NEW ZEALAND COINAGE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 14, 9 May 1933, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND COINAGE

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Under the above heading a letter j was published in Friday's"Post" over the' initials "8.A.," ia which he stated, inter alia, that he could not see that any lasting benefit would bo derived from the establishment of a local mint, and ths>t it was our duty to give employment to English workmen, who arc our best customers. It is hard to understand his logic, but one can only assume that he is ignorant of the value of, and the benefits derived from, our manufacturing industries. The time-worn argument of giving employment to English 'workmen is ludicrous. He might just' as well use the argument that England is a manufacturing country and should not, do any farming, but buy all its produce from New Zealand. If he had read reports on this subject which have appeared in the newspapers during the last few months he would be better versed on the position. Would "8.A." answer the following question*:—(l) Where would he] suggest that our people should be employed if we confine ourselves to the farming industry? (2) Doei England purchase our butter, cheese, etc., simply, to benefit New Zealand? ..... '■■> We do not wish to ".carry on correspondence with, an anonymous writer, and we therefore ask "8.A." to show- his bona fides by publishing' his\name and\vocation. If he-thinks as he has written, i.e., that New Zealand island always will be, a farming country, then we would inform him that "we £now of hundreds of working farmers, who hold an entirely opposite view.—We are, etc., . WELLINGTON MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION. (To tha Editor.) Sir,—ln these' days of short rations and long faces, the public is'much more interested in details of government and finance .than was the case in happier times. Among other things that now attract, attention is the silver which occasionally occurs in the trouser pockets. Observing these'rare coins'closely one notices, for instance, that - some are Australian and i some apparently, British—none are made ■ in' New Zealand. Probably there is some good reason why we do not make our own silver money. Perhaps silver has been dear, and there would be no profit in manufacturing the coin; possibly we have not the plant and the skilled labour necessary for starting the industry—yet one has heard of counterfeiters making pure money from pure' silver and presumably making a healthy profit? Or perhaps there has always been money about, and no one has bothered. At the present time it is so vitally important to husband all our resources of money and to employ every hand - possible on useful work that there is no detail that we can afford not to bother about. This looks like rather a big detail. One knows that we have to buy silver coin at the rate of 25s per pound sterling, that we sell it. in this country at 20s, and that unscrupulous persons are buying it up and taking it out of the country. One knows that the present price of silver is about 20d per 07,, and that one pound sterling in silver weighs about four ounces. But I understand that the silver used is an alloy, and hence probably cheaper than the pure silver. There are still a lot of things about ■this silver, business _ one does not know, and one's ignorance is probably not altogether unique. I think. Sir, that the pubHe would' appreciate some enlightenment on the silver question.—l am, etc., - L.E.E.