U.S. Helps France Increase Productivity
PARIS, July 28 (NYHT).ÛÓ For a couple of years now hardly a week has gone by without the announcement by the Economic Cooperation Administration, and latterly by the Mutual Security Administration, that at least one French productivity mission has left for the United States to study American methods of management, manufacture, or distribution.</br></br>Individual cases of success and of failure are on record by the dozen, but no over-all evaluation of the ambitious program can be made except in general terms. Two important things have surely been accomplished. First, the American equipment and techniques introduced have, in the aggregate, made a substantial contribution to the national output per man hour. Second, French employers and, to a less extent, French unions and workers have become productivity conscious.</br></br>For instance, the annual report issued over the weekend by the nationalized Renault Automobile Co. devotes a long section to tfie yearÛªs advances in productivity. It records that the man hours per unit of production, which was 653 in 1947 and 564 in December, 1950, had jbeen brought down by December, 11951, to 550. It also states that during the year, despite strong opposition from the Communist-dominated union in the factory, a branch of the Confederation Generate du Travail, 880 suggestions were received from workers. Of these 119'were put into effect, and 113 were rewarded with sums as high as every cent the French government (with American aid) and French employers are putting into it. But alone it Û÷is 'not going to bridge the gap of about 3-to-1, which still exists between the productivity and standards of living of the American and French worker.</br></br>Georges Lasserre, a financial writer for the independent conservative newspaper Le Monde, comments today that too many French employers and technicians go to America with the idea that they will find some wonder gadget, or some trick technique, which will double their production overnight.</br></br>He majccs the point that it would be much more useful in the long run if they sought to find out why every American employer and every enlightened American labor union is constantly seeking to increase productivity. Why, in short, there is the industrial atmosphere which in the last analysis is responsible for the high standard of American productivity.