Awkward Cash.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 31 July 1914, Page 2

Awkward Cash.

Pure silver, broken into small, irregular pieces, forms the pay of the Chinese soldier. Payment is an ' extraordinary process. The whole; of the night preceding is -occupied ' in weighing out for each man his required quantity of sil\ei\ which' is a, very tedious business, and only I successfully accomplished by infinite; care, for here a piece the size of ' a pin's head has to be chipped off, j and there a piece of similar minute proportions added. ~Each: man's silver bits are carefullywrapped in paper, with his name endorsed upon it, and the various par- ■ eels are distributed upon parade. A private receives three and a half taels—equal •to about nineteen shillings—a month, and, having got his silver parcel, loses time in ex-! '.hanging the pieces at the nearest tradesman's shop, where for each tael (ss. 5d.) he receives 1,000 small coins, called cash.