Fiji's Currency Headache

Not Enough Coins

ONE of the problems discussed by the Fiji Legislative Council at the end of November was the acute shortage of currency (coins and notes'*, that the Colony has experienced for twelve months.

Captain A. R. W. Robertson. Financial Secretary, stated that, since the outbreak of war, the circulation of notes in Fiji had been increased bv 82 per cent., that of coin (including small denomination notes'* 90 per cent. and that of cupro nickel coins (including nennv notes'). TOO per cent. There was also an unspecified amount of United States coinage in cir culation. Other means of meeting the shortage, including the over-nrinting of New Zealand £1 and £5 notes (over printed NZ 10/- notes are being held for further emergencies'), the declaration that Australian sixpences are legal tender, the minting of 1/- and ?/- notes, and the issue of one million Id. notes, had not entirely solved the problem, and the shortage still continued.

Several Theories have been advanced to explain the shortage of silver coinage.

The one generally accepted is that the coins are being buried The main diffi culty in obtaining further sunlies is the demand for all metals for the manufac ture of munitions and limiter! shinnmo space. A shipment of coins which was to have reached Fin in November was over carried in a convov and has not yet been returned to its destination.

Not Enough Fiji Stamps

According to the “Piii Times/' Fiii is experiencing another shortage—this time of postage stamps of halfpenny and nennv values Fresh supplies are on their wav from England hut. with no indication of when thev will arrive, postal authorities arp “rationing'” existing stocks. When a customer wishes to post a number of small articles normally requiring stamps of fhese denominations, a receipt for the total amount is given in lieu of stamps, and the articles are franked by the Post Office.