Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-02-20
LONDON BANK lELLrns.
Exports In Hand ing Money-Features of
 the EnCilsh System.

ton Ccmmercial-Bulletin, always experi- ences Q feeling of relief when he finds money correct at the close of Fri 8 work, and this feeling is usually red ir by tho rest of the staff, who {, not lcavo the bank until he either discovers his error CT satisfies himself as to tho actual shortage. The great bulk of the shortages made across bank counters in England are believed to oo- cur on that day.
 Next in order of bad days for the tell CT, or cashier, as he is designated in London, comes Saturday, but there the bad luck is intelligible. Saturday is wages day, and no sooner has the teller filled his till and loaded up his shelves with silver in s5 and e1O bags than tho days work sets in like flood. Until twelve o'clock he is paying away with | both hands: after that hour, if he is receiving clerk as well, he begins to re- ceivo heavily, for Saturday is also the last day of the week, and every one elects that the bank should receive his deposits rather than that he should keep | them in his own less secure custody over | Sunday.
 In beginning work on Saturday the London teller faces an open mahogany counter, of which the portion controlled | by his desk is probably six feet long by thrce feet wide. He likes to have a | good, square view of his customer, and it is one of the canons of British bank l ing that the eyes of the staff shall com mand the counter. With such an open counter the chief clerk is able to keep the whole field under his eye at one timc, and to relieve the overstrain at | any particular desk. The effect of the ! exposed condition is beneficial, too, on tho staff, tho members of which pre- serve a steadier demeanor and attend more closely to business while under the eyes of the public.
 The London teller is quick manipu- lator of coin. This is largely owing to tho fact that the smallest note issued in London is of tho value of 8 or $:5. When asked for gold in greater amount than his eye can count at a glance, the teller, after counting it quickly with a pianoforte motion. throws it with his copper scoop into his | faitht tul scales, and so checks his count. Tho weights of these scales are arranged in suitable numbers. The teller also checks the gold which he receives by weight, and here his knowledge of his business will be tested. One hundred new sovereigns are of full weight, rath- CT more, ill fact, but the same number taken at haphaZard will be found to be nearly half g sovereign tor Ii per cent, short in weight, while 100 pounds ster- ling in ordinary half sovereigns are some times 20 shillings tor 1 per cent.) short in value. The teller can quick satisfy himself as to whether the de- fcicncy is caused by shortage in the weight or the count by dividing tho amount and weighing ono moicty against tho other. If they balance evenly the count is correct, and the diff ference is due to underweight. If the latter exceeds the average stated tn" coin will need to be specially examined; l; thero is probably something wrong.
 The edge Of the English bank counter is provided with a lip to prevent ths coin from rolling over and to aid the teller in scooping up the money. Tho teller usually counts with the first two fingers of both h.-.,-- ,'.itauoousiy; sometimes he uses s 'ta-:rs, and Q teller has been knoW.i to count four hundred and fifty sovcrrlsrHs in one minute, working against time. An ex- pert teller will count one hundred pounds sterling valuH of silver in seven minutes. When $ remembered that tho coins are always mixed, and consist of siXpcnccs. shillings, florins. half cro.;ns and crowns, with never a deci- nal convenience among them, this will reasonably be considered as remark. able feat.
 The annual loss from wear and tear of gold coin in England by reason of the absence of small notes is almost incred- iblc. In Scotland the issue of one- pound sterling notes displaces gold to a great extent. The Scotch teller excels in counting paper money. In lingering a bundlo of notes he is king of men. Placing the packets upright against his left palm, and seizing the top corner be- tween tho finger and thumb of his right hand, he will turn over the notes SO quickly that an ordinary observer will be as entirely deceived as by the three card trick, and will probably count only sixteen or seventeen to the teller's twenty. Then, to check his count, he will either alternate his hands, or plac- ing tho notes horizontally on his coun- ter, he will count them toward himself Q with tho same paralyzing speed.
 n The Scotch counter is twice as wide as 8 the London one: it is elevated in the 2 center and is minus the rim, which fa- cilitates the English teller's dexterity z with the coin. The Scotch teller in Ed 8 inburgh is rallied in. His domain is Q little island by itself, he takes no re- . sponsibillty, he carries no balances in his head, and will not look at check until the ledger clerk far off in the norr ner, has coun tersigncd it.
 An advantage which the English tell, CT possesses over the American and the Scotch teller lies in the fact that he is- sues clean notes only. Inc Bank of England has the exclusive privilege of note issues in London and within radi- us of sixty miles, right conferred for certain valuable consideration granted to the Government in years gone by. All the notes received by the London teller are sent into the Bank of England, and they are not reissued. The average , life of a tive-pound sterling bank note is ] two or three weeks, that of one-hun-