Britain at Work
A Pictorial Description of Our National Industries

298 BRITAIN AT WORK. CLERKS STAMPING ENVELOPES AT SOMERSET HOUSE. easily replaced. Well - organised societies exist for the protection of law clerks’ interests. A solicitor enjoying a remunera- tive practice often has for his senior clerk a qualified solicitor—a man, perhaps, who started on his career as an office boy. The shorthand clerk is a valuable member of every successful lawyer’s staff. For some reason or other lady clerks have not yet invaded to any considerable extent the lawyer’s office. But as scriveners’ assistants they find plenty of remunerative work in all the great legal centres. Every Court in the realm has its clerk, while the High Courts of Justice have a battalion, certificated by the'Civil Service Commissioners, most of whom are never seen in court, their work being connected rather with the machinery of the Law than its administration. It is difficult to conceive any body of men weighted with greater responsibility than bank clerks. Not only is banking itself a great in- dustry, but those who conduct it have under their hands at all seasons the very life-spring of all industries. Neither the great capitalist, master of millions of money and the happiness of thousands of people, nor the humble marine-store dealer can dispense with the bank clerk’s services. It is one of life’s ironies that bank clerks are very indiffer- ently paid. Day after day cashiers in a hundred London banks, and in a thousand banks throughout the country, pass over the counter, within, perhaps, an hour,, sums of gold equivalent to many years’ purchase of their salaries—sums which would make them rich for life and their children after them. Considering their temptations, they have good reason to feel more than proud of the confidence which the commercial world reposes in their integrity. The vacancies Photo: Cassell & Co., Ltd. LADY CLERKS AT A LONDON POST OFFICE.