Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

380 HISTORY OF THE BANKThe shortage and high price of paper caused every effort to bemade by the management of the bank during the years 1917and 1918 to restrict its use as much as possible, and with thisin view short cuts in book-keeping were devised. The importantrole played by paper in the business of banking, theimmense quantities used even in an ordinary branch, and theneed of a good quality for the permanent records of a bank,will at once become evident when it is considered that theoffice work of a bank consists almost entirely of makingrecords, some of a most temporary character, and others ofgreat permanent value. Another of the minor difficultiesgrowing out of the war with which the authorities of the bankhad to grapple was that of obtaining furniture and otheroffice supplies, particularly typewriters. At one time thesupply of the last-named article on the market was almostentirely reserved for military use. It was necessary to makethe most of such articles as were on hand, and to minimize thepurchase of new suppliesuntil such time as better conditionsprevailed.There were restrictions of other kinds also that affectedbanking more or less closely. One of these, for instance, wasthe prohibition of the offering of any new securities, such asstocks or bonds, for sale in Canada, unless permission hadfirst been obtained from the Minister of Finance. Thisnaturally affected the business of the banks in many ways.In March an Act of Congress of the United States regardingtrading with the enemy went into force, and its requirementshad to be complied with before coupons or dividendspayable in the United States could be collected, or securitiesshipped into or out of that country. In this connection an undertakingwas given by the head office on behalf of all branchesof the bank in Canada and Newfoundland that no attemptsof enemies, ofwould be made to deal with enemies, or alliesthe United States, this being the condition on which theNew York agency was permitted to do business with theother offices of the bank. In July, as another war measure,