Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-01

HOUSEHOLD HINTS

| GO OFTEN the housewife feels that II
y Il we're only not for the Interruptions
| her day would be so easy She begins
| work after breakfast, Determined 10 cream
| bedrooms and living rooms. ard just about
I the time she is getting good swing into
| work the doorbel rings. The order boy
| from the grocers has called. She gives MN
instructions and trots back to her work
Five minutes later the iceman inter-
| rrptg. although she doesn't need any ice.
| Back she goes, little less cheerful after
| two Interruptions.
The third time the doorbell rings II wakes
the baby. who is fretful for ten minutes and
must be soothed to sleep again. So 1t goes
most Of the morning-and each day.
"If you had as many Interruptions during
| the day as / have you couldn't finish your
| business at O'Clock either, I'm sure" de-
clares the housewife to the businessman
| husband very often.
But hasn't the business man any inter-
ruptions? II you go into a modern office
| you will be amazed that with so many
| changes In work and 30 many unexpected
callers, SO many Interruptions that cannot
| be avoided. the business man gets any work
| done at all!
THE BUSINESS MANS METHODS
He starts debating his mail, when the
| telephone rings, and some prospective
! client, whom he must handle carefully per-
slsts in talking about five or ten minutes
| when the matter he discusses could be dis
| posed of In minute The business man
starts debating again. A caller arrives. and
ar waiting five minutes declares he must
h..e pn interview at once or he VIII nave
| to dcgIrt Then there are the varying num-
| ber OF Interruptions from clerks who want
| instructions or some information How Is
| II that tho business man can handle his IN
| terruptions. and how can the homo maker
| do likewise?
In the first place in the modern business
| office there Is generally a clerk who receives
| callers and keeps tho time wasters away
! from the business mans private sanctum.
| II the homo maker has maid. She too,
| can train her to find out the business or
| any caller and so save herself interrupt ons.
! II she does her own work. 1t Is part of her
| system TO have n definite understanding
| with tradesmen about when they are to call
| and at what time. The business man re-
! fuses TO see the salesman of any manufac-
turer unless he desires TO buy or is inter-
| ested in the product. and generally he
makes an appointment In advance, so that
the interview will be at an hour convenient
| to him.
TIME SAVERS FOR HOUSEWIVES
So too the housewife can arrange to
have deliveries of goods made to her at the
hour of the day which suits her conven-
icnce best. Indeed. there is now on the
market an appliance which makes it un-
necessary for the housewife to be inter-
rupted even when the tradesmen bring their
goods. This is an outside door, which Is
built like a closet except that 1t opens on
both sides and is divided into four COM
partments, with individual doors.
The door Is placed at the back entry, and
on days when certain deliveries of goods
ere expected the little doors to the ind-
vdual compartments are left open. Each
compartment is marked-butcher, laundry,
baker, dairy, grocer or any other name.
When the butcher calls with the delivery
he simply places the meats in tho compart-
ment marked butcher" and closes the door,
which locks automatically as soon as closed.
The other tradesmcn do likewise.
Then, any time that the housewife comes
downstairs, she goes to the door, opens the
little compartment doors on the inside of
the house and removes the articles that
have been delivered. There are no inter-
ruptions from half a dozen delivery boys,
and as the door locks the articles are per-
fectly safe.
(CopyriRht)