Building Superintendence 76

If possible, begin to erect from both ends. The erection gangs will race to see who reaches the middle first, if they are told that the one getting to the middle first may have a holiday with pay, or a bonus.

If one class of erection is pleasanter than another, give the highest tonnage gang the pleasantest work at the end of each week. Watch them work to stay there! Other methods will suggest themselves in each special case, and the Superintendent's reward will come as an increase in salary or a more important job.

81. Reports. Reports of progress on the work are made to the home office at intervals of a week or a month. They should contain a state ment of the supplies and tonnage on hand, the tonnage erected, the number of men working, and the number of days worked. They should be accompanied by photographs of the work. These photographs should be taken from several points of view, and always so as to show the progress made during the period from one report to an other. They should be neat, and all sketches ac companying them should be neat. A little red ink

underlining the headings will improve the looks of a report to a surprising degree. In addition to the above-mentioned information, any additional facts which you think would interest the home office should be put in.

82. Specifications. This is here briefly re ferred to, since it is the duty of the Superin tendent of Erection to see that none of the clauses of the specifications are violated. He should make himself familiar with them. Where the specifications are short, this is easily done. Where they are long, it is almost impossible to do so all at once. In this case, the Superintend ent should be familiar with that part which refers to the work under way at any particular time.

Perhaps it would be well to give rules for success, rules which have been given by two as successful engineers as the world has seen. These rules are : (1) "The most perfect system of rules to insure success must be interpreted upon the broad ground of professional intelligence and common sense." (2) "Work, work, work!"