The Washington times., 1912-07-07
IN LOCAL FINANCIAL CIRCLES
By I. A. FLEMING.

Among the Innovations adopted by
modern banking institutions, none is
more significant and utilitarian than
the custom OF providing a good and
healthful lunch for the employees Of the
bank in the building. This innovation
is new to Washington, being the regu-
lar thing only with two OF the trust
companies. The idea was borrowed from
New York, where II is practiced by
pretty much all financial institutions.
At the Washington Loan and Trust
Company the bank lunch" served from
II 80 to 1880. has been in operation for
| some time, special accessories having
been provided for It in the remodeling
Of the building. In the basement is
to be found a suite OF rooms containing
kitchen, pantry, store room, and two
dining rooms for the purpose. These
are under the sidewalk on the east side
Of the building and are lighted from
above.
A small room, costly furnished with
round dining table, to seat six, is for
the Officers OF the institution. Here
| at the proper hour Is served a whole
some lunch to the officers and such of
their intimate friends as they choose
| to invite. The officers come down to
lunch usually one at a time or In cou-
| pies, where they eat at their leisure.
In an adjoining room is a much larger
table where the clerks. tellers, and
employees Of the company have lunch
in relays of twelve. The young men
| assemble according to a schedule ar
ranged for the week in advance
At this season of the year they SIT
at table coatless, a free-and- easy lot OF
vigorous boys, enjoying a midday meal
OF wholesome food, well cooked, well
served, and we'll relished after the
mornings work upstairs. They do no,
leave the building, no time is wasted
beyond the regulation thirty minutes
and the men have good food.
! Comfortably Furnished.
The dining rooms are furnished very
: comfortably. The linen and the table
: service is as good as any of the mer
have at home. 1t IL the property of the
company and bears It's mark. The foot
: is prepared and served by a cook, 9
waitress, and a male helper, who is g
man Of all work around the place
These are regularly employed. paid goot
salaries. and take pride in their work
= The menu is prepared by a committee o.
with a view to as great a variety o.
| food as possible. according to season.
The lunch is in quality and quantit!
all that a hungry man could wish
Coffee or iced tea is served according
= to taste.
. A nominal charge of IA cents a da!
e is made for the lunch, which covers jus
, about the cost of the food. Any def
cheney is made up by the bank. On
of the clerks of the bank is steward
{ and receives additional pay for his serv
7 Ices. He does the marketing and pro
vides whatever is required by the cool
\ and waitress for the service.
The reasons for inaugurating tn
bank lunch and maintaining 1t wer
9 given by Harry G. Meem, treasurer. H
! said the primary object was to provid
y the best obtainable food at the smalles
J cost, first as a matter Of health to tn
Il Mr.. Meem said that the officers of tn
bank had learned by experience that tn
e lunching of the employees outside at tn
3 cafes in the vicinity resulted In NOR
or less stomach trouble loss OF time
and incapacity for the proper degree o
Mr.. Meem explained that a bank wa
a highly specialized engine. where eac
man must do the work assigned to hir
In the best manner possible. He sal
the officers of the company had learne
that this could be done best when tn
men were properly fed on food suite
to their needs, which would not be tn
case II they lunched on the outside.
Many Advantages.
: Another advantage is found in tn
fact that the men are always at hanC
and II anything arises requiring the
presence upstairs, or any question come
up 1t can be Immediately answered b
telephone. thus working for econom
and better service for the bank. Whe
the men go out OF the building 1t is M