Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

THE BANK DURING THE WAR 379a list of the principal importers of the world, with a shortreport on the standing of each, for the use of customers of thebank. Although an early termination of the war could not beforeseen at this period (July, 1918), the management of thebank was keenly alive to the necessity of finding markets forthe products of Canadian industry after the production ofmunitions should cease.It is worth recalling as one of the indirect results of thewar that the winter of 1917-18 was marked by a shortage ofcoal unprecedented in the history of this continent. Theimmense demand for the purpose of manufacturing munitionsof war, and the drain upon the mining population caused bythe large armies raised by the United States on enteringthe war, were two of the causes of this shortage. One curiousresult was that at the instance of the Canadian Fuel Controlleran order-in-council was passed by the DominionGovernment restricting the use of coal for heating purposesin places of business during three days, Saturday, Sundayand Monday, February 9, 10 and 11, to the quantity necessaryto prevent injury by freezing. The order applied to all thatpart of Canada lying between Fort William on the west andRiviere du Loup on the east, and thus included almost thewhole of the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Banks werespecifically included in the order, and were allowed to openonly for the purpose of accepting payment for obligationsdue. The order affected all branches of The Canadian Bankof Commerce in the two provinces mentioned, except FortFrances, Emo, and Rainy River in Ontario, and Rimouski inQuebec. An enforced holiday of this character was certainlya unique experience for the staff. The large archives buildingof the bank on Atlantic Avenue, Toronto, 1 erected for thestorage of its old records, was completely closed to theadmission of new material during the balance of the winter.There were many minor restrictions and other effects ofthe war, which had their bearing upon banking at this period.1See plate 70, facing page 498.