Clashing Currencies

The Position in the New Hebrides

THE extraordinary position created in the New Hebrides by clashing cur rencies continues. Some extraordinary re sults have come under our notice.

The fare on the Dutch steamer Van Rees (which runs from Port Moresby to Rabaul and thence through the New Hebrides and New Caledonia to Sydney) is £22 Australian for the trip from Rabaul to Sydney; but if the traveller joins the Van Rees at Vila he pays for his fare to Sydney 1670 francs, which is equal to £29 in Australian currency. That is to say, for a voyage which is six days less than the voyage from Rabaul to Sydney he pays £6 or £7 more. If the traveller joins the

Van Rees in Noumea for Sydney, he will pay a fare of 1250 francs which in Aus tralian money is slightly more than £20.

That is to say, he pays for about half the voyage about the same fare as for the full voyage from Rabaul to Sydney. This, of course, is not the fault of the Dutch com pany—it is compelled to fix its fares in the currency of the ports from which the boat sails; but the effect is often quaint.

A Sydney business man recently travelled from Sydney back to Sydney on what is called the “flying trip” of the French steamer Laperouse, whose route was Syd ney — Noumea — Vila — Santo — Sydney, occupying 14 days. He paid for this in francs, the equivalent of £61/8/- in Australian currency. The B.P. steamer, mak ing practically the same voyage, but call ing at Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, instead of Noumea, and also at many New Hebrides ports, and being absent at least four weeks, charges £36 for practically the same round trip.

Mrs. J. B. Bruce, the editor and pub lisher of the “Norfolk Island Times,’’ had her interesting work described at length in a recent article in the “Sydney Morn ing Herald.” The “N.I. Times” has a circulation of 300 copies weekly, and is neatly and attractively produced on a commercial duplicator.