The Farthing.

Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 81, 12 April 1895, Page 3

The Farthing.

The rehabilitation of the fnrthiug is (says the Hobart Mercury) ouo of the results of low prices iu England, which is, when properly considered, a fact of some significance. Some fifty years ago, or even le.-:s, the farthing was not altogether unimportant coin, inasmuch as certain things could be bought with it, for which reason children did not despise even so small a gift from their parents, relations, or friends. There were such things as farthings paints, farthing pictures, farthing apples, not to speak of sweets, which in thoso days, wo believe, were called lolly-pops. At one time the importance to the poor of small change was so great that halffarthings were even coined, though, if we remember rightly, they never came into general use. The intention in coining them was, that the poor should not be cheated in their change, as was often the case in making small purchases when there was no smaller coin than a farthing. There were one or more shops, moreover, where a farthing slice of bread. and butter could be bought, and even a farthing cup of tea, such as it was. Amongst other things farthing rushlights were to be bought, which caused The Farthing Journal, a very respectable production, to have on its title-page the picture of such a light, which a large number of jealous rivals were trying to blow out, but could not with nil their united efforts. It will be remembered, perhaps, that the Argus'3 experiment of U halfpenny evening paper in Melbourne failed, because so small a coin was not.in circulation, which romihds us of the time when sixpence was the least'coin in use in Victoria, in the days of the diggings. At the present time in London the farthing has grown into great importance, for the Salvation Army provides farthing hot breakfasts for children, thousands of whom are thus fed before they go to school. Some of these poor creatures actually save a portion of their meal to take home "to the baby," just as the ragged, wretched men who buy " a hapoth " of pudding at La Donna, a charitable provision stall, will give half of it away to a poorer friend who has not even so much as a halfpenny. The Salvation Army breakfasts cost actually somewhere about twopence, it appears, but they are sold for the farthing, to the great comfort of many poor children, who otherwise would go breakfastless to school. The mass of farthings accumulated in payment for these breakfasts are disposed of to drapers and other retail storekeepers, who are glad to.get them as there is a large demand for the coin in these days, when prices have fallen so much as not only to cause gold to appreciate but copper. How these farthing customers would bo benefited by an artificial rise of prices does not appear, since they would find the coin, once again, practically without purchasing power. .

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