Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1911-12-26
The Rush
Of Business

ooh, never will get this Christ
mas list made OUT" said the little
stenographer, impatiently. as she
hastily threw her notebook into a
drawer and grabbed materials to an.
swer the buzzer that wss getting fran.
tic. This is the 'steenth time I've
barely got it started when some one
wants to write his friend that he en-.
joyed the dinner he took with him
yesterday or wishes to inform some
one whom he never saw and never
will see that he received his valued
favor-which he never even read
throughput though he can do abso
lutely nothing for him he begs, most
ardently, to remind him that-and 50
on! Huh! Talk about women gush
ing!"
The bookkeeper turned an apprecia-
tive countenance toward her and pre-
pared to listen.
ooh, buzz on" she exclaimed cross
ly, as the summons became still more
imperative. I'm engaged for while
yeti" And she snapped rubbed
band across the buzzer to deaden the
noise.
Actually, there aren't ten letters a
day that are absolutely necessary"
she declared. There's lot Of fol.
derol. that passes back and forth. and
gets filed as business, though 1t is
simple waste Of time and postage.
When the men receive the letters
they realize what rubbish they are
and laugh at them. But when they
get started debating they like the
sound of their own voices!
why" and she gave her notebook
an angry fling, this thing here,
warrant, has about one page in ten
filled with business that needed to
be transacted! The rest is gush and
affectation! And yet the men pride
themselves on their quickness and
their lack Of red tape and their abil-
ity to cope with big situations. And
you won't find one man in dozen
who doesn't make supercilious re-
marks about detail and say that he
hasn't time to attend to that-that's
what he keeps clerks for!
81 heard Mr.. Brown this morning
tell his wife over the phone that he
simply couldn't get home to her lun-
cheon. he was so busy-his desk was
simply piled with work. He was very
sorry, but business had to come be-
fore pleasure and she'd please make
his excuses to the guests and 30 on
all that rot.
"Well, expected busy day when
/ heard that and 30 prepared for
rapid dictatfon. Well, what did
get? To one man he wrote that the
matter was on his desk and as soon
as he had time he'd look 1t over and
write him in detail, which he begged
leave to trust was satisfactory! And
to another he wrote that business. as
he very likely knew. wasn't what 1t
might be. and therefore he wouldn't
be able to go into the matter, but We
might in some months time-per-
haps-with which he trusted he might
sign himself very sincerely! And to
another that he was in doubt as to
the advisability Of taking out such
and such paper just at present, but
after due consideration he would
write him further. and he desired,
with great gusto, to subscribe him
self his obliged frieE.d. And so on
the whole list! Why, there
wasn't letter that couldn't have
been done away with altogether. let
alone being put of until after his
wife's luncheon!
"But all those letters made him
think he was a very busy man and
I've no doubt that he thinks he's In
to the company!
Some day I'm going to run or a
lot Of form letters. saying that I'm
very sorry, but haven't yet had time
to look into the matter. but will write
further when time permits. think 1t
makes the men feel good to tell peo-
pie they are too busy to think. Per-
haps 1t might be well for me to offer
my services az thinker for them!
'"They all know that they'll decide
against whatever matter 1t is that
keeps pending! It's hypocritical at
titude, to say the least. They pretend
to themselves that they're busy. They
pretend to the man to whom they
write that the matter really interests
them and that they're really going to
discuss 1t, and think II over. when
they know they aren't even going to
look at 1t again! And they pretend
to the company that they're doing
business eight hours day! And then
they'll 80 home and pretend to their
wives that they've had hard day!
ooh. I've known too much Of them