Bank Committee: April 20th 1925
On Minute No 2013 - Re-registration of Key Sign - the Town Clerk presented the following report with reference to the re-registration of the sign for a further period of five years:
April 7th 1925
Minute No 2013
Patents and
Designs Acts 1907-1919.
Birmingham Municipal Bank.
Registered Bank Sign No 676633.
I beg to report that in compliance with this Minute I have taken the necessary steps for the Key Sign to be re-registered for a further period of five years, and have now received from the Patent Office the Certificate of extension, duly sealed by them, that the copyright will now remain in force until the 9th June 1930.
Under the terms of the above-mentioned Acts and the rules made thereunder the copyright may be extended for one further period of five years after the expiry of the present extended period.
I now ask that this Minute may be discharged.
2037 RESOLVED:- That Minute No 2013 be discharged.
Finance Sub-Committee: May 11th 1926
The General Manager submitted a blue print showing proposals of the British Thomson-Houston Co, for the provision of signs for fixing at certain branches where, owing to various difficulties, the approved key sign could not be displayed. The estimate of the Company for the manufacture of each of the proposed signs was £17. 10. 0. with a discount of 12½%.
354 RESOLVED:- That the General Manager be instructed to also obtain a quotation from the General Electric Company, Witton, and to bring the question before the Sub-Committee again.
Bank Committee: May 15th 1926
Maintenance of gas apparatus at Branches.
Arrangements have been made with the Gas Department for the periodical inspection and maintenance of the whole of the gas apparatus installed at all the branches, at a cost varying from £21. 1. 0. per annum at the present sites to an ultimate cost of £41. 9. 0. per annum when all the hire purchase agreements are terminated.
Finance Sub-Committee: June 8th 1925
366 The General Manager reported that as instructed he had obtained tenders from the General Electric Company for the provision of special key signs for premises where the ordinary key signs could not be used.
The General Manager informed the Sub-Committee that he was not satisfied with the tenders he had received and he would report to a later meeting on the matter.
Finance Sub-Committee: July 13th 1925
375 On Minute Nos 354 and 366 (Bank Signs and Lettering) the Sub-Committee considered the question of adopting at the daily branches in future a similar window sign to that fitted at the Head Office in lieu of the leaded lights at present adopted. It was decided to leave the matter over for a few months to ascertain whether any difficulty is experienced in regard to the Head Office Window Signs by condensation or other causes.
Bank Committee: July 20th 1925
The following Minute of the City Council with reference to retention moneys in connection with building contracts, was received:
June 22nd 1925
Retention Moneys
I beg to advise you that at the meeting of the City Council held on the 15th instant, the following resolution was passed:
27,269. RESOLVED:- That as from the 1st July next, any interest received in respect of Retention Moneys in the hands of the Corporation in connection with any Building Contract be credited to the Contractor or Contractors concerned, and that Standing Instruction No 13 be amended accordingly.
2125 RESOLVED:- That the foregoing communication be referred to the General Manager, with authority to take any necessary steps.
Finance Sub-Committee: October 12th 1925
The General Manager reported as follows with reference to Key Lanterns:
Key Lanterns
The Committee originally ordered twelve Key Lanterns from Messrs Fraley. Eleven of these have been supplied and fixed, and one remains on their hands from the order. They state that an additional one was made at the time, and they would be glad if the Committee would take this from them.
In addition a sample lantern which was specially made by Messrs Peyton and Peyton was accepted by the Committee and paid for, and has been fixed at Spring Hill Branch.
The cost of the lanterns comes to approximately £23. 16. 6d. or thereabouts. Any slight difference there may be from this price being dependent on the wiring arrangements.
The decision of the Committee is requested with regard to the extra lantern which is on Messrs Fraleys' hands.
395 RESOLVED:- That the General Manager be instructed to approach the City Electrical Engineer with a view to ascertaining if the Key Lantern design can be utilised in a more suitable and economical form, and that in the meantime consideration of the application of Messrs Fraley & Son be deferred.
Finance & House Purchase Sub-Committee: December 14th 1925
On Finance Sub-Committee Minute No 395 (Key Lanterns) the General Manager reported that the Chief Electrical Engineer had carried out experiments on one of the key lanterns belonging to the Bank, and had succeeded in obtaining much better illumination results, and was satisfied that there would be, in consequence of the improvement, little cause for complaint in regard to the appearance of this sign, either by night or day. The General Manager was equally satisfied that the design had been much improved.
The General Manager further reported that the cost of arranging box lanterns at premises where it is impossible to place a Key at right angles to the building frontage was prohibitive, and Electric Supply Department suggested that the present Key should be fixed parallel with the buildings, and were of opinion that it would be an effective advertisement, with which view the General Manager concurred and recommended the adoption of the proposal.
7 RESOLVED:- That arrangements be made for the Sub-Committee to inspect one of the redesigned lanterns at a branch as soon as possible, so that, if approved, the order to alter others may be proceeded with, and that the recommendation of the Electric Supply Department as regards lanterns for branches not yet supplied therewith be adopted.
Finance & House Purchase Sub-Committee: January 11th
1926
On Minute No 7 (Key Lanterns) it was reported that Mr E Hallas had inspected amended Key lanterns at two of the Branches, and was of opinion that the alteration was an improvement. The General Manager had made arrangements to alter the other lanterns accordingly.
36 RESOLVED:- That the action taken in the matter be confirmed, and Minute No 7 discharged.
The General Manager reported that he had received communications from Messrs J Tann Ltd and Messrs Chubb's Lockworks asking to be allowed to tender for strong-room doors for the Bank.
44 RESOLVED:- That no action be taken in the matter.
Bank Committee: January 18th 1926
2240 The following report of the Finance and House Purchase Sub-Committee was presented:
Contracts of Messrs Surman & Sons
Your Sub-Committee are informed that a request has been received from Messrs Surman & Sons asking for certain payments to be made to them over and above the sums due under their Contracts for alterations at Hockley and Aston on account of losses which they allege they have sustained under these Contracts. Messrs Surman also affirm that this loss is partly due to the action of the Architect in withholding the certificates for considerable periods after completion of the works.
Your Sub-Committee are of the opinion that the request of Messrs Surman & Sons for increased payments over their contracts should not be entertained. It appears, however, that there has been some delay on the part of the Architect in issuing the certificates, and they have directed that Mr McMichael be asked to deal with such matters more expeditiously.
Bank Committee: February 15th 1926
Mr Hallas suggested that it might be desirable in connection with the Bank's policy of setting up temporary premises in outlying areas to consider whether a motor vehicle suitably fitted up, advertising the Bank in some of the lesser populated areas.
2289 RESOLVED:- That the matter be referred to the General Purposes Sub-Committee for consideration and report.
Report of the Finance and House Purchase Sub-Committee:
Banking Arrangements.
Some risk and inconvenience has occurred in transferring from certain Branches of the Municipal Bank to the more distant Branches of the Midland Bank, and your Sub-Committee have authorised the City Treasurer and General Manager to make arrangements for the transfer of moneys to Branches of Lloyds Bank in cases where the latter are more conveniently situated than those of the Midland Bank.
Your Sub-Committee have also given authority for a proportion of the floating balance for meeting current liabilities to be kept at Lloyds Bank.
Bank Committee: November 15th 1926
The following communication from the Clerk to the Council intimating the adoption of new general instructions in connection with the purchase of lands and properties by Committees was received:
October 26th 1926
Standing Instructions to Committees.
I beg to advise you that at the meeting of the Council on Tuesday last, the 19th instant, the following new General Instruction was approved and adopted:
31(a) "In order to prevent overlapping or duplication in negotiations by Committees for the purchase of any land or property to advise the Town Clerk of any proposed negotiations so that a register of such lands or properties may be kept by him for reference by the various Committees, and to cause the same to be inspected before negotiations are commenced, and in the event of more than one Committee being concerned in the same land or property, not to proceed with negotiations in respect thereof, except with the approval of the other Committee or Committees interested."
"Also not to enter into negotiations for the purchase of land or property which is subject to a lease, tenancy, or other interest in favour of some other Committee has been approached to ascertain if it desires to purchase the land or property in question."
2511 RESOLVED:- That the foregoing communication be referred to the General Manager for the necessary action to be taken thereon.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: February 14th 1927
The General Manager reported that he had received from the City Electrical Engineer a list of firms who were on the Register of Wiring Contractors and whom it was recommended should be asked to tender for wiring contracts.
1058 RESOLVED:- That, as the City Council have directed the General Purposes Committee to report on the matter in question, such list be not adopted until the policy is settled.
The Sub-Committee were informed that a letter had been received from Messrs W L White & Co Ltd asking to be allowed to submit tenders for the hot water system installed at the Branches.
1059 RESOLVED:- That, in view of the satisfactory system installed by the Gas Department, the application be not entertained.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: March 14th 1927
On Minute No 1044 (question of selected contractors being invited to tender instead of advertising) the Sub-Committee were of opinion that the present practice of advertising should be continued at present but that care should be taken to see that only the tenders of reliable builders are accepted.
1074 RESOLVED:- That Minute No 1044 be discharged.
Finance Sub-Committee: April 11th 1927
The Sub-Committee were informed that accounts had been received from the Public Works Department in respect of charges in connection with the supervision of building and alteration work carried out for the Bank. The late Chairman of the Bank Committee originally made arrangements that charges in respect of each contract should be presented at the completion of the work.
70 RESOLVED:- That the practice be continued and the accounts referred to the Chairman of the General Committee, and the General Manager to approve or otherwise.
Bank Committee: April 25th 1927
2675 The Chairman made reference to certain matters on which he, together with the General Manager, had that morning conversed with the City Surveyor:
Further Sites on Corporation Estates.
The City Surveyor had agreed to supply a plan indicating the building developments in progress or contemplated, and from which it would be possible to ascertain the best sites for Bank purposes. The City Surveyor had also agreed to obtain further particulars of the sites for submission to the Bank Committee.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: June 13th 1927
On Minute No 1058 (Tenders for wiring contracts) the Sub-Committee were informed that the matter was receiving the consideration of the Special Purposes Sub-Committee of the General Purposes Committee, and it was understood that a list of approved Contractors was in course of preparation.
1126 The Minute was continued.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: July 11th 1927
On Minute No 1058 (Tenders for wiring contracts), the General Manager stated that a list had been prepared by the City Electrical Engineer of approved firms, and it was proposed to have regard to such list in considering tenders for this class of work, pending the instructions of the General Purposes Committee on the matter being received.
1140 RESOLVED:- That Minute No 1057 be placed in the Deferred Minute Book.
Finance Sub-Committee: July 11th 1927
108 A report with reference to the inspection of boilers installed at the branches of the Bank was submitted and approved.