BANK CLERKS PAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 668, 19 November 1909, Page 3

BANK CLERKS PAY.

Sir,—The notice given the public by some bank clerks is justified by, years of. unfair labour on their. behalf.,to .swell tho .swollen pockets, of foreign shareholders. The banks tiling so little ol principle in theso times that they offer a large salary to the beginner, and; a gopdly yearly increase Until ho. roaches his .£IOO, but thereafter his increase resembles the train travelling up the liimutaka incline — so. slow does it come'about. The idea in giving to tho junior such a 'wage and.promise of increases is to entice him into the. service, and! by tho time. he. reaches the* destination , of fast travelling he is quite unfitted for' Other occupations, and must devote his whole life to the bank's affairs regardless of pay. I, therefore, deem it unjust to entice lads into a service under such circumstances. At a branch which I was connected with, and which is one of the largest in this Dominion, tho manager, aged 51, and accountant, aged 37, ivere in receipt of the "munificent" salary of J325 (including house rent), and .6200 respectively. This after a service on the manager's-part of thirty years; and tho accountant eightoeoVi' I believe, this not to be an exception the rule, and certainly it does not look entertaining to ,a boy about, to enter a bank. But it is not this picture that is shown an applicant, .but ho is blinded with the high salary as- a startingpoint, and his immediate rises. Another \poiutof dissatisfaction is that one bank refuses tho moneys (not-voluntarily' contributed by tho. \ staff) paid into its. G.' and P. funds when, a : membep leaves, either of'his own will or otherwise. This practice .'is not universal, I anl liapny to think., For one. interested in this matter I am right glad you have given; notice to it, for-I deem that now women have pntercd' into. competition with men, and thereby thrown many out of employment, that the time is at hand that clerks, bßth'in banks arid' commorcial houses, should unite for the demanding of just rights which ara being sacrificed, in tho case of the former, for no other-reason than that high dividends should still prevail. Thanking you for space,—l am,etc., ;; 4;X-BAXK CLERK.