SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT
The late Sylvanus Miller, civil engineer, who was engaged in railroad
enterprise in Central America, was seeking local support for a road and
attempted to give the matter point. He asked a native:
"How long does it take you to carry your goods to market by muleback?"
"Three days," was the reply.
"There's the point," said Miller. "With our road in operation you could
take your goods to market and be back home in one day."
"Very good, senor," answered the native. "But what would we do with the
other two days?"
A visitor from New York to the suburbs said to his host during the
afternoon:
"By the way, your front gate needs repairing. It was all I could do to
get it open. You ought to have it trimmed or greased or something."
"Oh, no," replied the owner "Oh, no, that's all right."
"Why is it?" asked the visitor.
"Because," was the reply, "every one who comes through that gate pumps
two buckets of water into the tank on the roof."