Only when absolutely necessary was the work of two men measured
up together and the price divided between them, and then care was taken
to select two men of as nearly as possible the same capacity. Only on
few occasions, and then upon special permission, signed by the writer,
were more than two men allowed to work on gang work, dividing their
earnings between them. Gang work almost invariably results in a failing
off in earnings and consequent dissatisfaction.
An interesting illustration of the desirability of individual piece work
instead of gang work came to our attention at Bethlehem. Several of the
best piece workers among the Bethlehem yard laborers were informed by
their friends that a much higher price per ton was paid for shoveling
ore in another works than the rate given at Bethlehem. After talking the
matter over with the writer he advised them to go to the other works,
which they accordingly did. In about a month they were all back at work
in Bethlehem again, having found that at the other works they were
obliged to work with a gang of men instead of on individual piece work,
and that the rest of the gang worked so slowly that in spite of the high
price paid per ton they earned much less than Bethlehem.
Table 1, on page 54, gives a summary of the work done by the piece-work
laborers in handling raw materials, such as ores, anthracite and
bituminous coal, coke, pig-iron, sand, limestone, cinder, scale, ashes,
etc.
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