COST-KEEPING

a system which has been developed greatly of recent years, particularly in U.S., owing to jncreased nece ity to manufacturers of knowing exactly what each article or cla of articles costs. Formerly costs were taken from estimates in which many items of expenditure were overlooked; but in most modern factories every penny of expenditure is analyzed and apportioned to particular work for which it was incurred. Under this system the cost of labor and material on a job are summed, and to this total is added a percentage, carefully calculated, to cover management, light, heat, depreciation, and other general expenses which cannot be specifically apportioned to particular jobs. Cost systems involve much clerical work, and therefore expenditure, but experience has shown that most busine es, even though comparatively small, benefit by the adoption of some h system, modified to suit the particular requirements.