Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

THE BANK DURING THE WAR 361ordered to report, or to apply for exemption, was barely amonth. This added to the difficulties by which the bank wasalready beset. It had lost by enlistment forty-four per cent,of the officers on its staff at the outbreak of the war, and wasnow faced with the necessity at one and the same time ofcarrying on a vastly increased volume of business, and releasinga large proportion of the trained men who remained to it.It was expected to decide, in advance of the courts' decisions,how many men it must retain, and to present full and detailedstatistical information in this regard in support of each applicationfor exemption. Ordinarily to prepare such informationalone would require months of time, but in this case there wereonly weeks available. By dint of strenuous effort on the partof the Staff Department, the branch managers and other officersof the bank were kept fully posted as to the steps they wereto arise were antici-called upon to take, the difficulties likelypated, and a solution was indicated. The managers were alsoinstructed fully as to the procedure to be followed in applyingto the local tribunals for exemptions, and in appeals from thedecisions rendered. They were supplied with a printed pamphletcontaining a complete classified list of all the officers ofthe bank in Canada coming within Class I of the MilitaryService Act, and including all the information required by theinstructions given to the appeal tribunals by the MilitaryService Council. In addition, the pamphlet contained statisticsand arguments in support of the bank's case. A copy ofthis pamphlet and the certificate of the special committee ofthe Canadian Bankers' Association accompanied each applicationfor exemption supported by the bank. No other bank inCanada was able to supply its managers with such a completestatement of the case for use before the local tribunals. Awarning was also issued to all branches as to the penalties towhich the bank would be subject for retaining in its employany man who had not complied with the terms of the proclamationby which conscription had come into force. Thecirculars issued at this time on the subject are an eloquent