Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

THE BRANCH CLEARINGS SYSTEM 541were dropped from the Branch Clearings returns and the transitnumbers substituted for them, the entries being arranged innumerical instead of alphabetical order.The final step in the development of the Branch Clearings1system was taken on May 15, 19 15, when each branch of thebank was instructed to pass all its entries through one BranchClearings Account, that of the district. The General BranchClearings Account was closed by those branches which hadkept such an account, and the balance was transferred to thedistrict account. The entries for branches in other districts,which had hitherto been passed through the general account,were in future to be relayed by the district clearing office, tothe clearing office of the district for which they were intended.This did away with a multitude of branch returns forwarded tothe head office, some containing scarcely more than a singleentry, and simplified the system very much from the point ofview of the branches. Some changes were made at the sametime in the districts, and in the handling of the business ofcertain individual branches. The Branch Clearings districtsforQuebec and the Maritime Provinces were combined, theHalifax clearing office being closed on Maythe districts were as follows :15. ThereafterBritish Columbia: All branches in British Columbia andon the Pacific Coast of the United States, clearedthrough Vancouver.Central West: All branches in Manitoba, Saskatchewanand Alberta (except those in the Peace River District,namely, Peace River Crossing, Grouard and LakeSaskatoon) and Rainy River, Fort Frances, PortArthur and Fort William, in Ontario, cleared throughOntario:Winnipeg.All branches in Ontario, except those mentionedin the preceding paragraph as clearing throughWinnipeg, cleared through head office, Toronto.'See Head Office circular No. 2812, dated April 30. 1915.