Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

THE BANK DURING THE WAR 357Consolidated five per cent. War Loan. During the samemonth the bank confirmed a large sum in letters of creditissued by the Credito Italiano, one of the foremost Italianbanks, also interested in the British Italian Corporation,Limited; and in July it participated in an Italian acceptancecredit arranged through the Banca d'ltalia.So far as the branches of the bank were concerned, theirservices were called upon in connection with the appeal for theBritish Red Cross Society Fund, the Navy League of Canadaand the Halifax Relief Fund. Those in the United Statesco-operated in the Liberty Loan campaigns just as did theCanadian branches in the Victory Loan campaigns. Early inthe year the branches were advised that the Dominion Governmentwas about to issue war savings certificates of the denominationsof $25, $50 and $100, and to inaugurate a nationalthrift campaign, and the managers were asked to give theseThe demand for greater agri-plans their energetic support.cultural production was stronger than ever, because Canadawas one of the countries on which the Motherland depended forsupplies. The Dominion Government had undertaken thetask of making advances to grain-growers in the West for thepurchase of seed grain and fodder, and the bank's branches inAlberta and Saskatchewan, the two provinces in which suchadvances had been necessary, were asked to accept and remitwithout charge to the Government any moneys tendered themin repayment of such advances. In the spring the Ontariobranches were requested to assist as far as possible in acampaign for greater production inaugurated by the provincialOrganization of Resources Committee. One of themeasures adopted was the making ofloans under the guaranteeof the Ontario Government to farmers who requiredassistance for the purpose of purchasing seed grain; anotherwas the giving of an additional week's furlough to any bankofficer undertaking to work on a farm during the whole ofhis vacation. Over three hundred of the bank's staffvolunteered their services under this arrangement. The