Report of the General Manager: May 15th 1931

I enclose herewith Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet in respect of the financial year ended 31st March 1931. Mr T D Neal of Messrs Agar, Bates, Neal and Company, will attend the meeting of the Bank Committee on Monday next and will present his report on the accounts.

The thirteenth million mark has now been passed.

The staff as a whole discharged their duties during the year with commendable ability. In particular the Staff have been vigilant in the comparison of signatures for withdrawals. We have had a number of attempts to obtain money under false pretences, and in some instances definite cases of forgery which have resulted in the persons concerned being dealt with at the Police Courts.

The outstanding feature in an administrative sense has been the introduction of mechanical book-keeping and the installation of fireproof ledger desks. These have proved very satisfactory and quite up to expectations. The first two Branches placed on mechanical book-keeping were Aston Cross and Balsall Heath, which were dealt with in May 1930; the next two, viz Aston and Sparkbrook, were dealt with in October last. In each case I have been able to reduce the Staff by one person, as was contemplated. At the beginning of this month Handsworth and Small Heath Branches were converted to mechanical book-keeping and a similar reduction of Staff will doubtless follow. The saving in Staff thus effected has enabled me to staff Wheeler Street Branch and to give help which was needed at other Branches.

As regards the balances of depositors, all Branches show an increase on the preceding year, the increases at Bearwood, Handsworth, Erdington, Acocks Green, Hall Green, Sparkhill, Short Heath, Harborne, Little Bromwich and Sherlock Street being worthy of note. The new Horse Fair Branch met with great success, while the Evening Branch at Yardley has also done very well. The conversion of Billesley and Stechford Branches into daily Branches has had a good effect. The Kings Norton Branch only shows an increase of £274, but this Branch will soon be merged into the new Cotteridge Branch. The Longbridge Branch has only increased by £203 and does not justify the expense of clerks attending same. I think it could safely be merged with Northfield and hope to shortly submit proposals on the matter. Quinton and Pype Hayes Branches are, in my judgement, ready for conversion into Daily Branches, and I would urge the Committee to consider taking action in both cases. The question of site enters largely into the matter at both Quinton and Pype Hayes. The Brookvale Branch has an increase to record of £1,467, which is as much as can be expected. We have reached saturation point in respect of the depositorship of this Branch, and I think the Committee would be well advised to consider the removal of the Branch to a more suitable site and at the same time converting the Branch into a Daily Branch.

As regards open accounts, attention may be drawn to increases of 1,306 at Billesley; 1,239 at Acocks Green; 900 at Short Heath; 912 at Sparkhill, and 803 at Sherlock Street.