WHEN THE DUST FLIES

NZ Truth, Issue 1203, 20 December 1928, Page 5

WHEN THE DUST FLIES

Labor-Savers Make Happy Homes And Housewives

The hand that beat the carpet may once have ruled the household world. But all that energy is unnecessary, as the Electrolux Company, makers of labor-saving devices, are very willing to show.

'64TN each of the thirteen Dominion 1 branches of. the Electrolux Com-" pany," 'says managing director Allan, "the senior girl can relieve the manager of all responsibility, thus freeing him for sales work. i "We employ fifts'-two New Zealand girls and about twenty-one lady interviewers. Novelty doesn't seem to daunt the New Zealand woman. We have only commenced operations m this country three years ago, and already our gh*ls have led the. way for the original company inTEngland m respect of some of their innovations. "For instance, would it surprise you to know that we have several lady canvassers, two of whom, have already bought cars and are doing country districts just as the male salesman does? "They are paid on commission, with a weekly 'draw,'' and I may tell you that they are giving the men a run for their money. One girl, m particular, was making £3 a week until we Dut her on to canvassing-. Every week since then she has drawn over £11 m commission. ' "Then we have our lady interviewers, who pave the. way for the sales agent. These girls — usually they are a little . over twenty-one — go from door to door and chat with the housewife about the. way she cleans her house, and the way she could clean it, if she'd let us help. ■Jhey do good work, but it's not so arduous as it sounds, for one girl can make enough appointments for three or four mem m as many hours, and then her day's work is done. "Then, each showroom ha's a girl m charge, and a female 'internal assistant,' who takes care of routine work and records*. The girl works under the most hygienic conditions possible — we see*no reason why the same principles of cleanliness and comfort shouldn't apply to the Office as to the home— and we have no fault to find with the capacity of Miss 1928 m business. . "But perhaps the most interesting section, from a woman's point of view, is downstairs m the showroom. You must see that." Downstairs, Miss Hodgson, the bright- faced young lady m charge of the Wellington showrooms, takes charge of the visitor; a very enthusiastic guide she makes, and every virtue of the Electrolux cleaner, polisher and refrigerator seems to be at her finger tips. The long aluminium snake attached to the cleaner is remarkably light and

easy of movement, and the lady demonstrator shows how quickly it can be run into the elusive nooks and crannies where every housewife fights her most desperate battles with the Demon Dust. "The Electrolux is really a patent, and fumigates the room as it cleanses, for the air passes through a pad soaked with disinfectant," says Miss Hodgson. "You can do almost anything with the cleaner, from removing every atom of dust from your curtains and chair to shampooing your Airedale pup. The cleaner eliminates grovelling and groping from the housewife's life. There is no stooping, no heavy weight to carry, and no trouble about emptying the cleaner when you have finished." 7 .. • The polisher, -winich works on a system of three revolving brushes, is another thing which gets busy to. 'good effect m the housewife's domain. Here, again, there is no labor to make the user hot and bothered. . "On' the Continent and iiiTEngland, drudgery has almost vanished from the average woman's world,"/ says the little demonstrator. "Our firm, ■ like others armed with labor-saving devices, caters almost solely for women of the working classes, and very soon washing and dish-drying machines won't be part of Utopia, but of every woman's kitchen. We are getting out a washing machine early next year, Wbich will be a 'baby,' but as efficient as the most expensive model. "And now look at bur refrigerator. I buy the 'interior decorations' on the way here, and toAday I 'will make my afternoon tea with the last of the milk which was put m a fortnight ago". Lettuce salad will keep crisp, cocktails cool, and flowers fresh, m this — and scientists say that it will last for exactly eight hundred years."