The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

i B! I is aa vil 2A ee Ss Creo ei He aon, in’ Carqo Handlin Conducted by H.E.STOCKER avemec ag \ ' Fa LA, Wit A\nalyze Your Cargo Handling Problems Or Improved Operation volved in the solution of the problem of obtaining maximum economy in cargo handling at any terminal, that it is impossible to give a definite answer without a thorough analysis in each instance. Governing conditions vary so wide- ly on different terminals that the economic solution of one operation cannot be used as the solution of an- other, although both may be in the same trade and many conditions may be similar, <A difference in the size of the terminal only may have an important bearing upon the selection of methods and equipment. In one case, considerable expense was nec- essary to pile bags of rice and flour more than man high, The stevedore endeavored to reduce this excessive expense by utilizing agricultural type tractors, fitted with cranes, also con- veyors, but the terminal was so bad- ly congested, that it was found im- possible to use this equipment to best advantage. Ss MANY considerations are in- Jonditions Must Be Considered Each set of conditions—terminal, ships, character of cargo, schedule requirements must be considered separately to arrive at a wise and truly economical solution. Experience in cargo handling alone is not sufficient for the most profitable solution of cargo handling problems—ability and experience in analyzing problems is essential to ob- taining the best results, The work of a man possessing an analytical 28 By H. E. Stocker mind, even one who knows nothing of the technique of the business, is frequently of remarkable value. The ablest executives are eager for new ideas and information, realizing that rate of growth in busines is the rate of ability to obtain, absorb and adapt information. This is true of the natural born leader, because ideas and facts are important weapons with which he works. And it is especially true of modern de- velopments in business management. Understanding of the effect of fatigue and lighting conditions on produc- tion of employes, the use of a flex- ible budget for controlling costs, time and motion technique are to a modern business man as machine guns, gas tanks, and aircraft are to the modern general. Napoleon, or Julius Ceasar, with all their genius for ‘‘management”’ of warfare, would not fail to use the modern weapons available with which to get the best results from their ‘‘managerial’’ abil- ity. Experience is vital in management of cargo handling operations, For example experience in handling labor is something which cannot be learned in college or from reading books; experience alone will supply a man with the understanding of men and conditions which will bring success. However, experience has limitations which the analytical method is de- signed to correct. In earlier times, when the facili- ties at the command of business men were much more crude, the individ- MARINE REVIEwW—July, 1934 ual experience of a business man was practically his only guide. If he did not have experience in handling a problem, he usually bungled it. “Hixperience is a great teacher” but the personal experience manner of learning when depended upon en- tirely, is the slowest and most cost- ly method. It is blind, slow moving and wasteful of time, money and ef- fort. Under modern business condi- tions, complications are numerous so that the ground which an executive of first rank is expected to cover is so great that he would need fifty years experience before: he could possibly be ripe for his position. Furthermore, even with fifty years experience, in many cases the chances are that his mind comes out of the experience, not with ripe wisdom. but filled with prejudice, lack of bal- ance over development in one direc- tion, under development in another and other limitations on reaching sound judgments in the many mat- ters of policy and action which arise in the conduct of a shipping can- pany. Have Problems Analyzed These limitations can be corrected at least in part, by the employment of men who are thoroughly trained in the analytical method of attack- ing a_ problem. Any organization call well afford the employment of a man of this type, Small organiza- tions can employ them on a consult- ing or part time basis; large organ- izations can well afford to employ a