THE COINAGE QUESTION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVII, Issue LVII, 13 April 1910, Page 4

THE COINAGE QUESTION.

From exchanges in various parts of the Dominion it is clear that the proposal of the banks — supported, it is hinted, by the Government — to put a ban upon silver coins minted in Australia is meeting with a good deal of condemnation. Why special discrimination should be made against Commonwealth coins, when its circulation will not cost New Zealand a penny, most people seem to be at a loss to understand; An Auckland writer states that one leading business man was very outspoken in. his denunciation of the "narrowness" which had actuated the present appeal to the Government to stop the circulation of Australian silver money. He said: "It is just another example of the way New Zealanders belittle themselves in the eyes of Australians. We are again showing our silly, child-like and positively idiotic characteristic of 'pin-, pricking' which does so much to injure us in the eyes of the outside world. What harm is it going to do us if a few hundred pounds of Australian silver money does get into circulation? None whatever. Yet, on the other hand, if the Government stop* it, it will mean that practically every visitor or, tourist coming to this country will he put to inconvenience. For example, ■when he steps ashore he will probably want to take a cab to his hotel and the cabby will decline his money. He may want to buy a newspaper, but the newsboy won't . take his silver. I'm out of patience with the whole thing." The speaker went on to remark that if the Government want to curtail the circulation of Australian coins here the remedy was perfectly simple. "All they would need to do," he proceeded, "would be to arrange with the Commonwealth Government for them to pay freight, cost and insurance for sending any accumulation of coin back to Australia, which no doubt would be readily agreed to, as there is admittedly a big profit in the minting of the coins."