SIR,—Your correspondent 'Employer,' in his comments on bank clerks' salaries,
has drawip some red herrings across the trail. His argu- ments are the result of false reasoning, but at first sight they might appear plausible enough. May I, therefore, please deal with them in the order he has placed them?
1. The girl cashier of twenty-three might be as efficient as the man of forty at cashing cheques and taking credits. In my experience, however, there is more to bank cashiering than just that. Even the mere cashing of a cheque could be a source of considerable financial embarrassment to the bank, and the girl of twenty-three is unlikely to have a knowledge of all the traps and pitfalls which her male colleague of forty is expected—by the bank—to have. In any case she will, in prac- tice, turn to him, at the next till, for advice before she will turn to her manager. Inciden- tally, in this twentieth century, where a woman of forty is as experienced and well trained as a man of forty, and is doing the same work, surely she should be paid as much as the man?
2. With all due respect to 'Employer's' own cashier, it is extremely doubtful if he is called upon to do the same work (other than mere cashiering), or have the same ability, as an efficient bank cashier. I hope, too, that 'Employei.' will take other steps than merely to consult his accountant to find out whether his cashier is adequately paid.
3, 4, 5 and 6. I know of no bank employees among my colleagues who would argue that sea captains have not to shoulder more responsibility (although of a different nature!) than we have to. But surely 'Employer' would do better to draw a comparison between the dockers he mentions and the sea captains, rather than between bank clerks and sea captains. The conclusion which he would then correctly reach is that dockers are well organised, whereas sea captains—and bank clerks—are not!—Yours faithfully, 49 Park Road, Gloucester
D. BURRIDGE
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