AT THE BANK.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 26 August 1924, Page 3

AT THE BANK.

CASUAL METHODS

AN INCENTIVE TO CHIME

An interesting insight into popular local banking methods was afforded in the course of a visit on id to one oi Auckland’s blinks shortly before 3 o’clock on Friday (says the Post’s correspondent). kittle girls with pigtails down their backs came strolling leisurely up the steps with bundles of notes held loosely in one hand. Small boys passed inside cheerily whistling some tuneful favourite, or chatting to one another on-.some topic of absorbing interest. Thrust casually between the leaves of their employers passbooks were piles of notes and cheques with the ends sticking out. They* and the little girls carried sums of money which to poQr folk would represent a small fortune, but they appeared to be no more weighed down with any sense of responsibility than if the bundles of notes bad been so manv cigarette coupons. Among the crowds that Hlied up at the counter girls were in the majority, and many of them appeared to be still in their ’teens. There were plenty of responsible looking young men and women, most of whom carried their money in small .leather cases; but the outstanding impression of a twenty minutes’ survey of the crowd was the youth of those entrusted with so important a Business duty. “Yes, it’s always the same,” affirmed one of the bank officials who was asked if this were the ordinary procedure. “It is a most surprising tiling that so many business people who are keen in the matter of making money should be so casual in the matter of banking it. The way some of these 'boys and girls, and their elders, too, sometimes go through the streets with, bank notes and cheques sticking out of their books, or held carelessly in the hand, is nothing less than temptation to thievery. I should say fully 25 per cent, of those who bank nioney for their employers are under 20 years old.”

Referring to- the recent theft of £SO from a young girl on her way to the hank, .the official said the only matter for wonder was that-such a thing had not occurred sooner and oftener. Many large business firms always sent senior members of the staff to bank the thousands of pounds that passed through their hands daily, but smaller firms and businesses when hanking anything up to £IOO on- thereabouts often left the hanking to the typist or office hoy. If the former happened to he a young woman of business experience, and a sense of responsibility, this, ot course, was an entirely proper thing ; hut such was not always the case. *One result of the ease already mentioned will probably he that business men generally udll take greater precautions to see ti.at their money (reaches the hank safely. A director of one large firm has already notified his branch managers that the greatest care must be taken to ensure safety of deposits, and 1 as issued instructions that bags containing large sums of money arc to lie fated with small wrist' straps. “We are- sometimes apt to forget that a city growing as rapidly as is Auckland is sure to experience an increase in thefts of the kind that has just taken place,” said another business man. “1 remember going into the hank one day and seeing a small gir! place on the counter a brown paper parcel which, she had been swinging from one linger as she strolled up the street. It was 'done up loosely* with string, and I thought it- was perhaps a loaf of bread. I found, out afterwards there was nearly a- thousand pounds’ worth of money in that- parcel.’ s