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...