Neville Chamberlain's position as the Director of National Savings was short lived. Having experienced difficult relations with, and
little support from the Prime Minister, Chamberlain resigned in August 1917. He was thus able once again to devote his time and
energy to the affairs of the fledgling Bank, and this took the form of attending a Consultative Sub-Committee in an advisory capacity
- the Sub-Committee (consisting of the Lord Mayor and Councillors Appleby and Hallas) being tasked with the consideration of particular
subjects and then reporting to the main Committee. Chamberlain's input was particularly valuable in negotiations with the National
Debt Commissioners regarding the rate of interest they were paying to the Bank. He was also asked to attend meetings of the main Committee
where possible.
Chamberlain did attend (by invitation) a meeting of the main Committee on June 18th 1918 when it was
resolved that:
future meetings of this Committee be held once every three months, and that the Consultative Sub-Committee meet once
every month.
The next meeting of the Savings Bank Committee was held on September 27th 1918. At this meeting it was reported
that Councillor Beard had resigned from the Committee and that the City Council had appointed Neville Chamberlain in his place. At
the same meeting the future of the Bank and its replacement with a permanent institution was discussed and the Committee decided it
would be advisable to increase its membership by two persons. Accordingly, the City Council was requested to amend the Bank's Rules,
and the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies was asked to approve such rule change. The Council considered the matter at its meeting
on November 5th 1918, and passed Resolution Number 24,135:
That Savings Bank Rule 3 be altered by the substitution of the word "seven"
for the word "five" in line 3, and that the Corporation Seal be affixed to Rule 3 as so altered.
With the addition of the Lord Mayorex-officio, this brought the number of committee members up to eight.
The Savings Bank Committee meeting held on November 11th
1918 received a copy of the City Council's Resolution Number 24,184:
That the Lord Mayor, Aldermen Chamberlain, Lloyd, Lovesey, and
Williams; Councillors Appleby, Beard, and Hallas, be re-appointed the Corporation Savings Bank Committee until 9th November next. The
membership of the Committee was therefore increased from six to eight, and those members elected Neville Chamberlain as Chairman.
The Committee further agreed that they should meet on the first Monday in each month at 12 noon, and that the members of the
Consultative Sub-Committee should be The Lord Mayor; Aldermen Chamberlain and Lovsey; and Councillors Appleby and Hallas.
With
the establishment of a permanent bank becoming a priority, the City Council decided to create a Joint Parliamentary Sub-Committee
(consisting of representatives of the involved Council Departments), to deal with the complex procedure of obtaining the
necessary legislation and determining the new bank's rules and regulations. Consequently, the Chairman of the General Committee (Neville
Chamberlain) and the Chairman of the Consultative Sub-Committee (Councillor Appleby) were appointed to represent the Bank on the
Joint Parliamentary Sub-Committee. At a meeting of that Sub-Committee on December 3rd 1918, a final draft of the proposed Corporation
Bill was submitted to the City Council; this Bill included a section entitled "Part III - Savings and Housing Bank". The Bill was
subsequently deposited in both Houses of Parliament. After some amendments and additions to Part III, that Bill was duly passed as
the
Birmingham Corporation Act, 1919.
At what may be considered the final meeting of the General Committee of the Corporation
Savings Bank (on July 7th 1919), the desirability of opening the new bank on September 1st 1919 so as to secure as favourable a period
of savings as possible up to Christmas was emphasised. The majority of business discussed related to this objective and dealt
with matters relating to the new bank, including the establishment of branches; the hours of business; and the appointment of
a deputy manager.
The topics covered by the General Committee of the Corporation Savings Bank in its 31 meetings between April
4th 1916 and July 7th 1919 were varied and numerous, but the main subjects discussed were:
- Auditors and
the auditing of the Bank's accounts;
- Savings Coupons - the basic saving method adopted by the Bank;
- the Bank's staff:
appointments and remuneration;
- Accommodation for the Bank's Head Office in the Council House;
- Branch Banks: both at
works' premises for the temporary Bank, and premises for 'self-contained' branches for the permanent Bank;
- the National Debt
Office: investments with and the rate of interest received;
- Hours of Business;
- Advertising the Bank;
- Income Tax
Returns;
- a Deceased Depositor;
- a Ten Pound Cash Shortage;