“Decimal Change Practice Needed”

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31047, 30 April 1966, Page 1

“Decimal Change Practice Needed”

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, April 29. Firms should start to make themselves familiar with decimal currency now, the chairman of the Decimal Currency Board (Mr S. L. Moses) told the Associated Chambers of Commerce conference in Auckland today.

Companies should begin staff-training schemes, practise transactions in toy decimal currency and eventually try out their converted machines under pressure. An early survey of stationery needs should be made. A trial stock-taking should be made in both currencies before the change-over. The Decimal Currency Board and the banks would

readily help in the changeover process. The board would facilitate, but not enforce, preparations. The success of a company’s change-over would be in direct proportion to its preparation. Mr Moses said the key-top cash register conversion method was not to be opposed, but had serious defects. It was an inaccurate, temporary method. The system could be used in one-man stores or where cash control was under the immediate scrutiny of the proprietor, but the method was particularly defective when used for totalling cash dockets in supermarkets. Cash dockets in sterling currency could not be compared with the market prices and the total was often inaccurate—sometimes in favour of the customer, sometimes the store. There would be ample decimal currency in circulation on the change-over day, but traders should deal in the currency of their cash registers. Dual pricing could be confusing.