Port Huron, Mich.
I am pleased to advise you that we have been using many unskilled
workers, also women, at both our Sarnia, Ontario, and Port Huron,
Michigan, and Decatur, Illinois, plants and find that women are able
to do the light operations on turret lathes quite satisfactorily.
Our greatest difficulty is in our Toolmaking Department, but we have
lately installed the following plan.
We are selecting a good lathe hand from among our toolmakers and
giving him from one to three students, paying him from 20 per cent.
to 30 per cent., depending on the number of students he is able to
take care of successfully, and we then pay these students about 50
per cent. of what the instructor receives with stipulated raises in
pay until they have served two years, at the end of which time we pay
them a very liberal bonus.
We have been able to secure some young men just out of High School
who are going to make good workmen, but as the new draft will
possibly take some of these boys we are now figuring on using women
on this work and believe that they will be able to carry it on quite
successfully.
(Signed) C. G. HEIBY,
_Vice-President and General Superintendent_.