UNLUCKY BANK CLERKS

Northern Advocate, 25 October 1935, Page 9

UNLUCKY BANK CLERKS

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Your “special correspondent’s” article under the above heading, in the “Advocate” of 24th inst.,' was amusing, ■ but amusing only to; those quite ignorant of the true facts. One has always understood that the secret of good journalism is news, . not views, and one wonders of what interest it is to -the general public to read, in a reputable daily, the facetious views of a journalist on a. subject of which he displays ignorance of the news value —the true facts of the case. In this instance, the action of Parliament in eliminating the Saints’ Days from the list of statutory bank holidays is at the instigation of the bank officers themselves, who, through their association, the New Zealand Bank Officers’ Guild (Incorporated)—which has virtually 100 per cent membership of the bank officers in New Zealand—have for some years been working for the elimination of • Saints’ Days from their list of holidays. Perhaps it would be of interest to your correspondent to know that the total number of holidays enjoyed by the* banks which are not similarly enjoyed by the general public, is five, These are Dominion Day (fourth Monday in September); St. Patrick’s Day (March 17); St. George’s Day (April 23); St. Andrew’s Day (November 30); December ' 27 (special Christmas holiday). Five extra days in twelve months! But what of the extra hours worked both before and after each holiday to make up for the day lost? What of the many nights when it is necessary to return to work for weekly and half-yearly balances? “Mummy’s” little lad whose “daddy gets holidays all the year round” is fully aware that “daddy” pays for each holiday, whether special or general—pays to such an extent that he and his brother officers have decided that special holidays are a very mixed blessing.'—l am, etc., BANK OFFICER.