BANK EMPLOYEES AND THE COST OF LIVING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 172, 15 April 1919, Page 8

BANK EMPLOYEES AND THE COST OF LIVING

Sir,-As a banker of a good many years , standing, allow mo to thank you for ( your goodness in giving _so much of ( your valuable space in which to discuss ( this most important matter, as, unlike , other professions, New Zealand is singu- ( larly ill-er[uippod—in so far as tho banking profession is concerned—for any sort ( of association in which a matter of this nature might, with advantage to all par- . ties, be-dismissed. • Curiously enough, too, most of your corresponoents fail entirely to give a lead in formulating a scheme whereby tho whole may be benefited. Another striking fact, too, which they have failed to bring out is that tho Bank of New Zealand is the only institution of its kind which has a full Board of Directors directing its destinies in this country. This, in my opinion, is a most important point, as most of tho other institutions have their boards elsewhere. And how can their directors have much sympathy for a staff they have never seen, or how can they be aware of our local coiuhtions p And so their officers are penalised ' accordingly. With tho Bank of New Zealand, however, it is difterent, and a lave measure of responsibility rests upon the" gentlemen directing its affaire to see' that-tho status of bankers in 'his country is not irretrievably lost. Host bankers, however, will admit that Ihe latter institution hae made some attempt.and given a lead, but it has been too timorThe groat bugbear of banking is the night work-that is permitted »>• '"] banto, and I suggest to the, powers that ■be that, if this was" satisfactorily controlled, antf paid for, we would soon hear the end of it. This could easily be done by keeping' the time-book efficiently anil having a return rendered of the' expenditure under this head, and I feel sure banking as profession \yo\il(l bo Niucu improved thereby, ano: would speedily become .more attractive and popular. My suggestion to my fellow bankers, it thev wish to achievc anything, is. to go about the matter in a. quiet and practical way, select "an ex-bank man as a. secretary, and proceed to organise vroin the large centres. Manager? and the higher officers will come in later, and will be a help with their riper experience 111 aiding von in youir deliberations. As there are probably. some two thousand bank employees in Now .Zealand, .it does not require a great stretch of Jhe imagination to realise what a strong combination it would soon become. Unionism, 011 tho lines of the officers' institutes of the Post Office unci Railways, should be striven for, and no doubt valuablo data, could he obtained from them. From this association would , emergethe institute, with an ussured fund behind it-something on the lines of those elsewhere, where lectures could be. given on topics relating to the'complex problems which will confront the financial world in the future, and the juniors could be caterer for in a more elementary way, and tlinp be gi-en an oppor r tiui'ity of preparing themselves for their exacting profession. ■ Again thanking you, Sir, for allowing me this valuable space.—l am, etc., LUClvb, - April 8, 1919.