NEW SYSTEM AT POST OFFICE EASES WORK ON ANNUAL BALANCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 April 1948, Page 2

NEW SYSTEM AT POST OFFICE EASES WORK ON ANNUAL BALANCE

| The benefit of modem appliances I and accounting machines in offices is demonstrated in the fact that the work of balancing ledger cards and pass-books at the Post Office Savings Bank at Greymouth, a job formerly taking from three to four weeks by the manual system, was completed this year, in three days. The speed with which this important work was completed this year was made possible by the new filing and accounting system installed at the- Greymouth Post Office several months ago. The accountant at the Post Office, Mr K. N. Smith, said this morning that the work of balancing the ledger cards, an annual undertaking at j March 31, had commenced on Thurs•day and, with the aid of the new i machine and with members of the i staff working a few hours overtime, j the work had been completed yesterday. Mr Smith intimated that Grey- [ mouth was one of the first offices in the Dominion to complete its annual I balance. j “Previously, interest could not bo i inserted in depositors’ pass-books unitil the beginning of May,” said Mr j Smith, “but with the quicker compilation of ledger cards, it was possible for us to insert interest credits [last Friday.” I Mr Smith emphasised, however, the necessity for depositors io have tho j interest on their savings entered in! tije.i; 1 pass-books us soon ■ as possible. Im pointed out that unless the total amount in the pass-book agreed with i the amount shown on the lodger card, 1 the calculations on the machine would ; be upset when the depositor came to ■ operate the account and the time saved on the ledger card would be j lost. Questioned regarding the operation. of the new machine, Mr Smith said; that only one person was required to [ operate it and, as an example of its ■ speed and efficiency, pointed out that' during the three days taken to com-! plete the annual balance, over 17,000' ledger cards, the total for the dis- [ trict, had been handled.