BANK NOTE MISTAKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20678, 25 September 1930, Page 10

BANK NOTE MISTAKE.

£IOO GIVEN FOR £1 TWICE.

ERROR UNNOTICED AT TIME.

BOTH RETURNED TO THE OWNER.

A stranger to Auckland, Dr. A. J. Ross, who recently arrived from Australia, gavo away £2OO in banknotes on Monday in mistake for £2. The next morning a taxi-driver and a shopkeeper, on discovering the mistake, went to the house where Dr. Ross is staying at St. Heliers and returned the notes —"a fine example of the honesty of the New Zealand people," as the Australian yisitor put it. Dr. Ross stated yesterday that he was on a health trip and came into the city to make some expensive purchases. Ho had several £IOO Australian banknotes wrapped up in a handkerchief, in his pocket, together with some New Zealand £1 notes. Ho made several small purchases and then took a taxi homo.

"What was my surprise next morning to receive a visit from the taxi-driver and a shopkeeper, both returning me £IOO notes, which I had not missed," said Dr. Ross. "New Zealanders must bo tho most honest people in the world, for I would never have traced, unaided, the two people to whom I gavo the wrong notes." In response to Dr. Ross' inquiry tho taxi-driver gavo his name as Laurie Meads, On his stand at tho Auckland railway station yesterday Mr. Meads related how ho discovered his fare's mistake. "When we got to St. Heliers it was about seven o'clock and quite dark," he said. "My passenger pulled out a roll of notes wrapped in a handkerchief and said, 'Let me have a look at this under the light; I don't want to be giving you £lO instead of £l.' " .'That's not the first time that's been done,' I replied, 'but I've always given them back.

"Perhaps it was because the light was a red one that he made the mistake. At any rate, I assumed he made pretty certain it was £1 and gave him change accordingly. "Later the same evening I filled up my petrol tank at a service station and when I came to pay the attendant I found an Australian note in my bag. 'Great Scott!' I said, 'l've been done again. I'll have to pay sixpence exchange on that,' And then I found the note was for £IOO.

"I had arranged to go to the wrestling that night and so had no time to go back to St. Heliers, but I had a pretty nervous evening thinking someone was pinching it from me in the crowd. Next morning I called on the doctor and asked him if ho had given me the right fare. He said, 'Certainly. Didn't you see me look at tho money under the light?' I said, 'Well, have you lost anything V He said, 'No, I don't think so. The only tiling I could have given you would have been £IOO instead of £l.' 'Well/ I replied, 'that's just what you did do,' and I showed him the note."