DECIMAL COINAGE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7981, 27 September 1887, Page 3

DECIMAL COINAGE.

"A consummation devoutly to be wished."

TO THE BDITOB.

gl^ Out of 69 Provincial Chambers of Commerce in England, 68 passed resolutions in favor of Decimal Coinage. A deputation waited on Mr. Goschen to explain the advantages of such a system to all, especially to those engaged in trade and commerce. The system is so well explained by Mr. W. Crawtord, delegate to the British Chamber of Commerce in Paris, that hiß explanation may be given almost entire. He stated that for 25 years he had been face to face with the practical side of the question, and could testify to the saving of time and trouble by the use of a purely decimal system. He had recommended tha piactice to his friends in England ef doing all the mental calculations in pence, setting down the value, however large, of each line in pence, instead of in £ s. d. He read a letter from a Belfast firm which now made its calculations this way, testifying to the Having of time, the simplicity of the calculations, the diminution- of liability to error, and the facility of detecting errors. One of the impediments te familiarity with the decimal system m Great Britain was ihe way in which it was taught. In England it figured after the compound rnles instead of following the four simple rules done by decimal notation, as it logically should do. Mr. Crawford then c. ters on the advantages in an educational point of view, with which everyone at all conversant witb the subject will agree. By teaching children this natural way, they had no difficulty in mastering it. A Frenchman knew his simple decimal tables of money and weights and measures without an effort, whereas Englishmen scarcely ever knew more of their complicated tables than the parts with which their own business familiarised them.

Mr. Montagu, M.P., stated that the British currency might he placed upon a decimal basis with a very slight chance by der Imalising the popnd sterling. The sovereign would be equal to lQOQmih, the half-sovereign 500 mils, the crown 250 tails, the half-crown 250 mils, the double florin 200 mils, the florin 100 mils, the shilling 50 miU, and the eixpenee 25 mils, and the new farthing equal to 1 mil. Three new coins would be required, namely the dvme, equal to 10 mih ; the half-dime, eqnal to 5 mils ; and the new farthing, equal to 1 mil. Several other numbere of Parliament spoke in favor and support of the views of the deputation, and recommended that a proclamation should be issued, and the three new coins should be first used by bankers and Chambers of Commerce. Mr. Goschen fully appreciated the importance of the subject ; but it was necessary that the public generally as well as the Chambers of Commerce should be prepared for so important a change. By the time — and why should it be far distant ? — a . New Zealand mint is established, the decimal system will probably be well understood and appreciated. — lam, &c. E. Walkeb.