GIRLS AS BANK CLERKS

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 38, 14 August 1919, Page 3

GIRLS AS BANK CLERKS

(BT TELEGRAPH.—PRBSS ASSOCIATION.)

CHRISTCHURCH, 13th August, The Canterbury Repatriation Board has been interesting itself in the question of the Bank of New Zealand, retaining the services of girl clerks to the alleged detriment of returned soldiers. At tonight's meeting a letter was read from tho general manager of the Bank of New Zealand stating that it was not the policy of the bank' to largely employ girls in tho future, nor was it retaining any to the' exclusion of returned soldiers who were formerly members of ' the bank staff. ' There were still 187 to return, and, in addition, the bank was endeavouring to find room for those clerics who had resigned to go to the front rather than await their turn for leave of absence to • enable them to enlist. The departments of work in which girl clerks would be employed in the future, were those for which men had a disinclination to occupy, and which experience had shown were filled! more satisfactorily by girls than men. The desire of the bank to avoid dispensing with the. services of any girls at in its employ was due to an indisposition to arbitrarily determine the employment of girls who had done their best for the bank in a' time of stress; not from any desire or intention to conduct the bank's business more economically by the employment of cheap labour. If it was the idea of the Canterbury Repatriation Board that tho bank should discharge all its girl clerks and engage returned soldiers, regardless of whether the soldiers had any experience of banking work, such an idea was impracticable.

After discussion—during which it was pointed out that the issue was : how was the bank going to fill the places of men who had been killed, by girls or returned soldiers ?—it was decided to ask the bank straight out if it would take on returned soldiers, if in the opinion of officials of the bank the men were suitable for the position.