust the

gears. If the gears are not properly adjusted, they will be noisy and

the wear upon them will be considerably increased. It takes practice to

do this work efficiently. Men who assemble the rear axle and

differential must be able to move about freely, and should have the free

use of both hands.

After the axle has been assembled, it is inspected and passed to the

testing department. In the testing department, wheels are applied and

the axle mounted on a stand for testing. The axle is driven by an

electric motor, brakes being applied to provide the equivalent of a

load. The tester then notes the noise of the axle, and the contact

surfaces of the teeth, and if final adjustments are necessary they are

made in this department. The men are rear-axle experts, and understand

thoroughly all the adjustments of the rear axle. They must be able to

handle the axles and lifting is often times necessary.

The axle after being tested is numbered, tagged, and sent to the

storeroom for shipment. In the rear-axle factory, there are many classes

of workers which have not been mentioned. Some of these are draftsmen,

tool-room helpers, storekeepers, clerks, checkers, timekeepers,

janitors, gate keepers, machine hands, truckmen, and mechanics. Much of

the work done by these men could be done by men handicapped by loss of

hand, leg, eye, or hearing. All of the work pays a good living wage, and

working conditions are good.

PLAN No. 1127. UNIVERSAL JOINTS

Unit manufacturing has been specialized to such an extent that there are

now factories which manufacture nothing but universal joints. These are

small but very important units. In the universal joint factories we find

steel presses, drop-forge machines, machine-shop equipment, and assembly

departments. The work as carried on in these plants has been fairly

explained in other parts of this monograph.

PLAN No. 1128. TRANSMISSIONS

Transmissions are another unit of the automobile that are sometimes made

in a specialized plant. There are several well-known transmission firms

who make nothing else but transmissions and gears.

The transmission case is usually made of aluminum and is cast into the

proper shape. In the foundry are found the same classes of workers as in

the axle factory, only the men are casting aluminum instead of steel.

The case having been cast is dumped from the sand, cleaned, trimmed, and

inspected. Any small holes are welded shut, and the case is then cleaned

ready for the sand blast.

In sand blasting a stream of air and sand is played against the part.

The air is under high pressure and the sand fed in plays upon the

aluminum at a high velocity, cleaning and smoothing it. Operators of the

sand-blast machine wear masks and dust-proof suits and work in a special

cabinet. It is impossible to work without this protection.

After being inspected the transmission case is passed to the machine

department, where it is machined to receive the bearings, covers, etc.

Gears, shafts, and shifting forks used in the transmission are also made

in the machine shop. The gears and shafts are next heat treated and

tested. They are then ground to insure accuracy and are again tested for

trueness. This testing operation is done by men who sit at benches. Part

of this work is done sitting, and could be done by a man with one leg.

Gears are tested as to hardness and for centers. Special equipment is

used for these operations, and a man does not need experience other than

that learned at the work in a short time.

From the inspection department the transmission case, shafts, gears, and

bearings (the bearing having been made in another department or

purchased) are taken to the assembly department. Here we find men

standing at benches putting together the various parts of the

transmissions. Gears are riveted or keyed to shafts, bearings are fitted

to cases, and shafts and parts put in the case. Shafts and bearing are

then adjusted and the adjustments locked. The assembled transmission is

now ready for the inspectors, who check the work. The work in the

transmission assembly department is similar to that of the rear axle

department. Some transmissions are heavy and some light. The employee in

this department must be able to move about freely, and must be able to

use such hand tools as wrenches, files, and hammers. He needs no special

instruction.

The transmission is now passed to the testing department where it is

tested for noisy bearings and gears. If it passes this test, the covers

are put on to keep out dirt. It is then numbered and sent to the stock

department.

In a transmission factory there are many occupations that could be

filled by men with slight handicaps. Much of the work can be done by men

who have lost fingers, one hand, a leg, or foot, and by men who are not

physically strong. The factories pay good wages, hours are reasonable,

and the work is steady. Much of the work is piece-work.

PLAN No. 1129. CLUTCH

Practically all parts of the clutch are made in the machine shop. After

the parts have been machined and inspected they are sent to the assembly

department, where the work is similar to that described for other units.

It requires a man who can use both hands and move about. Wages for this

work are practically the same as are paid the assembler in the other

unit factories--from 80 to 60 cents per hour--and general conditions are

the same as in other factories.

PLAN No. 1130. ENGINES

There are a number of concerns which build only automobile engines, and

the automobile engine factory is usually a large plant.

Usually about three classes or grades of engines are built in a factory

which makes a specialty of engines. The first class or grades of engines

go into the higher-priced cars, the second grade into the second-class

cars, and the third grade into the cheaper cars.

The engine factory must have its foundry in which are employed such

foundry experts and helpers as patternmakers, coremen, cupolamen,

molders, and machine operators. Some engine parts are aluminum, some

brass, some steel, and some cast iron. There is much work in the foundry

that could easily be done by handicapped men--by men, for example, who

have stiff joints and who are unable to move about freely, and men who

have lost one arm, a hand, or a leg.

The crank case of the engine is usually cast of aluminum. After this

part has been cast it goes to a cleaning and inspecting department,

where it is carefully inspected before any machine work is done upon it.

After it passes inspection it is rough jigged and the machine work is

started. After the milling, operations are done on the case--such as

smoothing the sides, top, and bottom--and the case then goes to a layout

department, where it is placed upon a large surface plate. Layout men,

using surface gauges and such other tools, mark out the dimensions and

spot holes for bolts, studs, etc. The crank case then goes back to the

machine-shop department, where it is drilled, tapped, and machined. It

is then inspected, after which the bearings are fitted. Some engines

have the bearings babbitted into the case, while others have them

detachable, the bearings being machined to fit the case.

After the bearings have been fitted into the case they are reamed with

a bearing reamer. The lower half of the crank case, which is usually

the oiled reservoir covering the timing-gear case, and other crank-case

parts are finished in their respective departments. The crank case,

having gone through a number of small operations, is now ready for the

assembly department. There are a number of places in the crank-case

department where handicapped men could find employment. Some of the

operations could well be done by men who have lost a hand, eye, or leg,

or by men who have stiff joints. The work in this department is usually

noisy, and possibly not well suited for men of a nervous temperament.

The crank shaft of the automobile engine is usually drop-forged.

However, a few shafts are made from a solid block of steel. When the

shafts are drop-forged, a number of machine operators are employed. The

men operating these forge machines need not be experts in that they are

trained in the factory for this particular job. Some of these machines

could very easily be operated by men with one arm, or with one leg and

one arm. If the crank shaft had been drop-forged, it goes to the heat

treatment department for heat treating. It is then sent to the machine

shop where it is rough turned, and in a number of cases is then sent

back to the heat-treatment department. The shaft is then machined, rough

ground and finished ground to size. It is now passed to the inspection

department where the journals are inspected as to size, length, and

trueness. The shaft then goes to a balancing machine where it is given a

running test and carefully balanced.

The flywheel, having been machined in another department, is then fitted

to the crank shaft and the shaft and flywheel are balanced together.

This balancing of the shaft and flywheel has much to do with reducing

the vibration of the engine when in use. After passing this test the

shaft is ready to be fitted to the crank case. The fitting to the case

is done by scraping--an operation which requires a man who has had

previous training in this line of work to develop a very particular

skill in it. A man must be very efficient to turn out the proper amount

of work each day. The scraping operation does not, however, take much

time with present-day equipment. After the bearing is scraped to fit the

shaft, the bearings are shimmed and tightened to the proper tension, and

the shaft and case is ready for a block test. It is important that these

bearings be tightened to the proper tension, since if they are too tight

the bearing may burn out from the increased friction, while if they are

not tight enough the engine will soon develop a knock when it is put

into service.

The greater part of the work done on the crank shaft is done in the

machine-shop department. Outside of this department, however, there are

a number of jobs that could be done by handicapped men, among them being

those of inspectors, balancing machine hand men, and bearing scrapers.

Inspectors and balancers should have the free use of two hands. They are

not required to move about rapidly, but should be able to move from one

place to another. The bearing scrapers could be men who have lost part

of one hand, one eye, or one leg. This work requires bending over so

that a man who has had stomach wounds or injury to the back could not do

it.

The cam shaft for the engine is drop-forged and rough turned, the work

being similar to that done in the other drop-forge departments. The

shaft then goes to an electroplating department where it is copper

plated. It is then sent back to the machine department where the cam

faces and such other places that are to be hardened are ground to a

slightly oversized measurement. The shaft is then sent to the

heat-treatment department where it is hardened. The process of this

hardening is to pack the shaft in a large metal box together with such

hardening compound as has been selected by the factory. The box

containing the shafts to be hardened is then put into a heat-treatment

furnace where it is heated to a proper temperature and allowed to remain

there for the proper length of time, after which the shafts are quenched

in a bath to finish the heat-treating process.

The copper plating, which has been put on the shaft in a previous

operation, prevents the carbon from entering the shaft during the

heat-treating process. The carbon enters the shaft only where the copper

plating has been removed. After heat treatment the shaft is rough tested

for trueness. It is then sent to the grinding department where it is

ground to the final dimensions. The shaft then goes to the inspection

department, where it is carefully inspected before being sent to the

stock assembly division. Such other parts, as timing gears and shafts,

are machined and inspected in other parts of the factory.

The valve tappets of the average automobile engine are of the mushroom

or button-head type. This type of tappet is either drop-forged or made

of pressed steel. The work requires about the same class of workmen as

have been mentioned in drop-forge and die work under frames and axles.

After the tappets have been formed into shape they are then rough

turned, after which they are heat treated, machined, and inspected. They

are then assembled ready for the engine. The assembly and inspection

departments are about the only places where handicapped men could be

used to an advantage, with exception of the machine-shop work.

The assembly and inspection work of the valve tappets can be done

sitting down, and can be handled very well by men who have lost one or

even both legs. They should, however, have the free use of one hand, and

of at least part of the other, so as to enable them to use special

testing tools and equipment.

Connecting rods for engines are drop-forged and machined in their

respective departments. They are then inspected before the bearings are

fitted to them. This inspection work could be very well done by a man

with two hands and one leg, or by a man who is capable of lifting light

weights and who can move about with ease. The bearings of the average

automobile engine are detachable, and are made in a special department

and sent to the connecting-rod assembly department for installing in the

connecting rod. Here the bearings are fitted to the connecting rod in

both upper and lower halves, after which the bearing is reamed. The

bearing is then scraped to a shaft until it has the proper bearing

surface. The rod is then jigged in a fixture so that it will be in

proper alignment when it is installed in the engine. The connecting rods

are then carefully weighed so that all rods or pairs of rods are of

equal weight. They are then tagged or marked and sent to the crank shaft

department, where they are fitted to the crank shaft upon which they are

to be used. The connecting rod department could furnish employment for a

number of disabled men. Some of this work is done sitting down and some

is done standing at a bench. The bearing work done on the connecting

rods could be done by men who have one good leg and one good arm, and

the free use of the stub of the other arm, or a device could be used to

take the place of the other hand. No special educational requirements

are indicated for this work and no special instructions are necessary.

Cylinders for engines, having been cast in the foundry, are

rough-tested, the core sand removed, and the cylinders scaled. Some of

this work is done sitting down and could very well be done by men who

have received injuries to their legs. However, they should have the free

use of both hands. Cylinders, after being scaled and cleaned, are sent

to the machine department where they are machined and ground. This work

is all machine-shop work.

After being ground, cylinders are inspected for trueness and general

condition. The valves are then ground to the cylinders. This operation

can be done by men who have the free use of one hand and of part of the

other hand. Some of this work is done sitting down, so that a man need

not have two good legs. Some of the valve grinding is often done in

machines, in which case it is necessary that the operator watch a number

of valves on the machine at one time. This operation would require a man

who could move about freely in order to inspect the machine.

Pistons for the engine, having been machined and ground, are inspected

as to sizes, dimensions, etc. This operation could well be done by a man

with two good hands, but he must be able to stand at a bench and move

about freely. The pistons are then fitted to the cylinders so as to get

a proper fit in each cylinder. They are also carefully balanced in pairs

and equal weights are selected as nearly as possible. The fitting of

pistons to cylinders and the balancing of them could well be done by

handicapped men. The piston pins also are fitted to the piston and to

the connecting rod. This work is done standing at benches, and could be

done by men who have the free use of both hands.

Piston rings which are made from castings in the machine shop, where

they have been ground, are sent to the inspector who carefully inspects

each ring. This work is light and is well suited to a man who could sit

at a bench, but he must have the free use of both hands. Piston rings

are fitted to cylinders and pistons in another department. This

operation requires a little more skill than some of the others mentioned

and a man must have some mechanical ability to learn to do the work

efficiently. There are, however, many minor injuries which would not

prevent a man from doing this work.

The manifolds, both inlet and exhaust are cast in the foundry

department. They are then machined, where necessary, after which they

are inspected. This department could employ disabled men for inspection

work.

There are a number of bolts and screws and special fittings which must

be carefully inspected before they can go to the assembly department.

Every bolt must be looked over as to its general condition before it can

be used. This work alone offers employment to a large number of men in

every automobile engine factory. It is very light and a man in very

delicate condition could efficiently perform a number of these

operations. In a number of positions one hand is all that is necessary.

Men could either sit or recline on the bench and do the work. In fact,

men in bed even could come up to production in this particular kind of

work.

The oil pump for the engine, having been machined in the various

departments is assembled by men who sit at benches. This work is very

light work and can be handled to advantage by men with handicaps. They

should, however, have the use of both hands.

We have now mentioned the various units which go to make up an engine

and have come to the point where it is necessary to assemble these

various parts.

In the up-to-date automobile factory, the engine assembly is done by the

progressive system. The conveyor system which is used in engine assembly

is similar to that used in the chassis assembly, described in another

section of this bulletin. The crank case is usually mounted upon this

conveyor or movable stand. The crank shaft, having been assembled to the

case in another department, is now ready for the connecting rods, and

the rods with the pistons are attached. The cam shaft, tappets, and

tappet guides are then installed, and the cylinders are mounted. The

engine moves on to another section where the manifolds are attached to

the cylinders. It then passes to a section where the carburetor is

mounted. Next the ignition system is attached, and the starting and

lighting and such other units as this particular engine may require are

installed. All these operations have taken place while the engine has

been moving. Special tools are used during these operations, such as air

wrenches, socket wrenches, and any tool that may save a few seconds

time.

The work that is done on this engine conveyor system is considered to be

hard work in that each man must keep moving at top speed in order to

turn out the required production in that department. The men are well

paid and they must be qualified to take care of their particular section

of this conveyor. There are a number of places, however, where

handicapped men can be used in this work. Very few of these operations

could be efficiently handled by a man who did not have the free use of

both hands. He could, however, carry on some of this work, if he had

received injuries to one of his legs. All of this work is inspected and

a man is carefully checked as to the work he has done.

After the engine has been inspected, it is ready for a block test. The

conveyor carries the engine to this block-test department, where the

engine is mounted on a special stand and is connected to an electric

motor, which drives the engine at sufficient speed to lubricate it and

to work in the moving parts. The block-test mechanics are men who can

pick out noises and defects in the engine. They must watch the engine

for hot bearings, loose bearings, and in fact this department is a sort

of running-test inspection department. If the engine does not show any

defects and meets normal requirements, it is given a running test under

its own power. This test is oftentimes done on the same motor or

electric set that it has been run in by, or in other words the electric

motor becomes a generator. This test is known as the dynamometer test.

The engine running under its own power is loaded down by the resistance

of the electric generator and the horsepower noted. The carburetor and

ignition is adjusted to bring the engine to the normal horsepower. If

the engine fails to come up to normal horsepower, it is rejected and

must go back for rebuilding. After it passes the horsepower test, the

oil is removed and the engine is sent to the storeroom or chassis

assembly department as the case may be.

The inspection department of the engine assembly could employ a number

of disabled men provided they were qualified by mechanical experience.

The block test department could employ men with slight handicaps who

have had previous experience in engine work. They should, however, be

expert gas engine men. This is true also of men in the dynamometer-test

department. In the engine-assembly department, however, some helpers and

less skilled mechanics could very well find employment even though

disabled.

All work in engine factories can be termed desirable employment, since

up-to-date factories are well equipped, and well heated, lighted, and

ventilated. Pay is good and the factory usually runs the year around.

Engine factories are usually located near large automobile centers, for

the same reason that the automobile factories are located there, namely,

railroad facilities, power facilities, and general living conditions.

PLAN No. 1131. CARBURETORS

Carburetors are usually made by a manufacturer who makes a specialty of

making carburetors. Carburetion is one of the most interesting subjects

in the automotive industry, and manufacturers in this line employ large

staffs of experts and research men. They employ also engineers for the

purpose of making tests of the various types of carburetors, and of the

different classes of fuels.

Some carburetor factories have their own foundries where they make their

own castings, which are usually of aluminum or bronze. Some of the

highest types of foundry men may be found in this department, as this

particular branch of work must be of very high grade. Manufacturers take

pride in the appearance of their castings. In a foundry of this type

there are several occupations that disabled men could do, such as

pattern work, core making, molding, and even flask work.

After the castings have been poured they are ready for cleaning and

scaling. Part of this work is done in the sand blast. The castings are

then carefully inspected, after which they are ready for the

machine-shop department. There are a number of machines used in

carburetor work which do not really come under the head of machine-shop

equipment, in that they are punch presses. These presses are used for

punching the float parts for the carburetor and other similar pieces.

The float is usually made up of two pieces, pressed from a flat piece of

stock into a cup shape. These two halves are put together and soldered

to make an air-tight chamber. This construction, of course, will vary

with the different makes of carburetors. Where this work is done,

disabled men could handle the pieces very nicely. They could also do

such soldering as is done on floats.

There are many small screws, nozzles, and similar parts made in the

machine shop which require a large number of machine operators. The

machines include among others automatic screw machines. After these

parts have been machined, it is necessary that each part be carefully

inspected before it goes to the assembly department, and this inspection

work is very light work, well suited to disabled men who are unable to

do heavy work. The use of one arm is about all that is necessary to

perform one of these operations. There are also a number of testing

operations in carburetor factories which could be handled to an

advantage by handicapped men.

After the carburetor parts have been machined the carburetor is ready

for final assembly. This work is usually done by men sitting at benches,

who assemble the various sizes of carburetors on the various benches.

The work could be done by men who have lost the use of their feet or

legs, as it does not require very much moving about. After the

carburetor has been assembled, it is given a preliminary test on a rack

to determine whether or not the float level is too high, and whether or

not the joints of the carburetor lack fuel. After the carburetor passes

this test it goes to a machine department, where it is tried out on an

engine. The running test is the most skilled work done along this line,

and requires men who understand the operation of gasoline engines and

who are capable of attaching and detaching a carburetor quickly. It is

not necessary in all cases that every carburetor be tested on an engine.

Where this is not done the carburetors are inspected and passed on to

the shipping department.

On the whole, there are a number of desirable places in the carburetor

department which are well suited for handicapped men. The working

conditions in these factories are good and the wages paid are about the

same as those paid by any general assembly or manufacturing plant.

PLAN No. 1132. IGNITION

A number of factories make a specialty of building ignition apparatus

for automobiles. In them we find the usual organization found in other

similar factories. Some of these factories build ignition systems on a

large scale, in which case the organization is elaborate.

One of the most important factors of the ignition system is the

insulation. A compound has been discovered, known as “bakelite,” which

has a very high resistance to electricity. This substance usually comes

to the manufacturer in powdered form and the manufacturer puts it

through his mixing process.

The bakelite for parts to be made is carefully weighed for each piece.

It is then placed in jigs which hold contacts, segments, etc. The jigs

or molds are then placed in a molding machine to which is applied

considerable pressure and heat. The heat causes the bakelite to run

together, forming one solid piece of material when it is properly cured.

After the standard heat has been applied to the bakelite for the proper

length of time the mold is placed in another press and cold water is run

around it to chill or set the bakelite. The molded part is then removed

from the press and is ready for inspection.

When the part comes from the mold it is very shiny and smooth in

appearance. The inspection of this part is to determine whether or not

the contacts have stayed in proper position and whether or not there are

any flaws in the bakelite. Bakelite parts are used in many places in the

ignition system. There are a number of places in the bakelite section of

the ignition factory where disabled men might well find employment.

Men with one leg could weigh out the bakelite, and a man with one leg

and one arm could possibly run the presses around the bakelite for

curing. This work is done in a dry department; the conditions are very

good and the wages are reasonable.

In the coil department of the ignition factories we find various types

of work going on. Here are machines for winding the primary and

secondary coils, testing machines, etc. The ignition coil is made up of

an iron core, an insulator around the iron core, a primary winding, a

secondary winding, and a condenser. Some coils have vibrators attached,

in which case the vibrators are mounted on the outside of the coil

windings.

The core of the coil is made up of a bundle of soft iron wires. The

fiber tube is commonly used as insulating material. This tube is filled

with the soft iron wire. The primary winding, of which there are about

two layers, is wound on the outside of the fiber tube. This operation

takes but a few seconds, the tube being placed between a pair of centers

on a small motor driven machine similar to a small lathe. The wire is

guided on to this tube while it is revolving. This work is done sitting,

and could very well be done by men who have received injuries to their

legs, or by men who have received injuries to their spine. The main

requirements are that the operator shall have the free use of both

hands, and be able to see properly the work that is going on.

The secondary or high-tension winding of the coil is similar to the

low-tension winding. The high-tension winding, however, has many turns

of very fine wire no larger than the ordinary thread used on sewing

machines. This wire is insulated, and care must be exercised that the

insulation is not broken. The secondary winding also is wound on a fiber

tube on a machine similar to that on which the primary coil is wound.

Between each layer of wire in these windings a small strip of insulation

is placed. This, of course, is done at the end of each layer of wire. In

carrying out this operation the operator must be very careful that the

insulation is not broken; that the insulation is properly placed, and

that the layers of wire are smooth and uniform.

The condenser of the ignition coil is made of two layers of tin foil and

several layers of insulation, such as paraffin paper. This operation

requires a person who is very careful, since if this particular part is

not carefully constructed it will not function properly. The condenser

is also machine wound in a number of cases, and skill comes with

practice in this work.

Requirements for this job are about the same as found in the coil

winding, viz., that the operator must have the free use of both hands,

and be able to watch his work carefully.

After these various parts have been made in their respective

departments they are ready for the industrial tests. This is done with

meters to determine the amount of resistance that each coil has. If the

resistance is not the same as found in other coils, the insulation is

broken or the coil is shorted, in which case the coil is rejected. The

condenser test is somewhat different. Here we find that special meters

are used for determining the capacity. These testing operations require

a man who has been trained for this particular job. The work is usually

done sitting down.

After these various parts have passed inspection they are sent to the

coil assembly, where they are put together in their proper relation.

Where the coil is a box coil, the windings and condenser are placed in a

box and hot paraffin or an insulating compound is poured into the box.

After it has cooled all the ignition parts are held securely in place.

The coil is then finished and is ready for the final test. This work is

all light work, and there are a number of positions in which handicapped

men could be employed.

In another part of the ignition factory, we find the breaker mechanism

and other ignition apparatus being manufactured. This mechanism requires

considerable machine work, which is done on special machines in the

machine-shop department. After these parts have been machined and

inspected they come through the assembly department, where the ignition

apparatus is assembled. Here we find the workers at benches assembling

the very fine delicate parts of the apparatus. The small springs,

platinum points, screws, etc., must be placed in their proper places and

with proper tension. After the ignition apparatus has been properly

assembled it is inspected, and then goes to the testing department,

where apparatus is tested as to its efficiency, etc.

In another department, wires are cut and made into proper lengths for

certain ignition jobs. Here the terminals are soldered to the ends of

the wires. Sometimes these operations are done on a conveyer system.

This work is done sitting, and is well adapted to disabled men.

In the ignition, assembly, inspection, and testing departments, there

are a number of operations that could be done by men with one arm and no

legs, one leg and two arms, one eye, one arm and one leg, by men who

have lost their hearing, and even by men who have been blinded. The work

as found in the ignition department is light, working conditions are

good, and the pay is average.

Where the ignition manufacturer manufactures magnetos, we find a little

different class of work going on. Armatures are wound with primary and

secondary windings, and this is done on a somewhat specialized machine.

Insulation, also, is somewhat specialized, and assembly work differs

somewhat from other assembly work. Magnetos must be made, charged, and

tested. Condensers are of a special design. As a whole, however, the

work in the magneto department requires about the same class of workmen

as are found in the ignition department.

PLAN No. 1133. STARTING AND LIGHTING EQUIPMENT

The electrical equipment of the automobile has reached a point of

development which has brought about a large demand for this particular

kind of apparatus. A number of factories make a specialty of this kind

of equipment.

The starting and lighting equipment of the automobile, being made up of

a number of pieces of material, requires considerable machine work,

which will not be described here. The armature, which is made up of a

shaft, laminated core, and a commutator, is all built in a sub-assembly

department, after which the armature passes to the winding department,

where special machines are operated. The operators of these machines do

not need to be experts, but they do become very efficient at this kind

of work after a short time. The wire is wound on the armature in the

proper slots and the ends come out to the proper length. The sleeves are

then put over the ends of the wires for insulation and the wires trimmed

to exact length, after which the wire ends are soldered to the proper

commutator bars.

The generator also has field coils or windings. These windings are wound

on jigs for this work and are later placed in the fieldpieces of the

generator. Each coil is tested before it is assembled to the field, and

each armature is tested before it is assembled. After the pieces have

been made in the various departments the generator is sent to the

assembly department. Here the assembler is furnished with the generator

castings, coils, pole pieces, bearings, armature, plates, brushes, and

such other fittings as may be necessary. He proceeds to assemble the

complete generator, after which the generator passes to the inspection

department where it is inspected and tested as to its output.

The starting and lighting factory offers a number of splendid

opportunities for the placement of disabled men. Handicapped men could

very efficiently wind armatures. It has been said that a blind man could

wind an armature after some practice. Men without legs could do the

soldering of these armatures; men without legs could wind and test field

windings and could assemble generators; men with one arm could test and

wind field windings and do several other operations.

The starter motor as used in the automobile is a piece of equipment

similar to that of a generator, about the only difference being that the

starter motor is a little heavier machine, and the armature is wound

with heavier wire. It is made for the purpose of cranking the automobile

engine, and must withstand considerable abuse. Disabled men could make

the tests on generators and starter motors with very little difficulty.

The output of a generator must be controlled to a limited degree. This

is done by what is known as voltage regulation. There must be some kind

of a relay to disconnect the storage battery and generator when the

engine is not running. This is done by what is known as the circuit

breaker. The voltage regulator and circuit breaker of the automobile

starting and lighting system is made up of coils, springs, and breaker

mechanism, depending upon the type of regulator and circuit breaker

used. This work is all light work, usually handwork, and could be done

by disabled men to a large extent. The assembling of this work requires

the free use of both hands and a man must be able to see the work that

is being done.

As a whole, work in ignition, starting and lighting departments is very

desirable work. The working conditions are considered very good, the

hours reasonable, and the pay about the same as in other manufacturing

concerns.

PLAN No. 1134. RADIATORS

The demand for efficient radiators for the up-to-date automobile has

almost created a separate industry in itself. Cooling systems for

automobile engines have developed to such a point that a large force of

experts are employed in the work of improving such systems. There are a

number of factories which employ hundreds of employees in the

manufacture of radiators for the automotive industry. These factories

use a large amount of steel, tin, copper, and brass. They have developed

special machines for the purpose of making peculiarly shaped cores in an

endeavor to increase the radiating surface without increasing the cost.

Large punch machines are used in making these shapes, and these machines

have been so perfected that practically all the operator has to do is to

feed through the machine one continuous roll of metal and take away the

shaped cores. The cores are sent to the assembly department where they

are then placed in proper formation. They are then dipped in a molten

bath of solder which closes the ends of the tubes or solders them

together, and then go to the final assembly department where each core

is incased in the proper shaped casing and the radiator pipe and hose

connections are soldered on. The radiator is then ready for testing,

which is done in a tank where compressed air is forced into the

radiator. If there are any leaks, they will show by bubbles arising from

them.

The work as done in these factories requires some experts and some

novices. Some of it can be done by men who have been handicapped, and

there is considerable demand for men capable of handling this particular

branch of the work. Working conditions as found in the radiator

factories are good and hours are reasonable.

PLAN No. 1135. STEERING GEARS

The steering gear is one of the most important units of the automobile.

A number of factories have been organized for the sole purpose of

manufacturing a particular type of steering gear. In these factories we

find ordinary drop-forging machines, machine-shop equipment,

woodworking, and assembly work.

This work requires men who are able to move about freely and who have

the free use of both hands. Some of the work is piecework (at least in

some factories), and men must be able to come up to at least a

reasonable production in order to qualify. The conditions as found in

other manufacturing plants are found also in the steering-gear

factories.

PLAN No. 1136. WHEELS

In the wheel factories, we find a number of special machines such as

spoke machines, felloes machines, and trimming machines. These are

practically automatic, the material being fed through them and the

finished product coming out. After the parts have been made in their

respective departments, they are ready for assembly. This requires a

certain amount of handwork. The wheels must be assembled so that they

will not loosen when they have been put into use. After they have been

assembled, it is often necessary that a band be mounted on them. After a

wheel has been assembled, it is put into a machine which trues and trims

it, and it is then ready for the automobile manufacturer.

As the woodwork in the wheel factory is covered in the bulletin on

woodworking, no further comments are made here.

PLAN No. 1137. BODIES

With the increased production of automobiles, large manufacturers have

seen fit to purchase their bodies from body manufacturers. This has

encouraged the body manufacturers to increase their production which has

brought increased activities in this particular branch of the work.

In the body factories are employed woodworkers, sheet-metal workers,

sand blasters, painters, upholsterers, and top builders.

In the woodworking department the work is similar to that of cabinet

making, only the men are building skeleton instead of closed-type work.

After the frame or skeleton of the body has been built, the metal or

covering is fitted and secured to the framework. The body is then sent

to be sand-blasted to make it smooth and also to assist in making the

paint cling to a shiny surface. It then goes to the painting department

where it is given a priming coat, several filler coats, color coat

rubbing, varnishing, and a final finishing coat.

The woodworking department requires men who are able to handle tools and

who are able to move about freely. The sheet-metal department requires

men who are capable of using screw drivers and who are able to drive

nails. The sand-blast department requires men with a normal body who can

wear a dustproof suit, and who can handle the sand-blast equipment. The

paint department requires men who are capable of moving about freely and

who have the free use of one hand.

In the upholstering department are found machines for sewing, and racks

upon which the upholstering is built before being put into the body. A

number of these operations are done sitting, so that a man without legs

could very efficiently do this work.

The upholstering is first made upon racks or frames, and is then cut out

and tacked to the body. In this way the work is much easier done than by

building it upon the body itself. The machine operators should have the

use of one foot. However, with special equipment, the loss of both legs

could be overcome in some of the work. The work in the upholstery

department is very desirable in that it is dry and quiet, and employment

is steady. Pay is good, and hours are about the same as in any other

factories.

PLAN No. 1138. ACCESSORIES

The word “accessories” means extras or special pieces of equipment which

are applied to the automobile. Under this heading are included wind

shields, speedometers, clocks, indicators, horns, mirrors, spark plugs,

and various other pieces of equipment. As this work inquires a great

variety of machines, such as punches and presses, and a varied

machine-shop equipment, no attempt will be made here to go into details.

What has been said in preceding sections has covered the work carried on

in these factories. For example, the work done in speedometer factories

is somewhat similar to the work done in starting and lighting factories;

and the work done in horn factories is somewhat similar to that done in

ignition factories. Suffice it to say, that there are hundreds of

occupations in the accessory departments and factories alone which offer

employment to men who have met with accidents which prevent them from

having the free use of every member of the body. There are a number of

occupations which lend themselves particularly to men who are not able

to do heavy work, as for instance, in the assembly of speedometers,

clocks, and horns.

Conditions in these accessory factories are first class, wages are good,

and hours are about the same as in the average manufacturing plant.

CLASSIFICATION OF OCCUPATIONS WITH REFERENCE TO DISABILITIES

In passing through an up-to-date automobile factory, there are thousands

of operations being carried out at one time. The foregoing account does

not cover hundreds of minor operations, skilled and unskilled, which

could be efficiently done by disabled men. Many of these operations are

entirely suitable for individuals who have been slightly disabled.

The following tabulation classifies the principal occupations which have

been mentioned, with reference to certain type disabilities. It will be

understood that neither the list of disabilities nor the several lists

of occupations specified under these disabilities are complete.

POSSIBLE OCCUPATIONS FOR MEN WITH CERTAIN DISABILITIES

_Total blindness._ Folding cartons, counting parts, armature winding,

bolts and nuts, inspector of packing of parts in cartons, inspecting and

testing.

_Loss of one eye._ Almost any occupation that the man is otherwise

qualified to work at.

_Deafness, total or partial._ Drafting clerk or checker, frame assembly,

spring assembly, axle assembly, bearing assembly, transmission assembly,

clutch assembly, engine assembly, bearing work, cam-shaft inspection,

con-rod assembly, cylinder assembly, ring inspection, oil-pump assembly,

carburetor assembly, coil winding, condenser assembly, coil assembly,

coil testing, armature winding, generator assembly, magneto assembly,

magneto test, general wiring, radiator assembly, wheel building, body

building, upholstering, painting, many kinds of inspection work.

_Stiff neck._ Punch press and machine work, and occupations listed under

deafness.

_Injured spine._ Drafting, inspection work, light assembly work,

checking, timekeeping, messenger, gatekeeper, small electric machine

operator, traveling-crane operator, heat treatment checker, employment

department clerk.

_Loss of one arm._ Drafting, inspection, checker, foreman, timekeeper,

gatekeeper, messenger, electrical machine operator, traveling-crane

operator, heat treatment checker, light assembly work, armature winding,

electrical testing, drop forge operator, punch press operator, machine

shop work, employment department clerk.

_Loss of both arms._ Checking, gatekeeper, and other work in proportion

as man becomes skillful in the manipulation of artificial appliances.

_Loss of part of finger an one hand._ Practically any work for which man

is otherwise qualified, providing he has learned to use remaining

fingers.

_Stiff arm or shoulder, or partial loss of use of arm._ Drafting,

checking, inspecting, foreman, timekeeper, gatekeeper, information

department, employment department, machine operator, lighter assembly

work, magneto work, coil work, generator work, soldering, chipping and

trimming, foundry (light work).

_Loss of both legs._ Upholstering, drafting, checking, inspecting,

gatekeeper, timekeeper, clerk, information, employment department,

machine operator, small assembly work, testing of electrical equipment,

soldering, pyrometer checker in heat treatment department.