Sudden Dearth of a Useful and Necessary Coin: Only the Twenties Plentiful The alarming shortage of 10- cent pieces lately is creating much comment and even more inconvenience. it is almost impossible to get hold of any for ricsha fares and on the tram the other morning upon a passenger proifering a 20- cent piece for a six-cent fare the conductor had to call on the conductor. of the trailer for assistance and then there was further delay until another passenger happened to pay in one of these rare coins. in another case 13 coppers were given in change for a nine-cent tare out of a 20-cent piece.
An exchange shop will hand you out tive 2%-cent pieces, one 10-cent piece and six. coppers in exchange ior a dollar. Sometimes you can extract two tens for one of these twenties. Sometimes you cannot. The answer frequently comes, "No can do," and the change drawer is exhibited to show you the small number of 10-cent pieces remaining. "What for no can do?" you pursue, and the reply is, ""No can catches" or Too muchee cost," "All have go Ningpo side." "Ten cents belong too muchee silver, make 20-cents."" "All time catchee new 20-cents, old 10-cent pieces no more make," and the like.
Among foreigners the rumours are varied. One has it that the Ricsha Coolies' Guild is exporting all 10-cent pieces, not only for profit in exchange but because the; hope to get 20-cent fares in consequence, trusting to the thriftless foreigners not to carry coppers about. But this is surely a libel. Another has just heard_on the best of authority that the Customs has held up a million dollars' worth of the missing coins, and a third has all the details of a dark conspiracy entered into by chauffeurs, Number One boys, delivery men and other
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.