Chairman Kim Jong Il, during his days at Kim Il Sung University, took part in production internship at the Pyongyang Textile Machine Factory between the end of April and early May in Juche 50 (1961).
One day he, together with his fellow intern, sorted butts out of metal shavings piled up in a place of the shop-floor.
A heat treatment worker by his side told him that all material butts had been discarded in the past. Kim Jong Il said that, if they recycled all the butts for forging and elongation, they would be able to turn out more products with the existing materials supplied to them.
When he saw a lathe operator throwing away metal chips, he showed him two material butts collected from heaps of shavings and reproved him for discarding them which might be used in machining bolts, pins and other parts.
He said in the following vein: Some workers of the factory still seem to have a poor understanding of the importance of steel materials. Those who handle steel materials must appreciate their preciousness. It is necessary not to discard the remnants of materials when sweeping out metal shavings. Economizing just means production. It would be like pouring water into a bottomless pot if they do not save materials, however sharply they may increase production.
His instruction served as a guideline for working people to maintain in production and construction.
