Editorial Emanations

I. HELP US TO HELP YOU: Mary and I are neither libraries, computer memory banks, nor Hitchcock detectives but some of you expect us to be all three. We get a problem, we write a femmenote answer with the printed instructions to send it back if a reply is needed. But we don't get it back. Instead we get a letter with no return address or name, signed "Marybelle" or some such, no further identification. The letter takes off with her side of the problem as though we had just finished talking to her. But her problem is about 50 problems back. Who is she, what is it all about, where does she live, etc. etc. These are all left to us to figure out. We do some darn good detecting and remembering but we are stuck on some and just have to put them aside till you write again asking in exasperation, "I wrote you all about so-and-so about two months ago and haven't heard from you since." What could we do? How about bringing us up to date each time you have to ask something, complain about something or suggest something. Then we can act with greater speed, knowledge and usefulness.

II. ORDER SLIPS AND THEIR USE: Sometimes a mistake or a misunderstanding occurs and it becomes necessary to go back to find out what happened and to straighten it out. For this reason we provide order slips with each shipment hoping that you will use them on your next order. We file them away so that we can refer to them. They are much easier to keep and to sort through than are a miscellaneous assortment of papers and letters of various sizes. We like to hear from you but usually there is no need to keep letters after their contents are noted so they are thrown away. However, if you place your order somewhere in a letter we

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