Special General Purposes Sub-Committee: March 27th 1922

The Manager submitted a Tender from Messrs Pearce and Cutler for the supply of lead lights for 5 Branches to the design recently approved at a total sum of £109. 5. 0.

91       RESOLVED:- That the Tender of Messrs Pearce and Cutler for the supply of lead lights as above indicated at the sum of £109. 5. 0. be accepted, and the General Committee recommend to confirm this action.

The Manager reported that a communication had been received from Messrs Peyton and Peyton asking if the Bank would be prepared to accept in a finished state the sample "Key" recently prepared by them at a sum of £8. 10. 0.

92        RESOLVED:- That the request of Messrs Peyton and Peyon be complied with, and that the sample "Key" referred to in a finished condition be acquired at the sum of £8. 10. 0.

The following communication from the General Committee was received:

1083   RESOLVED:- That the question of Branch sites on areas to be developed by the Housing and Estates Committee be referred to the General Purposes Sub-Committee for consideration and report.

93        RESOLVED:- That the matter be referred to Mr Councillor Appleby and the Manager with a view to fixing sites for future Branches when shopping areas on the Estates under development have been ascertained.

General Purposes Sub-Committee: May 15th 1922

Supply of Lead Lights:

The tender of Messrs Pearce & Cutler has been accepted at £109. 5. 0. for the supply of Lead Lights for windows at 5 of the Branches. Your Sub-Committee now ask that their action in the matter be confirmed.

Bank Committee: May 15th 1922

1145 RESOLVED:- That the action of the General Purposes Sub-Committee in accepting the tender of Messrs Pearce and Cutler at the sum of £109. 5. 0. for the supply of lead lights to certain branches be confirmed.

General Purposes Sub-Committee: September 5th 1922

139 On Minute No 119, the following report of the Manager, following his visit to Glasgow etc, was presented:

Width and style of Counters.

At the Glasgow, Aidrie and Edinburgh Savings Banks they have instituted a 4'8" wide counter with a slight slope towards the depositors. The reason given for this very wide counter is that it gives additional protection to the Staff, and is looked upon as a help against "hold-ups". The wide counter also gives additional privacy. As to whether or not the width of 4'8" is necessary is a matter of opinion, and the space available at some of our Branches make it difficult to afford this width, but I am satisfied that our present counters are not wide enough. The principle of dropping the cash drawers 6 or 8 inches lower as additional protection has very little in its favour. It is much more awkward to work, and it is not nearly so convenient from an administration point of view and it is not a system I could recommend. For quick dealing with customers it is essential to have a good supply of cash outside a cash drawer itself, which is a practice at all Banks, and again, the wide counter gives additional protection in this respect.

155     RESOLVED:- That wherever it can be arranged a wider counter (approximately 4 feet) be provided at permanent Branches.

Cashiers' Pens.

A good case was made out at Glasgow for enclosing the cashier or teller in a pen very much like the one at our Head Office. This does give more privacy and protection to the cashier  from the inside of the office, and I advise that it should be adopted for all our permanent branches.

160     RESOLVED:- That a suitable enclosure be provided at all permanent Branches for the cashier.

Telephones.

All the Glasgow branches are connected with their Head Office by telephone, and the importance of this was emphasised by the Manager of the Glasgow Savings Bank. The public are not allowed to use the telephone to the branches or the branch officials to use the telephone for public calls. It is merely a connection between the Head Office and the branch in case of emergency, and also to save much running about which would otherwise be necessary in the course of the ordinary working of the branches. In this particular also I urge the Committee to make the same provision in Birmingham so far as the permanent branches are concerned.

161    RESOLVED:- That the principle of Branches being connected by telephone to Head Office be approved and the Manager instructed to negotiate with the Post Office Telephones with a view to obtaining concessions in respect of a restricted service.

Head Office Name-plates, etc.

I think the policy in Glasgow of having a name-plate fixed at each branch giving the address of the Head Office is an important one, as it connects the one with the other; and if in a much smaller area like Glasgow there is room for impressions to get about after all these years that one branch has no connection with another, it is all the more likely to get that idea in Birmingham, especially when one knows for a fact that there are many people in Birmingham quite ignorant of the existence of the Municipal Bank.

Another interesting feature at Glasgow is that on the swing doors of their branches they have a large brass footplate, which not only protects the wood, but also affords an excellent method of advertising the Bank.

167     RESOLVED:- That name plates be fixed on the outside of all permanent Branches giving the address of Head Office; also that suitable foot plates with the name of the Bank shewn thereon be provided to Vestibule Doors at permanent Branches.

On Minute No 125 (Etna system of heating) the Manager reported as follows:

Report of Manager on Heating & Lighting of Branches.

The question of satisfactory heating the Branch offices during the cold periods of the year has not been solves by the introduction of gas fires and radiators. The provision of extra radiators has assisted in the direction of getting a warmer atmosphere but the consumption of gas by this method and the price of same renders such method too costly. Despite the fact that three radiators were fixed last Winter at Sparkbrook Branch the temperature of the room could not be raised quickly enough to enable the staff to work with any degree of comfort.

Enquiries have been instituted with a view to finding other means of heating and the Etna Lighting & Heating Company offered to conduct an experiment at their own expense and to effect an economy in consumption of 30% to 40%. The system is merely a special kind of burner heating air which is passed along a copper tube of about 4" diameter fixed by the wall close to the floor. The advantages claimed for the system are:

1. That instead of having "patches" of air heated as in the case of radiators, the tubing running round by the walls heats all parts equally.

2. That the tubing being fixed close to the floor causes the heat to be radiated low down and keeps the lower parts of the person warm.

3. That the cost of installation is not a serious matter.

4. That the consumption of gas by the method is only about half that of gas radiators.

The Etna people fixed up a length of 18 feet tubing at the back of the office, and a fifteen minutes test was taken which showed as follows:

18 feet from the burner a hand could not be kept on the tubing at the end of 8 minutes. This is a marked improvement in the direction of quick heating to what has hitherto been possible.

It has frequently taken an hour to get the Office  reasonably heated by means of radiators, and when the doors are opened for the business of the Bank the effect of the heating is very often nullified.

Subsequently the Chairman directed that a second length of tubing should be fixed underneath the windows and that when this was done a temperature test should be taken of the Etna system and one also with the gas radiators. These tests have been taken and are shown on the attached sheet. The test demonstrates that a satisfactory heating can be obtained by the Etna system which is certainly more lasting and "spreads" better than the heating from radiators which is very local. The Clerk in Charge of Sparkbrook Branch informs me that too much reliance cannot be placed on the temperature tests as the effect of the sun on the thermometer was most marked on the occasion when the tests were taken with the three radiators on. Mr Ladbroke is convinced that the Etna system gives much more heat and is in every way preferable to heating by radiators.

Another factor which should not be lost sight of is that with the Etna system there are no fumes in the Office, whereas with the radiators there are constantly fumes and on some days the atmosphere of the Office has become overpowering as a result of the fumes.

So far as actual percentage of saving in the consumption of gas is concerned, the test taken and given on the attached sheet is a fair example and shows roughly 50% less consumption.

It is difficult to give a general price for installing this system as it varies according to the Branch and the size of the Branch, but the quotations the Committee have already accepted for the Balsall Heath and Coventry Road Branches will be of some guidance. The cost at the new Balsall Heath premises is £19. 10. 6d and at Coventry Road premises £18.

The radiators and gas fires in use at the various branches are obtained from the Corporation on the three years Hire Purchase system. They represent a total charge each quarter of £17. 19. 10d. Agreements were entered into at various dates and refer to 27 radiators and fires. The first Agreement expires in December 1922 and the last in June 1925.

LIGHTING OF PREMISES.

The Etna Lighting and Heating Company undertook to re-arrange the lighting at the Sparkbrook Branch as an experiment and to save in the consumption of electric current from 30 to 40%. The proposal was to use the Etna type of shades and suitable lamps and to give a better light than the original system installed gave. Accordingly experiments were made with the lighting and were inspected by the Chairman and myself. Finally the Manager directed that three of the particular lights should be fixed directly above the Counter and two over the Ledger Desks.

This lighting, the Manager is now informed by Mr Ladbroke is quite satisfactory and much better than the original lights.

Although again it is difficult to say whether the percentage of current used for lighting purposes will be saved to the extent referred to by the Etna people, the Manager feels that they have substantiated their claim and that it would be in the interests of the Bank to adopt this system.

Temperature at front of Counter.

Temperature over Ledger Desks.

Note: In every case all windows and doors were closed from 9 to 10am and open from 10 to 11am

141     RESOLVED:- That, subject to the confirmation of the General Committee, the Etna systems of heating and lighting of branches be adopted and the necessary arrangements referred to the Chairman, the Chairman of the General Committee and the Manager to carry into effect.

                                                                                                         Continued ....

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