TRADING BANKS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 142, 28 March 1946, Page 6

TRADING BANKS

SATURDAY CLOSING (P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 27. An amendment to the Banking Emergency Regulations providing for an adjustment of hours, alteration of holidays and closing on Saturday mornings! was announced by the Minister of Finance (the- Rt. Hon. W. Nash) to-day. The amendment to the existing regulations, said Mr Nash, was the result of representations from the New Zealand Bank Officers’ Guild and negotiations between the Reserve Bank and the trading banks. As from next Monday the banks will open for public business until 3 p.m. each day of the week. The provision in the War Regulationsi under which the banks were open for business on Dominion Day, St. Andrew’s Day, St. George’s Day, and St. Patrick’s Day will be continued and made permanent, and the banks in future will open for business on the days mentioned which are not observed generally as holidays by commercial and other customers of banks.

‘‘lt has become evident,” said the Minister, “that Avitli the reduced volume of business on Saturdays oav ing to the extension of the five-day week to shops, banking employees can with the minimum of inconvenience to the public hoav be free to enjoy the benefits of the five-day week. It has also been arranged by the banks that in order to assist the commercial community locked hags will he received by them up to 5.30 p.m. on Friday. Small branches of hanks where the staff does not exceed three may revert to the pre-Avar practice of closing for one hour on each day between noon and 2 p in.” CONCESSION SOUGHT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. While welcoming the return to the 3 o’clock closing of banks, the provision for remaining open until 5.30 p.m. on Fridays would be of little use fo retailers, said Mr C. B. A. George, president of the Wellington Retailers’ Association. • The cash takings between 3 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. did not constitute a large part of .the day’s takings, he said. The main volume of Friday s business was being done between 5 and 9 p.m. What Avas needed was facilities for depositing locked hags at the end of the day’s business between 9 and 9.30 p.m.' It avus felt that the banks could arrange a 40-hour \veek for the few members of the staffs Aviio would have to work a short period on Friday nights to provide a small convenience for Iheir customers—-'.be ielailers. Mr George said his association was taking a survey of its members to ascertain Imw many could take advantage of the suggested arrangement with the idea not of pressing for the concession if the response did not warrant it. Intimation so far obtained showed that about 50 per cent, of members did desire some such arrangement.