Food in Unison

In South America suspension of business at midday is practically universal; banks close, everything closes except places of rest and refreshment. Hitherto this practice has been considered too leisurely for the hurry-up methods of the north.

Quite contrarily, however, for purposes of time-saving and efficiency, wholesale drug and chemical firms in Manhattan decided last week to try a uniform 12 to 1 lunch hour during which all departments of their firms would do no business whatever.

The reason for the arrangement was the expected saving of time and telephone calls by absolute certainty as to the hours when anyone is to be at lunch. Other businesses are watching the experiment. If it succeeds, it will possibly be applied in other lines of work.