Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

362 HISTORY OF THE BANKwitness to the difficulties encountered and to the spirit in whichthey were met. Full consideration was given on the one handto the bank's patriotic duty in the terrible emergency whichconfronted the nation, and on the other to its responsibilitiesas a part of the financial machinery of the country, on thecontinued functioning of which depended the fortunes notonly of individuals but of the Government itself. The problemwas a weighty one, and its solution called for manyhours of hard work and anxious thought.The cost of living, as it affected the members of the staffin all its aspects, food, wearing apparel and rentals, gave themanagement much concern during 1917. In January it wasdecided to grant war allowances as from February 1, that year,to married officers with salaries not exceeding $4,000 perannum. Somewhat later, a war allowance of $100 per annumwas granted to married men on the temporary staff. Theinitial salary of a junior clerk was also advanced from $300to $350 per annum, and an additional allowance of $100 wasmade to juniors away from home and in receipt ofthe minimumsalary. At the end of the year a liberal general bonuswas granted, not only in recognition of the faithful servicerendered by the members of the staff under increasingly tryingcircumstances, but also to commemorate the fiftieth anniversaryof the opening of the bank, which occurred this year.In the early days of banking in Canada arrangementswere quite commonly made to have the manager of a branchreside on a bank's own premises. There was usually abank house, the bank utilizing part or all of the ground flooras its office and the'manager and his family residing in theapartments above. Those who are familiar with the olderpremises occupied by or erected for the use of banks in easternCanada will quite readily recognize that they were oftenbuilt with this purpose in view. From the bank's standpointsuch an arrangement provided an additional safeguard forits funds, especially in the days when no organized forceof either police or firemen existed, and to the manager it gave