The authorization plan here outlined, if any man leaves a corporation, would automatically give his successor an opportunity to consider how much of the curve plotting should be continued on the basis formerly used. There is always a great personal difference in the manner in which executives desire reports prepared. The authorizing of curves periodically gives each executive an opportunity to think the matter over and to have data prepared in the manner which is most effective for his individual use. In most organizations the president or the general manager would be likely to have certain standard ways of assembling data and plotting curves, since the chief executive officer must usually refer at some time to each of the records of the different departments. The standards of the chief executive would thus tend to prevent any freak methods being introduced into the general curve-plotting scheme by any department head further down the line.

GRAPHIC METHODS

Each curve plotted regularly is assigned a serial number for convenient identification. This serial number remains the same year after year, even though changes are made in the manner of assembling data or in any other minor details affecting the curve. The serial number is placed at the upper left-hand corner of the card, where it can easily be seen when the cards are filed in card-index fifing cabinets. The cards are identified by the number and year, as may be seen in Fig. 211 where

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