SHOW PATRONS.

Waikato Times, Volume 101, Issue 16947, 9 November 1926, Page 10

SHOW PATRONS.

CHANGING THEIR MONEY. NO SMALL TASK. Changing the money of patrons of the Spring Show is no mean task, as was disclosed by an official whose duties are connected witli the gates when in conversation with a Manawatu Standard reporter. To start off with, he explained, £350 worth of silver change was secured from the bank, and throughout the hours of admission to the show it was fed to the "change box" in allotted sums. Show visitors, after securing change for notes, paid their admission at the gates, where there are cash boxes holding about £4O worth of silver each. At the height of the rush hours on People's Day these boxes had to be cleared about every 20 minutes, and as there arc four of them, the volume of incoming traffic must have been immense. Immediately the boxes at the turnstiles arc cleared the coins are taken , into the accountant's office in the main building and thrown into a coin sorter —an ingenious contrivance which has only to be shaken to sort out half-crowns, florins, shillings, sixpences and ihrcepences on its different "floors. " The staff so engaged is kept working at pressure lo sort, check and return the change lo the change box before onco again the turnstiles have lo be cleared. Throughout the busy hours there is what might be described as a river of silver flowing from the change box to the turnstiles, thence to tho accountant's room and back again. II is a department in the control of ihe Show which gains little attention from the public, but it docs a great deal to facilitate the speedy entrance of visitors and to avoid the congestion which would otherwise result.