WHY DIFFERENTIATE?

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 63, 15 March 1944, Page 4

WHY DIFFERENTIATE?

I recently returned from the Middle East after over four years of war service. During the passage home to New Zealand I received as part of my Army pay, Bank o* England notes. Yesterday I endeavoured to get these notes exchanged for New Zealand currency at the main office of the Bank of New Zealand in Queen Street and also at Cook's office. I then found that the notes could only be exchanged after consent of the Customs Department. I went down to the Customs office, where I had to state where I had received them I and sign a Customs declaration as to when and by what ship I had imported the notes into the country; after which I had to hand over the notes before receiving an order on the Bank of New Zealand where, on presentation, it was exchanged for New Zealand currency. It strikes me as 'rather more than odd that I, a British Empire soldier, returning to my home country after over four years' oversea war service, should at once be put into a less favourable position than the men of an Ally who, without any trouble at all, are able to exchange their dollar bills in my country, not only at any bank, but at any trader's shop whilst I, with British notes to exchange, should be forced to face the annoyance which I have outlined above. Other foreign notes in my possession (Egyptian) were also exchanged without difficulty. It does not seem a fair, or reasonable thing to me— and I do not like it. J. J. KNOWLES.