THE MECHANICAL CLERK

Hokitika Guardian, 5 April 1929, Page 7

THE MECHANICAL CLERK

INNOVATIONS IN RANKS

LONDON, Feb. 1-1

The day ol' the mechanic al bank clerk draws rapidly nearer. One oi the leading English hanks has now installed '2OO ledger-posting machines which are posting over -1,000,000 on tries each month. Nor is the mechanisation of the banks likely to stop a I ledger posting. In a number of thr big (Herman banks during the last yeai or so the re-orginisation. has resulted in the introduction of pnueinatic tubes addressing machines, ediphones stamping machines, and many other types o' office machinery in addition to ledger pasting apparatus. Naturally, haulstaffs are watching these developmentwith great interest. In the derma: hanks which have introduced such re forms stall's have been reduced. li is. however, extremely unlikely tlml there will he any hig reductions by tin hanks in this country. In a mini her of cases senior officers are hein; retired with, a pension at an earliei age than normal, while at least twe of the “Big Five” hanks have close' down the recruiting of stall's for : year or two. Middle-class families win have looked to the- hanks as providin' an automatic outlet for their sons o leaving school will have a new pro Idem to face. The changes will in troduce a new type of stall' into Hi banks —girl operators of machine? who naturally will lie on a lower seal of salary. Another guestimi is the feet on training. In the past th junior hank clerk could look lorwar to a steady progress. By the tin|,e had reached an adminislrativ nosition he had behind him .toms .< routine work, which made the ordi nary details of hanking second natur to him. By posting-up pass-books h learnt, by licart the signatures of lit bank’s clients, and when he was pr< motod to the counter was in a positin' to detect attempts at forgery witl comparative ease. Lndoubtedly th executives of the hanks must hav /iven consideration to these aspect of. t''e case before deciding on the innovation.