BANKS AND RECOVERY
SIR,—Mr. Arthur V. Barber must know that I was referring, as in the case of the Post Office, to the marked deterioration in the service of banking employees to what used to be regarded as their clients. I know that the banks are loaning large sums to the public at a very high rate of profit—so are other money-lenders. The staffs of banks other than Savings Banks are working ridiculously short hours and showing no consideration for the convenience of the customers on whom they entirely depend for their business. They make play of the fact that for a few days a year they work overtime, but thousands of them (unless they work in darkness) leave the banks by 4.30 p.m. They are able to do this by making their customers queue for service and by keeping an absolute minimum of available tills in operation. If one makes a scene someone is always available, but very few managers, secreted in their carpeted sanctums like English hotel managers, insist on their clients being served immediately. If such wilful negligence of duty does not impede economic recovery