Currency Problems

[?]ore South Pacific Currency Problems

By a Recent Visitor to Noumea

T is generally known that in the French language “Merci” means thank you; but, in the English nguage it might mean something itirely different. If English money taken to Noumea, “Mercy” can Lean “God help us.”

My monetary experiences in oumea are punctuated with the ord—so, for the benefit of all nglish-speaking people who wish i visit New Caledonia, I give an ;count of what happened to me id my money while in Noumea, it as it is possible that I may wish i return to that place at some iture time, I decline to give dates id will simply state that it all ippened quite recently.

The facts are as follows; I arrived in Noumea by passenger >at and as soon as we had tied up ie ship was invaded by a horde of Bcials. Doctors, emigration officers, issport officers, bankers and police, pervisors and inspectors and their sistants and secretaries who all amber aboard.

Meanwhile, the passengers have ien lined up with military pre sion and, after the officials have mpleted their salutations, they range themselves at various bles.

The passengers file in, one at a time, and everything goes smoothly until I come to a certain table. I am asked to show my money so that it can be counted. It is then correctly counted and placed on the table out of my reach. I am given a receipt for the correct amount and told to call at the bank in the morning (Sunday) and my money will be refunded in full.

I protest; stating that I have no cash for my immediate needs; but, I am told, it is the law and I must get it at the bank. So, I am forced to console myself with the know ledge that I have at least got a receipt for my money, my money is safe in the bank and I can get it at the first opportunity.

The following Monday as soon as the bank is open, I call for my money. My receipt is studied by various bank clerks and officials and I am then told that it cannot be paid because it has not been signed by the finance control officer at the Treasury. So, I leave the bank and walk to the Treasury to get my receipt signed.

The receipt is signed without any trouble and I return to the bank and ask for some French money, the balance to remain in the bank in English currency.

I was told that I would have to take it all out in French currency.

Once again I protest—l might wish to leave the Colony and French money is useless outside of the

Colony. I then return to the Treasury once again, and ask for permission to withdraw my money from the bank in English pounds.

This request was flatly refused and I was asked to please leave the office.

I agreed to leave the office, but not the building. So then, the con trol officers telephoned to the bank manager in French (which I do not understand), and he asked me lf 1 would ret urn to the bank be

cause he had told them to pay me.

How they could now pay me I did not know, but once again I returned to the bank.

I asked what arrangements had been made for payment and was told that I could have some French money and the balance to remain in francs (French).

I said “No!” I will take some French money but the balance

MUST remain to my credit in English pounds.”

I was then told that I could make a withdrawal in francs and take the balance by cheque on an Australian bank.

I HAD to refuse this offer as I felt certain that I would need more French money before I left.

At this stage I gave up. This had

taken two whole days of my tim( Fortunately I had friends and I ha a job to do. The former looked afte my needs until the latter began t bring me in enough to live on. M money remained on deposit, in th bank, the whole time I was i Noumea.

To my friends in Noumea I salul you with “Merci,” but feel that visitor to the Colony might vei well hear it as “mercy.”

Editorial Note:

WHAT our reader did not explai was that he had, in tf course of a world wande stepped off at Noumea to take job for a few weeks. He wanted i keep his English currency but thei was no administrative machine] to allow him to do so legally.

Not only New Caledonia contrc the entry of English banknote Most countries in the South Pacil —including Australia —do this, ar although it makes little sense the ordinary citizen it is part the scheme of fixed exchange rat and currency regulations wii which modern man makes li difficult for himself.

Mr. V. T. Good, who has been Se retary to the Resident Comm; sioner in Niue Island for 3 years, spending a holiday in Australia. ] expects to return to the Islands December, when he will join t staff of the Resident Commissior in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.