THE SAVINGS BANK.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 136, 9 June 1906, Page 5

THE SAVINGS BANK.

RUSHES OF BUSINESS. COMPLAINTS OF DELAYS. People who have business at the Post Office Savings Bank, either in the way of depositing or withdrawing cash or in money order matters and so on, frequently complain that they have to wait i a painfully long tlime before their turn to be served comes. Some state that they have had to "cool" their heels" for a quarter of an hour or upwards, and others declare fjhat after exhausting their patience they ha.ye been obliged by the exigencies of time and tide to depart before they could receive attention These busy tfimes, of course, are not perennial, but it is contended that they come often enough to require a stnff of* over twenty men to do justice to the whole of the office work. At present there are nineteen men, and they seem to have their hands very full, according to the remarks of observers. Between 12 and 2 half the men are absent at lunch, and it is during this period that a rush may occur, bufi the heaviest traffic is usually between 2 and 4. Ladies come into town then to do shopping, and there is some preliminary financial negotiation at the Savings ■Bank Office. As tihere is only one counter over which disbursements are made, a "crush" is uuuusiouully in evitable,' and notes of annoyance are warmly sung. Business is particularly brisk on Monday aud Saturdays — times when caustic comments are freely circulated in tihe public room. Under the circumstances laymen and laywomen, *00, insist that the staff of operators should be Teinforced. It is submitted that the business in Wellington is very extensive, and that the office is undeimauned in proportion to the other centres. One item alone sounds rather formidable. Over 60,000 accounts are kept in the Savings Bank section, said to be equal tk> tlfe combined totals of Auckland and Dunedin. The Subject of the complaints was discussed by a Teporter with Mr. Rose, secretary for the head office. This officer maintained that the staff, which had recently been increased from 17 to 19, was ample for the work required. During the past four or five months four men had been added. He said that people, at certain times, had to wait a considerable time to bo served in .private banks. When there was a rush a clerk could not be provided for each person that was Waiting. The work in the Savings Bank Department was getting heavier, and the authorities consequently increased the ataff . At that moment*, 'he added, he was reading a paper dealing with the whole question. If a man had o> complaint to make he should write tfo the department, and the matter would be investigated. It wag to the departments interest to get tho banking work done quickly ; it did tioJ) puy to allow the work to get blocked.