Archive for January, 1923
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – THE BUSINESS CYCLE – SCIENTIFIC OFFICE MANAGEMENT
In this forward-looking article, Harry A. Piper of Wilmington, Delaware, highlights the growing importance of scientific management principles in office operations. Arguing that the role of the office manager is both flexible and essential, Piper emphasizes the potential for efficiency gains through systematic office improvement efforts. He illustrates how modest annual savings in labor or supplies can yield substantial long-term capital benefits for a business. Advocating for the office manager’s position as an executive-level role, Piper calls for greater organizational recognition of office administration as a strategic function, supported by staff specialists, suggestion systems, and continuous improvement practices.
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – THE BUSINESS CYCLE – VALUE OF ACCOUNTING DATA TO EXECUTIVES
In this comprehensive address, M. C. Conick of Pittsburgh explores how the evolving structure of American business—from small ventures to complex corporations—has heightened the need for executives to understand and utilize accounting data effectively. Conick defines the executive as the brain center of business operations and emphasizes that while not all problems are solved through numbers, many critical areas such as labor efficiency, material forecasting, sales analysis, and capacity utilization depend heavily on sound accounting practices. Drawing comparisons between department stores and manufacturing operations, the article demonstrates how data-driven decision-making can reduce inefficiencies, forecast sales trends, and uncover hidden costs. Conick advocates for proactive planning over reactive analysis and underscores the executive’s role in leveraging financial insights for sustainable success.
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – THE BUSINESS CYCLE – BULLETIN BINDERS
Several members have commented favorably on the improvement in the Bulletin reports of chapter meetings, and other articles. Our chapter secretaries are taking greater pride in making up their monthly reports and therefore contribute materially to the improvement and are entitled to a share of the praise.
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – THE BUSINESS CYCLE – CHAPTER NEWS
This comprehensive bulletin captures regional updates from various chapters of the Society of Industrial Engineers in early 1923. Highlights include Cincinnati’s focused preparations for the Spring Convention, Atlantic’s initiative to form a consulting staff, and New York’s lively meeting featuring a dramatized business debate. Cleveland reports successful roundtable discussions on financial control, while Chicago hosts joint events with prominent efficiency societies. Milwaukee explores the technical nuances of depreciation, and Detroit offers a forward-looking talk on planning in automotive industries, followed by remarks from Harrington Emerson. Revival efforts are also underway in the Northwest chapter. These entries reflect the Society’s active engagement in business education, networking, and applied industrial knowledge.
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – THE BUSINESS CYCLE – Considered Graphically
Edward P. Farwell of the Babson Organization presents a visual and analytical interpretation of economic fluctuations through the pioneering work of Roger Babson. Emphasizing Babson’s Law of Equal Reaction, derived from Newtonian physics, Farwell explains how economic phenomena can be tracked and interpreted via charted data across key industries. The talk highlights the evolution and growing acceptance of Babson’s graphic forecasting methods, particularly the use of the xy-line to illustrate inflation and deflation cycles. While acknowledging that no chart can fully predict human behavior, Farwell affirms the value of combining statistical insight with business judgment to anticipate market trends and navigate uncertainty.
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – THE BUSINESS CYCLE – Considered Practically
In this detailed examination, F. L. Ham, Educational Director at La Salle Extension University, explores the real-world implications of the business cycle through the lens of missed opportunities, poor forecasting, and emerging control strategies. Drawing on historical cases from 1920–21, Ham contrasts reactive optimism with proactive planning and emphasizes the growing importance of economic literacy in business leadership. He outlines five practical strategies endorsed by economist Wesley C. Mitchell and showcases the Dennison Manufacturing Company’s pioneering approach to aligning operations with cyclical movements. The article calls for greater statistical sophistication and positions industrial engineers as key players in business cycle adaptation and control.
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – THE BUSINESS CYCLE – Considered Spirally
In this in-depth address, Dr. Horace Secrist of Northwestern University challenges the traditional notion of the “business cycle,” proposing instead a more nuanced concept: the “business spiral.” Arguing that periods of prosperity and depression rarely repeat in identical patterns, Secrist outlines the fundamental causes of economic fluctuation and stresses the need for intelligent, data-informed action over blind adherence to routine. Emphasizing the roles of profit motive, uneven development, and interdependence, he underscores the limitations of economic forecasting while encouraging the use of modern statistical tools to reduce uncertainty. His message is clear: while perfect prediction is impossible, more rational business decisions can be made by embracing evidence and rejecting simplistic economic models.
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – THE BUSINESS CYCLE – General Theorem
In this thought-provoking article, Dr. Walter Lichtenstein of First National Bank in Chicago reflects on the rising importance of economic forecasting and the evolving relevance of business cycle theory. Quoting philosopher Hippolyte Taine, he argues that while economic laws may not be as rigid as natural laws, they exert a powerful influence that modern industrial societies must understand. The piece highlights the transition from local agricultural economies to globally interdependent markets, suggesting that business activity increasingly follows predictable patterns over time. Business leaders, such as Clarence M. Woolley, have begun acknowledging the practical value of these theories in shaping decision-making.
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – THE BUSINESS CYCLE
The two regular monthly meetings of the Chicago Chapter were devoted to a consideration of “The Business Cycle: A Presentation of the Fundamental Causes of Periods of Prosperity and Depression, and the Conditions which make possible the Forecast of their Rise and Fall.” Appended are the views of a Banker, an Economist, an Educational Director and a Statistician on this topic of perennial interest to American industry.
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – MEETING OF DIRECTORS
A special meeting of the Board of Directors will be held at the Old Colony Club, New York City, February 12, at noon. The Executive Committee will hold a meeting that same morning.
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – NATIONAL BOARD FOR JURISDICTIONAL AWARDS
This bulletin entry announces a pivotal meeting of the National Board for Jurisdictional Awards (N.B.J.A.) set for February 19, 1923, in Washington, D.C., to revisit a controversial ruling on labor jurisdiction. The decision, which favored the Metal Trades’ Union over the Carpenters’ Union regarding the installation of metal doors and fixtures, sparked significant conflict, including the withdrawal of the Carpenters’ Union from the A.F.L.’s Building Trades Department. The N.B.J.A. is granting a rehearing at the request of major labor and contractor organizations. S.I.E. members and other stakeholders are invited to attend and submit relevant evidence or testimony.
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRY
This archival bulletin entry announces early efforts by a Joint Committee of the Founder Societies to establish a National Museum of Engineering and Industry. The vision includes a central institution with potential regional branches to reflect the widespread impact of American industrial progress. Engineers nationwide are encouraged to contribute ideas to help shape a museum worthy of the nation’s industrial legacy. Members of the Society of Industrial Engineers are invited to submit suggestions directly to H. F. J. Porter in New York City.
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – EMPLOYMENT BUREAU
This department of the Society’s activities is gradually expanding, records on file are being consistently revised and brought up to date in order to provide the most effective service not only for members desiring positions but also for manufacturing concerns needing competent executives. But the efforts of this Bureau could be of more extended mutual benefit if business firms would advise Headquarters immediately that vacancies occur.
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – SERVICE
This archival bulletin excerpt explores the foundational service mission of the Society of Industrial Engineers, emphasizing its role as a collaborative information hub for American industry. In 1922, S.I.E. members exemplified the spirit of shared effort, exchanging valuable insights to solve industrial challenges. The article reflects a changing era where businesses became more open to sharing internal practices for mutual benefit. Highlighting its clearinghouse model, the Society aims to eliminate duplicated research efforts by compiling and indexing data for broad use—an early model of cooperative industrial intelligence
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923 – CINCINNATI SPRING CONVENTION
This archived bulletin preview announces the Society of Industrial Engineers’ 1923 Spring Convention in Cincinnati, focused on “Effective Management for the Moderate-Sized Plant.” Distinct from previous gatherings, this event highlights the overlooked management challenges and innovations within small and mid-sized manufacturing operations, which represent over 90% of U.S. industry. The bulletin emphasizes the significance of this theme and encourages members to complete a questionnaire to support logistical planning and potential transportation rate reductions.
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SIE Bulletin – January 1923
This January 1923 issue of The Society of Industrial Engineers Bulletin features a comprehensive preview of the upcoming Cincinnati Spring Convention, themed “Effective Management for the Moderate-Sized Plant.” It highlights the growing application of business cycles in executive planning, with expert contributions from leading economists, educators, and statisticians. Articles explore practical and theoretical frameworks for understanding economic fluctuations, the value of accounting data in executive decisions, and the emerging discipline of scientific office management. Additional features include updates on the National Museum of Engineering initiative, labor jurisdiction controversies, employment services, and chapter news from across the country.