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Finance Sub-Committee: July 14th 1924

 

The General Manager submitted the following report with reference to the assessment of bank properties:

 

Assessment of Bank Properties.

 

The General Manager has gone closely into the assessment of permanent branch Bank premises and has interviewed Mr Lancaster, the Valuer to the Birmingham & West Bromwich Union Assessment Committee, and Mr Hedley of Messrs Hedley, Mason & Hedley, and Valuers to the Birmingham & West Bromwich Union Assessment Committee, and agreed to the following figures:

           

In the case of Small Heath, Hockley and Aston, the position will be reviewed again when the extensions are complete.

 

The basis followed by the Birmingham Union Assessment Committee is an allowance of 15% from the gross to the rateable in all these cases. The basis followed by the West Bromwich Union Assessment Committee, as instanced by the Hockley case, would appear to be more generous.

 

With regard to Handsworth, the basis is entirely special, having regard to the substantial income received from the Flat above. The cost of repairs to Handsworth Bank as such, apart from the Flat, should be very little indeed, and that accounts for the small margin between gross and rateable.

 

The General Manager reported that in each case the opinion of Mr Wilde on the gross estimated rental had been obtained. He had also interviewed the Valuers to the Birmingham & West Bromwich Union Assessment Committee and had agreed the values now submitted.

 

266     RESOLVED:- That the foregoing report be approved, and the assessments therein referred to accepted.

 

Finance Sub-Committee: October 14th 1924

 

The General Manager presented the following report:

 

Fire Extinguisher Appliances.

 

The Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade has visited our Daily Branches, and recommends that at each Branch one 2-gallon conical fire extinguisher (without stop cock) should be installed, and when installed should be periodically tested.

 

Messrs S Winn & Co Ltd have quoted for this extinguisher the sum of 37/6 each net, if 12 are taken, and 36/- if 24 are taken. There are at present 19 Branches apart from Head Office, but shortly there will be 23 or 24 such Branches.

 

279    RESOLVED:- That the recommendation of the Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade to install at each Branch one two-gallon conical fire extinguisher, be adopted, and that the estimate of Messrs C Winn & Co Ltd to supply 24 such extinguishers at the sum of 36/- each be accepted.

 

Bank Committee: October 20th 1924

 

1868 The following report of the Finance Sub-Committee was presented:

Fire Extinguisher Appliances.

Your Sub-Committee report that the Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade, who has recently visited the daily Branches has recommended that one 2-gallon conical Fire Extinguisher (without stop cock) should be installed at each daily branch, and should be periodically tested. Your Sub-Committee consider that the recommendations of the Chief Officer should be carried out, and have accepted the quotation of Messrs C Winn & Co Ltd, for the supply of 24 such Extinguishers at the sum of 36/- each.

 

The Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade has also raised the question of the provision being made of adequate safeguards at certain branches in connection with the installation of the Gas Department’s system of heating. Arrangements have been made for a further report to be laid before your Sub-Committee in due course, with the Chief Officer’s recommendation in the matter, when they will further report to your Committee thereon.

 

1870   RESOLVED: That the foregoing report of the Finance Sub-Committee be approved.

 

1871 The following report of the General Purposes Sub-Committee was presented:

 

Furnishing of Security in Contracts.

 

Your Sub-Committee have had under consideration the general question of the furnishing of security by contractors for the due fulfilment of works undertaken by them. They recommend that your Committee should direct that in all future contracts the contractors shall be required to furnish satisfactory sureties or to deposit a suitable sum in the Bank during the performance of the contract.

 

1874   RESOLVED: That it be an instruction that in future contracts for Bank work, the Contractors be required to furnish satisfactory Sureties or alternatively to deposit a suitable sum in the Bank during the performance of the contract.

 

Finance Sub-Committee: December 8th 1924

 

The General Manager reported that additional adding machines had been found necessary for the needs of the staff, and a favourable offer had been received from Messrs. Burroughs, who were prepared to supply the Bank with one new machine at the cost of £40 and two second hand machines at £30 each, with a guarantee in respect of each machine.

 

294 The question was raised as to the necessity of the General Manager bringing to the special notice of the Sub-Committee, the purchase of ordinary office requisites and equipment, and the General Manager was authorised to make such purchases without obtaining the sanction of the Sub-Committee, except in special cases where the question should be dealt with and reported upon by the Chairman.

 

The General Manager stated that in view of the increased number of Branches, and the additional expenditure in respect of cleaning and other sundry charges, the amount authorised in respect of the Petty Cash Imprest Account was insufficient.

 

300     RESOLVED:- That the General Manager be recommended to increase the amount of the Account referred to from £200 to £500.

 

On Minute No 284 (Hot Water Circulatory Heating System at Branches), the General Manager presented the following report:

 

Hot Water Circulatory Heating System at Branches

 

Correspondence has taken place between the Gas Department, Fire Brigade Department and the Royal Insurance Company who insure the premises against fire, the point having been raised by the Fire Brigade Department that some risk was being taken owing to the way in which the pipes were arranged at various Branches.

 

The Gas Department disagreed with the opinion of the Fire Brigade Chief, and submitted in support of their contention the opinion of the British Engine Boiler & Electrical Insurance Company who, in a very brief letter, state that "the idea that fire can be caused under the circumstances described therein is simply preposterous".

 

The Royal Insurance Company were given an opportunity of reading the while of the correspondence, and were asked to inspect the Branches again in the light of this correspondence and to let me have a report on the matter. They state that their Surveyor has now visited nine of the Branches where this system is in force and that "as regards low pressure hot water pipes, we look upon this as a safe form of heating, and while it is our practice to recommend that these pipes should be exposed to view or kept free of woodwork or other combustible materials, we consider the conditions at the various Branches inspected by our Surveyor are reasonably secure, and we are quite content to recognise these conditions without prejudice to the insurance".

 

The Gas Department have also been making further inspections, and point out that wooden flaps have been fixed over the boiler pits at several Branches, which should be replaced by plate iron flaps so as to reduce any possible risk. This arises at five Branches. On receipt of this letter the General Manager wrote to the Architect in conjunction with the Gas Department and it was not a matter with which he, as General Manager, had had anything to do. Mr McMichael's report is not yet to hand.

 

292     RESOLVED:- That the matter be further considered when Mr McMichael's report is to hand.

 

Bank Committee: December 15th 1924

 

1931 The following report of the General Purposes Sub-Committee was presented:

 

Sureties for Contracts.

 

With reference to Minute No 1874 of your Committee, passed at their meeting on the 20th October last, to the effect that in future contracts for Bank work the Contractors shall be required to furnish satisfactory sureties, or, alternatively to deposit a suitable sum in the Bank during the performance of the Contract, your Sub-Committee are informed that in practice some difficulty is likely to arise in carrying out this instruction in regard to contracts for small amounts. They therefore recommend that Minute No 1874 be rescinded, and that an instruction should be given as follows:

 

"That in contracts for Bank work for an amount of £1,000 or over, or where thought desirable by the Chairman in contracts for a lesser amount, the Contractors be required to furnish satisfactory Sureties, or alternatively to deposit suitable securities or place an approved sum in the Bank during the performance of the Contract."

 

General Conditions.

 

Arising out of the matter referred to in the foregoing paragraph, the General Manager has been authorised, where contracts are entered into for minor repairs and decoration work, to arrange for a modified form of General Conditions applicable to the work in question to be utilised.

 

1934  RESOLVED:- That Minute No 1874 be rescinded, and that in Contracts for Bank work for an amount of £1000 or over, or, where thought desirable by the Chairman in Contracts for lesser amounts, the Contractors be required to furnish satisfactory sureties, or alternatively to deposit suitable securities or place an approved sum in the Bank during the performance of the Contract.

 

Finance Sub-Committee: January 12th 1925

 

308     The Sub-Committee were informed that the Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade was prepared to make a monthly inspection of the fire appliances at the Branches for a fee of two guineas per annum in respect of each Branch, which would not, however, include the charging of fire extinguishers. It was pointed out that the premises were adequately insured, and the Sub-Committee felt that it would be preferable for the General Manager to make independent arrangements as regards inspection and the charging of the extinguishers, and he was instructed accordingly.

 

Bank Committee: January 19th 1925

 

1962 The following report of the General Purposes Sub-Committee was presented:

 

Security for Contracts.

 

With reference to the instructions passed by your Committee at their last meeting with regard to the provision of security by Contractors for the performance of contracts, your Sub-Committee have further considered the matter, and they feel that in the case of well-known Contractors of good standing it is unnecessary to apply the instructions referred to. They therefore recommend your Committee to direct that their instruction on the matter shall only operate in cases where your Committee consider such precautions necessary.

 

1965 With reference to the paragraph in the foregoing report as to security for Contracts, after hearing the views of the Chairman and the Town Clerk on the matter the recommendation thereon was referred back to the Sub-Committee.

 

Finance Sub-Committee: February 9th 1925

 

On Minutes Nos 284 and 292 (Gas Department's heating systems at Branches) - the General Manager reported that he had been in communication with Mr McMichael on the matter; also that the Gas Department had intimated that the only possible source of danger was a small pilot light left on at night, and they did not consider that there was any material risk.

 

318     RESOLVED:- That as the Insurance Company had recently inspected the heating apparatus at all Branches and had expressed themselves as satisfied with the arrangements, no further action be taken.

 

On Minute No 308 (Inspection of Fire Extinguishers, etc) the General Manager reported that he had now arranged for the Bank's chauffeur to discharge the duties of inspecting fire appliances at the Branches on lines to be approved by the Fire Brigade Department. This inspection would be carried out at each Branch alternate months and the fire extinguishers would be re-charged once every year.

 

Bank Committee: March 16th 1925

 

The following communication [to the Town Clerk] from the Birmingham Association of Building Trades' Employers, relating to the question of security of contracts, was submitted:

 

March 12th 1925

 

SECURITY FOR CONTRACTS.

 

You will recall that this Association has, from time to time, been in communication with you on the question of the provision of security for contracts, and the obstacle in the way of the consummation of the desire of the members of this Association has been the statutory obligation imposed upon the Corporation in respect of certain work by the Public Health Acts.

 

There are, however, several kinds of work which are not affected by this statutory requirement, and in respect of which it is not usually considered necessary to ask for security. A case in point is the work required from time to time for the Municipal Bank. Until recently, it is gathered that the question of security has not arisen in connection with the erection of bank premises, but it is now reported that sureties are being asked for 25% of the contract sum.

 

You will, it is felt, readily appreciate that this is naturally regarded as a retrograde step and one which really amounts to an unnecessary extension of what must always be considered by reputable contractors as an irksome condition.

 

I am, therefore, to express the hope that in conveying to the Committee concerned the views of this Association, you will be able to prevail upon them to discontinue to ask for security.

 

Yours faithfully,

(Sgd.) H Eyles

for Secretary

 

2011  RESOLVED:- That the foregoing communication be referred to the General Purposes Sub-Committee for consideration in framing their recommendations in regard to this question.

 

2012 The following report of the Finance Sub-Committee was presented:

 

Re-registration of Key Design.

 

The period of registration of the Key Sign advertisement expiring in June next, your Sub-Committee recommend that the Town Clerk and General Manager be instructed to take the necessary steps for the re-registration of the design, for a further period of five years. The cost will be £2.

 

2013   RESOLVED:- That the Town Clerk and General Manager be instructed to take the necessary steps for the Key Sign to be re-registered for a further period of five years.

 

Finance Sub-Committee: April 6th 1925

 

The General Manager called attention to a letter which he had received from Messrs Rosser & Co, stating that in their view an opportunity should be afforded for the submission of tenders for the heating installation at new Bank premises, and asking that they should be allowed to tender for the installation at the new Erdington premises. The Sub-Committee were of opinion that it would be desirable that competitive tenders should be invited for works of this description, and it was accordingly:

 

346    RESOLVED:- That as a general rule the General Manager be directed to invite tenders for heating installations at new Branches.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                  Continued ....

 

 

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