I now have had the opportunity of forming an opinion
as to the Staff necessary to discharge the business of the Bank.
The Committee will recall that on the opening of the Bank, the
Staff had to be collected at very short notice, and placed in positions without any previous training, and the pressure of work in
transferring the accounts from one Bank to the other, coupled with growth of the Bank as evidenced by the returns, has made it impossible
to give such training because of the lack of a reserve staff.
Some three months ago, four temporary male clerks were engaged
with the intention of using them solely for the purpose of closing the books of the old Bank, but this arrangement has been considerably
interfered with owing to illnesses amongst the permanent Staff, with the result that I have had to call upon the temporary Staff for
assistance in the new Bank throughout the period.
The amount of sick leave is somewhat high, and seems to me to be attributable,
in a large measure, to the difficulty of efficiently heating some of the branch premises, with the result that colds are contracted
more readily. Until the Bank own their own premises and can deal with this matter, we are likely to be faced with these temporary
disturbances, for which a reserve supply must be available.
The working of evening Branches again presents difficulties which
cannot be overcome without a reserve Staff. The calls which other Departments make from time to time upon this part time Staff, often
at very short notice, is unsatisfactory. Again, these clerks themselves frequently state they are unable to attend at the Branch,
and I have had to find a substitute at short notice from Head Office. At times the Head Office Staff has been reduced to three persons
on the Saturday night, which is a procedure I cannot continue.
The work of closing the books of the old Bank has proceeded satisfactorily
having regard to the circumstances named above, and at the moment 24 ledgers have been finally balanced off and closed. I anticipate
that by the end of April the whole of the work in closing the books will be accomplished and a full statement will then be available
for the Committee.
The holidays of the Staff have been arranged so as to commence on the 1st May, and will continue until the
first week in October, five members of the Staff being away at the same time. To meet this holiday leave it is necessary to provide
Staff.
The Staff, on the whole, have during the past six months, performed their duties satisfactorily, but with the old Bank
out of the way, I expect to find a higher standard of efficiency as the work will be simplified.
Of the Branch Superintendents,
Mr Crump has been quite successful in securing business, though the book-keeping at his two Branches shows the need of a competent
male clerk being with him. This matter is the subject of a special report.
Mr Hawkins who has been acting as a Branch Superintendent
on trial has proved himself to be efficient, and I recommend his appointment being confirmed.
Mr Heath, who has been acting in
a similar capacity, has not shown that ability which is necessary for the post, and I cannot advise confirmation of his appointment.
There
is now no need, in my opinion, for a temporary organiser. It is an unusual office in the Bank. With the facilities now provided and
the development of such facilities, any organisation needed is internal rather than external, and this cannot be undertaken except
by a competent person. Mr Kesterton was appointed on the opening of the Bank as a temporary organiser, it being thought that such
work would be necessary for four months. I do not feel that any advantage is to be gained by the continuance of such a post, and feel
it my duty to report to you accordingly.
The development of the Bank calls for much closer supervision of the Branches, and has
now become an urgent necessity. I feel that Mr Ellison, Assistant Manager, should be free to take a more direct share in the administrative
work, and that other arrangements should be made for the supervision and control of the Council House Branch. I do not think the position
of the Bank at present calls for the introduction of an outside trained man, but it will be realised by the Committee that with Mr
Ellison away from the Council House Branch, a competent officer should be in charge who could deal with the class of business which
is somewhat different to that at the Branches.
The inspection of Branches, I feel cannot be any longer delayed as there is too
wide a margin between the periodical visits paid by the Auditors, and further, it is essential to have a comparison of pass books
other than what the Auditor undertakes.
The development of the House Purchase Department has been such as to take up the whole
of Mr Taylor's time, with the result that much work that he formerly undertook has had to be temporarily postponed.
That the
definite appointment of an Accountant and Statistical Clerk is necessary will be apparent to the Committee, and the control of stationery
could be amalgamated under this one head. A systematic examination of Evening Branch accounts must be undertaken forthwith and this
duty would devolve upon the Accountant and Statistical Clerk. The Branches concerned would be Northfield, Selly Oak, Stirchley, Rotton
Park, Acocks Green, King's Heath and Harborne.
It has been found necessary to provide additional day Assistants on Mondays
and Saturdays at Small Heath, Aston and Ladywood Branches. With the aid of the temporary Staff that has been provided from Head Office,
but it is not altogether satisfactory. I, therefore, recommend that the Branches of Hay Mills, Erdington and Bearwood should be made
Sub-Committee-Branches to Small Heath, Aston and Ladywood respectively, and that the books should be regularly examined and checked
at the last named Branches. The Superintendents at these Branches would have control of the Sub-Committee-Branches, and are all competent
officials, who could be relied upon to see that the Evening Branches were being administered in an efficient manner. If, therefore,
a junior clerk is appointed at each of these three Branches named, it would enable this work to be undertaken on the less important
days of the week, and would give the assistance necessary on the Mondays and Saturdays. Upon this being arranged, the Evening Branch
Assistants at Hay Mills, Erdington and Bearwood could be dispensed with.
The time is opportune, in my opinion, for opening the
Balsall Heath Branch as a daily Branch. The figures for the past six months which are submitted herewith, show the position at this
Branch. It cannot develop any further with the limited facilities now given, and it seems to me to be a mistake not to take full advantage
of the position in which this the is at the present time. I recommend this course as being justified by the results already attained.
The Sub-Committee recommended that steps be taken to open the Balsall Heath Branch as a daily Branch, and that the Chairman and the Manager, be empowered to take such action as they may consider desirable in the reorganisation of the staff. Balsall Heath's hours of opening were increased to a daily basis from May 1st 1920 and two days later the Bank's General Committee were presented with the recommendations of the Chairman and [General] Manager regarding the reorganisation of the staff:
1. Mr Ellison to be relieved
from such duties at Head Office as will enable him to supervise the work of the Branches.
2. That subsequent upon No 1:
(a) Mr Parsonage be placed in charge of the Council House Branch as Assistant Superintendent.
(b) Miss Blackwell be appointed Senior
Counter Clerk and Assistant Cashier.
(c) Miss Bullock be appointed Senior Ledger Clerk,
and that the salaries of Misses Blackwell and Bullock be increased by £20 per annum in each case.
3. That Miss Morrison, Confidential Clerk to the Manager, take over certain duties from Mr Taylor,
and that her salary be increased by £20 per
annum.
4. That Mr Hodgkins be appointed Accountant Clerk at a salary after the rate of £150 per annum plus bonus.
5.
That Mr Neighbour be appointed Relief Clerk for holidays and sick leave, at a salary after the rate of £130 per annum plus bonus.
6.
That Mr Wright take charge of Small Heath Branch, and that his salary be increased by £30 per annum.
7. That Mr Jackson be appointed Book-keeper to the Saltley and Duddeston Branches,
at a salary after the rate of £130 per annum plus bonus.
8.
That Mr Heath be confirmed in his appointment as Branch Superintendent.
9. That Mr Hawkins be confirmed in his appointment as
Branch Superintendent.
10. That the status of Inspection Clerk and Accountant Clerk shall be below that of Branch Superintendent.
Name Description J P Hilton Manager F Ellison Assistant Manager F W
Parsonage Cashier A S Taylor Confidential Clerk H H Crump Branch Superintendents A J Smith Harold Carver T J Ladbrooke W J Wynn E Cheatle H G
Wright T R Hawkins Bank Clerks W F Heath W T Robins J A Garner Clerks in Charge of Branch W Hodgetts P G Teale A H Longmore Wilfred Hatton H
Rees A H Jones J E Chapman F H Whitehouse Assistants at Branch Eric Davies Harry Wells Evelyn Brighton L D Rudge Bank Clerks E E Jesson Annie
Facey D M K Littlewood H C M Tatton D E Blackwell Elsie Bullock J Kesterton General Assistant E M Morrison Shorthand Typist A E Simpson Clerk
and Assistant D W Woodcock Assistant Clerks K I Hatton L E Smallwood Junior Clerks J W Raftery N A Plant M Crawford A N Ling L H Shipton E A
Turner A M Hodgkin Temporary Clerks E C Neighbour B E Shale B M Buckley W E Jackson F S Adams