BANK NOTES AND BACTERIA

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 536, 1 June 1920, Page 2

BANK NOTES AND BACTERIA

MARIE'S MALAGA.

FRANCS IN FLANDERS.

(By Digger)

The present-day banknote, which at odd times startles one with its new appearance and crispness, is generally in an awful state of defeay. I came across a particularly interesting specimen of this latter variety the other day, and having an hour or two to spare, thought I could spend the time in endeavouring to decipher the obscure signs upon it. In the end I had to give it up in a reasonably good light it looked like the Blithered Bank of Fungus or something equally improbable. In a dim light it looked like a Pole swearing in his native tongue. I tried to pici tuije the numerous hands through which that piece of dirty guarantee must have passed and it brought back a string of memories. It called up reminiscences of war time with the veteran franc notes of the "two-up" ring in Flanders—those old battered bits of French currency were the limit. Do you remember them, 'Diggers?" But the figure denoting the value was always there, even if the rest of the note had disappeared. Suddenly I remembered a five-franc note, a treasurable curio J had lifted "on the side" somewhere near-Red Lodge l , so hunting it up I laid it side by side and flat on the table with its colonial friend. The more I look at this French note, the more certain I am.that it really is a genuine relic of Napoleon's day.- It carries with it a decided odour of that little Ham and Egg Estaminet in Romarin, and there is also about it an atmosphere of rum. champagne, and "arf a mo" «igarettes. It would, if it could, tell strange stories of Messines, Passchendaele. and both battles of the Somme; of the Q.M.S. who didn't touch the men's rum, and of little Marie, who used to retail malaga in that small "boozer" on the comer at Setqurs. It has some holes in what is left of it where the wind bloweth where it listeth, in fact there is jusft a fringe of note around the yawning craters of wear and tear In four places it is carefully backed by pieces of porous plaster, and in one place by stamp paper to hold it together. I am responsible for the stamp paper, because I needed the safety-pin which was attached to it originally. That pin saved a calamity when I overstrained a button at Messines on that memorable June morning. I nearly parted with that old note at St. Omer, but although the tempta/tion was strong, I overcame the desire. Once I did risk its loss. Five frarics are not much good, when vin blanc costs eight francs a; bottle. So I watched a run of nine heads on the pennies and risked it in the centre. In the end it brought back a clear profit of 10 frstocs from the ring, so I bought 9 bo We of extra special white and No. 8 Section. The old "fivi£w«& down south again. Looking arajtf'&w, and comparing it with the cclonfelderelidt, it stands compariso.n because it has seen active"'gfcpvice, and there is no excuse for its colonial friend. Undoubtedly the present New Zealand currency has just about teached the limit, and it is high time that it gave place to something better. Why cannot we have something similar to the Bank of England note, known commonly as "John Bradbury,?," I was luckjr enough to hflv* quite a rttimber 'of these in my possession at one tim«o and another, and I never remember handling one that was not of a newness and crispness pleasing to the touch. There was once a legend of the Church that angels were so small that 180,000 of them could dance on the point of a J needle. Under a microscope the New

.Zealand note opens up vast possibilities- The intelligent investigator finds forests growing on its surface, in which roam numerous microbes of every size, shape and colour. Ihe average bank note is a land of wonders and whirly-twirly things beyond comprehension. It is quite time that this geological, zoological, biological and densely*-populated note gave way to something fresher.