The Efficiency Expert [40]
to be pitted against another efficiency expert he could at least make a noise like efficiency, and also he had grasped what he considered the fundamental principle of efficiency, namely, simplicity.
"If," he reasoned, "I cannot find in any plant hundreds of operations that are not being done in the simplest manner it will he because I haven't even ordinary powers of observation or intelligence," for after his second interview with Compton, Jimmy had suddenly realized that the job meant something to him beside the two hundred and fifty dollars a month--that he couldn't deliberately rob Compton, as he felt that he would be doing unless he could give value received in services, and he meant to do his best to accomplish that end.
He knew that for a while his greatest asset would be bluff, but there was something about Mason Compton that had inspired in the young man a vast respect and another sentiment that he realized upon better acquaintance might ripen into affection. Compton reminded him in many ways of his father, and with the realization of that resemblance Jimmy felt more and more ashamed of the part he was playing, but now that he had gone into it he made up his mind that he would stick to it, and there was besides the slight encouragement that he had derived from the enthusiasm of the girl who had suggested the idea to him and of her oft-repeated assertion relative to her "hunch", that he would make good.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE EFFICIENCY EXPERT.
Unlike most other plants the International Machine Company paid on Monday, and it was on the Monday following his assumption of his new duties that Jimmy had his first clash with Bince. He had been talking with Everett, the cashier, whom, in accordance with his "method," he was studying. From Everett he had learned that it was pay-day and he had asked the cashier to let him see the pay-roll.
"I don't handle the pay-roll," replied Everett a trifle peevishly. "Shortly after Mr. Bince was made assistant general manager a new rule was promulgated, to the effect that all salaries and wages were to be considered as confidential and that no one but the assistant general manager would handle the pay-rolls. All I know is the amount of the weekly check. He hires and fires everybody and pays everybody."
"Rather unusual, isn't it?" commented Jimmy.
"Very," said Everett. "Here's some of us have been with Mr. Compton since Bince was in long clothes, and then he comes in here and says that we are not to be trusted with the pay-roll."
"Well," said Jimmy, "I shall have to go to him to see it then."
"He won't show it to you," said Everett.
"Oh, I guess he will." said Jimmy, and a moment later he knocked at Bince's office door. When Bince saw who it was he turned back to his work with a grunt.
"I am sorry, Torrance," he said, "but I can't talk with you just now. I'm very busy."
"Working on the pay-roll?" said Jimmy. "Yes," snarled Bince.
"That's what I came in to see," said the efficiency expert.
"Impossible," said Bince. "The International Machine Company's pay-roll is confidential, absolutely confidential. Nobody sees it but me or Mr. Compton if he wishes to."
"I understood from Mr. Compton," said Jimmy, "that I was to have full access to all records."
"That merely applied to operation records," said Bince. "It had nothing to do with the pay-roll."
"I should consider the pay-roll very closely allied to operations," responded Jimmy.
"I shouldn't," said Bince.
"You won't let me see it then?" demanded Jimmy.
"Look here," said Bince, "we agreed that we wouldn't interfere with each other. I haven't interfered with you. Now don't you interfere with me. This is my work, and my office is not being investigated by any efficiency expert or any one else."
"I don't recall that I made any such agreement," said Jimmy. "I must insist on seeing that pay-roll."
Bince turned white with suppressed anger, and then suddenly slamming his pen on the desk, he wheeled around toward the other.
"I might as well tell you something," he said,
"If," he reasoned, "I cannot find in any plant hundreds of operations that are not being done in the simplest manner it will he because I haven't even ordinary powers of observation or intelligence," for after his second interview with Compton, Jimmy had suddenly realized that the job meant something to him beside the two hundred and fifty dollars a month--that he couldn't deliberately rob Compton, as he felt that he would be doing unless he could give value received in services, and he meant to do his best to accomplish that end.
He knew that for a while his greatest asset would be bluff, but there was something about Mason Compton that had inspired in the young man a vast respect and another sentiment that he realized upon better acquaintance might ripen into affection. Compton reminded him in many ways of his father, and with the realization of that resemblance Jimmy felt more and more ashamed of the part he was playing, but now that he had gone into it he made up his mind that he would stick to it, and there was besides the slight encouragement that he had derived from the enthusiasm of the girl who had suggested the idea to him and of her oft-repeated assertion relative to her "hunch", that he would make good.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE EFFICIENCY EXPERT.
Unlike most other plants the International Machine Company paid on Monday, and it was on the Monday following his assumption of his new duties that Jimmy had his first clash with Bince. He had been talking with Everett, the cashier, whom, in accordance with his "method," he was studying. From Everett he had learned that it was pay-day and he had asked the cashier to let him see the pay-roll.
"I don't handle the pay-roll," replied Everett a trifle peevishly. "Shortly after Mr. Bince was made assistant general manager a new rule was promulgated, to the effect that all salaries and wages were to be considered as confidential and that no one but the assistant general manager would handle the pay-rolls. All I know is the amount of the weekly check. He hires and fires everybody and pays everybody."
"Rather unusual, isn't it?" commented Jimmy.
"Very," said Everett. "Here's some of us have been with Mr. Compton since Bince was in long clothes, and then he comes in here and says that we are not to be trusted with the pay-roll."
"Well," said Jimmy, "I shall have to go to him to see it then."
"He won't show it to you," said Everett.
"Oh, I guess he will." said Jimmy, and a moment later he knocked at Bince's office door. When Bince saw who it was he turned back to his work with a grunt.
"I am sorry, Torrance," he said, "but I can't talk with you just now. I'm very busy."
"Working on the pay-roll?" said Jimmy. "Yes," snarled Bince.
"That's what I came in to see," said the efficiency expert.
"Impossible," said Bince. "The International Machine Company's pay-roll is confidential, absolutely confidential. Nobody sees it but me or Mr. Compton if he wishes to."
"I understood from Mr. Compton," said Jimmy, "that I was to have full access to all records."
"That merely applied to operation records," said Bince. "It had nothing to do with the pay-roll."
"I should consider the pay-roll very closely allied to operations," responded Jimmy.
"I shouldn't," said Bince.
"You won't let me see it then?" demanded Jimmy.
"Look here," said Bince, "we agreed that we wouldn't interfere with each other. I haven't interfered with you. Now don't you interfere with me. This is my work, and my office is not being investigated by any efficiency expert or any one else."
"I don't recall that I made any such agreement," said Jimmy. "I must insist on seeing that pay-roll."
Bince turned white with suppressed anger, and then suddenly slamming his pen on the desk, he wheeled around toward the other.
"I might as well tell you something," he said,