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GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton
Moor Street Station: gwrms2745
The Chief Clerk's Office in the Good's Office, whose windows
looked out on to Moor Street. The official in charge of a Goods Depot was known
as the Goods Agent. This official had varied duties, as they were not only the
commercial representative of the company in the locality, but also responsible
for the proper performance of a considerable amount of clerical work and manual
labour. The Chief Clerk was the Agent's right-hand man, not only in immediate
charge of the clerical (inside) work, but also nominal in charge of the outside
work, in the Agent's absence. In a large goods depot like Moor Street there
would be eight sections each headed by a Clerk-in-Charge who reported to the
Chief Clerk:
Invoicing Accounts Inwards Cartage Claims Rates Correspondence Staff
Attached to each section were a number of Clerks, Female
Clerks and Lad Clerks, as well as Office-men and Lad Messengers who assisted in
the more routine parts of the work, such as turning up consignments notes,
invoices and other documents.
The following is an extract from Great Western Information
Booklet No 4 Hints on the Management of a Goods Station published
in 1929:
The Duties of the Chief Clerk
- Selected by his training and general ability for the
position, he is the Agent's right-hand man and understudy; and has often to act
for the Agent, when the latter has for any cause to be absent from the station.
It is essential therefore that he should keep in very close touch with
everything that is going on; and a very brief sketch is, therefore given of the
duties the Chief Clerk should undertake.
- He should be on duty early say 8:0 a.m. He should
then go through all the correspondence and put aside for the Agent's perusal
all letters received from the public; from his District Manager; the Chief
Officers; and all repeats. A record should be kept of important and urgent
communications; and the Chief Clerk will see that replies are sent the same day
whenever possible.
- He should look through all new cases, and mark any of
special or exceptional character to be attended to by the Clerks in Charge of
Sections.
- He should look through the copies of telegraph and
telephone messages forwarded and received the previous day, and if not already
conversant with any important matter he should acquaint himself with what has
been done, and if necessary give further directions.
- He should keep in touch with all postal telegrams and
railway messages from Chief and District Offices, to ensure that complete
replies are sent as quickly as possible.
- He should see daily each Clerk in Charge of the
different Sections about matters of an exceptional nature, upon which
instructions or advice are needed.
- He should periodically examine Excess items;
Outstanding; Demurrage and Siding Rent Books; Delivery and Wagon Books; Sales
Book; and other sources of revenue from terminal services; also check goods on
hand in warehouse, prior to signing monthly certificate to the District Goods
Manager.
- He should examine and initial the clerks and
office-porters time books and should supervise and control the office
staff.
- He should arrange the annual leave roster; also cover
the duties of absentees both in periods of leave and illness.
- He should examine from time to time the stocks of
stationary and stores, and see that no accumulation is allowed.
- The consumption of gas, electricity and water should be
checked and watched, to ensure that no waste occurs.
- He should check all receipt books.
- He should arrange for all letters to be signed by the
Agent to pass through his hands, and to sign important replies to
correspondence not signed by the Agent or his assistant; and also sign vouchers
(rebate and otherwise) for amounts within the limits authorised.
- He should also sign local and interchange privilege
ticket orders where authorised to do so.
- He should keep a list of all the ordinary returns sent
to the different offices weekly, monthly, etc. and see that same
are sent away to time, and arrange for any special returns called for to be
promptly put in hand and despatched.
Robert Ferris
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