Washing our dollars

A curious industry which has arisen within the last three years is that of washing paper money.

The idea is, of course, American, and one that the average person would gladly see established in New Zealand, for, especially since the war, the number of greasy, dirty bank notes is very great.

If it were not for what they represent they would be burned as insanitary, and never admitted to any decent pocket or purse.

A Miss Thomas is in charge of the United States laundry for paper money, and has handled as many as 75,000 dollar bills in one day.

It is said that the expert counters who handle the notes can detect counterfeits while the bills are under cleansing more easily than in any other way.

The machines, which are worked by electricity, are in charge of girls known as washers and ironers.

One girl feeds soiled money to the washer, and another catches it as it leaves the ironer.

All notes are ironed as soon as washed.

Some bankers declare that those which have been cleansed on wet blankets, passed over rollers of soapy suds, and sterilised, then ironed with heated rollers, sifted, and scrutinised, are more readily counted than even new issues.

• The tuberculosis medical officer of the Wellington Hospital (Dr Basil Adams) reported to the Hospital Board on Thursday that during the last 10 days there had been a considerable increase in the cases of advanced consumption, and there was now no further accommodation available for such cases in the hospitals.

Verandahs and balconies were being used to their full extent for patients.

The cases were not suitable for the Otaki Sanatorium, as they would upset the treatment there.

It was necessary that something should be done to provide temporary accommodation.

Dr Platts-Mills suggested the erection of hutments, similar to those at Trentham camp, and the chairman (Mr H. Baldwin), Dr Platts-Mills, and the chairman of the Hospital Committee (Mr J. Smith) were appointed a committee to see to the provision of the accommodation required.

• During the past few days there has (our Roxburgh correspondent writes) been a spell of exceptional heat, which has had the effect of bringing fruit on very fast.

Immense loads have been going forward daily, upwards of 60 tons leaving Beaumont on Monday, and though the lorries have been running double trips, much has had to be left, small growers being unable to get their little lots away.

Orchardists have been busy from daylight to dark, endeavouring to cope with the rush, and though fully staffed for a busy season, they have been quite unable to harvest everything.

Fortunately there was a welcome change in the weather on Wednesday afternoon, heavy rain setting in and continuing till next morning.

• One of the incidents on board the hospital ship Maheno, as narrated by Corporal-dispenser Donaldson, who is visiting Gore, was the spectacle of a Gurkha and a Maori seated on the deck, endeavouring to teach each other their respective languages (says the Mataura Ensign).

The method adopted was to touch different parts of the body and pronounce the name thereof, the mispronunciations of the Maori creating much amusement on the part of the Gurkhas, while similar slips for the Gurkha elicited equal merriment from the Maoris.

A striking similarity of the languages was noticeable. Both men took keen interest in his self-imposed task, and were induced to leave it with difficulty, even to partake of food. - ODT, 24.1.1916.

 


• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ


 

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