Filthy Banknotes In
p. 125 · Read in the full issue
Tahiti
A YEAR ago, the PIM published a complaint about filthy and torn banknotes in circulation in French Oceania; and subsequently a Bank officer in Papeete defended the sys tem, and said that much better currency now is circulating.
But in the last mail there came two letters from French Oceania, both insisting that the notes in cir culation are no better. One man sends us a 5-franc note, and it is about the dirtiest and most dilapi dated bit of money we have ever seen. (We are sending it on to the Bank in Papeete).
One writer says: “Everyone hates this filthy money, but one has to have some courage to publicly com plain—in this country they are too scared of the powers that be . . .
It is time someone told the world about the less glamorous side of Tahiti.”
Says the other writer: ‘To my knowledge, this dirty paper has been
circulating in this way for 35 years.
Prior to that, silver was used—up until the middle of World War 1. when it disappeared . . . The worst of the dirty stuff is in the outer islands; it is more sanitary in Tahiti.
The people should refuse to take it, and demand metal tokens. The Bank naturally will hang on to the cheap ly produced notes as long as it is allowed.”