(Signed) J. M. Eaton,
Assistant to President Henry M. Leland.
TRAINING FOR THE TOOL ROOM
You mention training in the more difficult lines of effort, such as Tool Room, Machine Shops, etc. We agree with you as to the wide possibilities in this field, and are now organizing to accomplish this very thing at the Lincoln Motor Company.
At the beginning of the war when labor shortage was seriously manifested, I had charge of the reconstruction of a tool room, employing 270 toolmakers and machinists, engaged in the making of cutters, reamers, broaches, drill jigs, milling fixtures, etc.
Realizing then the difficulty that the future held in store of securing competent, reliable toolmakers and machinists, we undertook to train men who had no previous experience in this line. Our results were quite gratifying. We classified all work and trained men to operate specific machines against the various classifications.
To illustrate: We engaged a carpenter 67 years of age, who had no previous machine shop experience, trained him to run a Universal Milling Machine; not only did he meet successfully all work scheduled against his machine, but developed such skill in the operation of this machine, that later he compared favorably with the average good toolmaker, and in six months’ time we depended on him entirely to set up his own machine and proceed as a regular toolmaker. This represents intensive training and what was accomplished here can be accomplished in other general lines of tool room work.
We ultimately had 215 of these trained operators who were able to carry on the work, supported by 55 good toolmakers. I am with you in the confidence that it will be necessary to plan quite considerably in the adoption of some means to overcome a situation which looks really serious for the future.
(Signed) W. H. Ebelhare,
General Superintendent, Lincoln Motor Co.
MUELLER METALS COMPANY
Port Huron, Mich.