Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

THE BANK DURING THE WAR 333Despite the large number of officers of the bank whoenlisted at the very outset of the war, the events of 1915made the call more urgent as the year progressed, and thestaff problem grew more difficult month by month. 1 InNovember it was found advisable to adopt a more favourableattitude towards voluntary applications for employment fromofficers in other banks, but this was confined to officers of onlya few years' experience. At the same time the question ofusing women in clerical positions in place of men, a practicewhich afterwards became general in all banks, was firstbroached, and the managers were asked to consider whatcould be done in this direction. Of course, it had by this timebecome quite customary to employ women as stenographersand filing clerks.Although in January, 1915, the war had been in progressfor over five months, and everyone had begun to realize thatthe end was far away, the public mind had not settled down toaccepting war conditions as the normal state of affairs. It wasthought advisable to issue a circular to the branches pointingout how easily people are upset by trifles, and that the slightestshow of reluctance even in a small matter such as the closingof an account was liable to be misinterpreted and to reflectunfavourably on the bank. The managers were urged tosee that the officers in charge of the savings-bank ledgerswere, as far as possible, senior men of good judgment whowere likely to use the necessary tact in their dealings withthe public. A little later the imposing of heavy additionaltaxation upon the banks led to emphasis being placed onthe imperative need of the utmost economy in all things, andmanagers were requested to do all they could to discouragethe issuing of cheques on savings-bank accounts, the paymentof interest on current accounts, and the many unremunerativeservicesperformed by the banks.1( rhe suddenness with which the problem of replacing members of the staffwho volunteered for military service came upon the bank will perhaps be realizedwhen it is stated that seven weeks after the outbreak of war (October 23) thenumber of officers who had left on military service was 311.