1937-03-05 — Page 10

10

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. FRIDAY, MARCH

1937.

LEADER. ON

LEGAL TENDER

HAT is legal tender?" It is the

sort of question which arouses a sille of easy self-assurance.

"Legal tender?" says the mind to Itself. "Of course I know what legal tender is!"

"

at-

But when the ime comes to express the knowledge there is some stumbling and fumbling, in the task of producing a concise definition, and further

by nh tempts to remove obscurity elaboration of detall often result the commission of actual errors.

In

Our own crudite examiner was not, on this occasion, exempt from such iuman frailles. Ile gave the.

con-

fident and correct general reply that legal tender is "currency or money authorized by law to be used in pay- ment," and then, awept nlong upon the wave of his authority, declared that "In Great Britain, Treasury notes Lo any amount." are legal tender "Eheu fugaces, Postume, Postume." ("Als for the notes that are lost to noles me, lost to mol") Treasury

were replaced by Bank of England notes in 1920, and, though a former possessor may feel tender about them; he cannot now tender them at all.

At the risk of further "howlers" it may be interesting to delve a 1tle more deeply into this recondite ques- tion, even in a world where no' force is generally required to secure acceptance of anything of value.

the

Several unpleasant shocks await the inquirer. The first is that the Bank of England note for £5 or any higher denomination is only legal tender in England or Wales. It is proffered willi in Scotland it can be refused contumely and a matter of "Bannock- burn'; but if the debtor in Scotland ever becomes a creditor he can score in unwarthy revenge by refusing to Recept £1 Scottish note. He can also compel his creditor to accept Bank of England £1 and 10s, notes, which

throughout are legal tender Britain and Northern Ireland.

Great

In all these transactions, however, observed. the greatest care must be

In the first place, the reader is not advised to test the general knowledge of the law by proffering £5 notes in Scotland in the expectation that they will be refused. An adventurous race is far more likely to accept them. In the second place, if a creditor re- fuses to accept a tender held to be legal, then he loses all rights to in- terest after the date of the tender and also to the coals of recovery. He must also be extremely careful how fie seeks to make his deblar pay; for an Act of 1916, with prophetic fore- sight of the reparations muddle, makes it larceny to resort to threats. These facts will, no doubt, confirm the com- mon impression that it is better to be a debtor. On the other hand the debtor. If he wishes to tender payment, must actually produce the east; and silver is good enough for a debt up to £2, and pence or halfpence for a debt up to one stilling.

1

But here a second shock awaits the investigator of this matter. It appears that a copper is not a copper (unless of course it is a policeman), but bronze, because it contains traces of tia and of zinc. The well-informed beggar therefore who asks the passer- by to spare a bronze is not expecting one of the works of Epstein to be pro- duced from his benefactor's pocket: and the ignorant rascal who begs for a copper and be told with perfec! truth that it is impossible to grant his request. Olympian personages who are in the habit of lending larger amounts than £2 must be satisfied In notes which have statutory au- thority, as already explained, or in There seems to be no speci-

Hold

coin.

fic authority for the

the charming fantasy that they can be tossed a bar of gold weighing 200 ounces, or

or 10 ounces to live in Shang- these are the weights

if they happen to hal, though In which bars are made up, for some unknown reason, outside and inside the Far East respectively. The law merely provides that gold, if of or above the least current weight, Is legal tender to any amount. The law also encourages the breaking, cutting.

by

SPARE MOMENT PAGE

Chaptor One

“TELEGRAPH’S” NEW FILM SERIAL

LLOYDS

OF

by

LONDON

PETER B. KYNE

"The story at-ils" 20th Century. Fàn" picture, storslag, Mudtaleiro Correll and Freddie Bartholomew with

Tyrone Power, Sir' Guy Standing and C, Aubrey Smithy

| Jonathan nodded, served the of the anitora", haavy boots on the burst into tears. Horatio, a pale, drinks and reaumoil his sont. But | cobblestones, trailed soundionaly on | rather delicate lad dremad in shorts liis, interest In Widow Blake was bla bare fest some six feet behind and a long talled coat that made gono;hla young ears word cocked of the men when one of themtum look not unlike a dressed-up ON a late afternoon in the year to catch more of the conversation listed his pipe; in the momentary sparrow twisted nervously, on his 1770, in the fishing village of at the table, for the pair were aut-them. Rohind him Widow Blake meat and glanced around the room ficiently far gono in liquor and too was saroaming and cursing, do-for Inspiration, for experience had Burnham-Thorpe, li the county of contemptuous of the befuddled manding his Immedints return to told him that each of his sisters Norfolk, England, two men-sail-widow and a mere child to be at the groggery, there to be beaten would, in turn, fall to decilne agri-

within an inch of his 120,

cola, that his father would then ors, if one might judge by their all cautious,

"Drink up, shipmate," the older The salt tang of the English | demand that Horatio decline — costumes-felt their way through man urged scornfully," an' maybe Channel and the not unpleasant and Horatio realized that he niso the fog along a narrow greasy this rotten rum'll put some brass in odor of decaying seaweed, tar and would fail and be penalized accord-

ye're backbone." They drank and wet canvas apprited him prosently Ingly. street. A pale beam of light shone the voice continued. "They're goin' that he was approaching the water- His glance rested on a palo little from a small window; a fantem to do the job tonight, while this front. He followed the two men out face framed in a shock of black above the door outside feebly illu-thick fog holds. Young Beroggins, onto a rickety dock and watched hair, close to the window; then a minated a sign that hung out over the sidewalk and proclaimed to thei

world that here was:

WIDOW BLAKE'S ALE HOUSE SNUG AND COZY

"We'll drop anchor here, maley." and the older of the two men, and pushed through the door into the iap room. They seated themselve and stared belligerently at the Wow Blake, an ancient alattern. who peered at them auspiciouely from behind the bar.

"Well. wot'l yor have?" shrilled.

ahe

"Two hot rums, love of me ife," one of the allors answered.

"Jonathan Mother Blake reamed. "Blast yer lazy aoui, where are 30?"

A rear door opened and a bare- footed, ragged ind of about thiricen entered the tap room. "Here!" he cried in a ringing volée.

Mother Bake, who was rather far gone in drink, ataggered to him and struck him a stinging blow an the jaw. ""Two 'ot rums." Ahc erosked, The boy nodded cheerfully. ignoring the blow, prepared the two nogging of rum and hot water and enrried them to the customers' table, after which he retired to a sent in the angle formed by the replace and the wall. Here, ai. though not visible to the customers, he was not more than six feel from them and could bear avery word of their conversation. It was not at all hia intention to enveodrop; he had seen, at a glance, that both men were more than, half tipяy -nud a long and apprenticeship ni Widow Blake's Froggery had taught him that half drunken men never in- dulge in conversation remately worth listening to. Indeed, Widow Blake claimed alt of his attention this evening, for, early na it woA, whe had already arrived at that Atala of inebriety where she would the skipper's boy heard 'em a dis- them deecond a minirway to a float finger backoned to him-violently. be dangerous to him. Later in the cussin' of it an told me, on my beside which a skift lay flod. Jona-A signal that spelled the neconaity evening ahe would begin to distrust promino to see to it that he gets than was standing within four feet | for haste, regardless of consequeti- her legs and then Jonathan would he fair share o' the loot. same as illumination the boy saw across the cca. So, while his father wan buny help her off to bed nnd look after the able examen. Ero's the stoop, stern of the skift the name, terrorizing Susannah, Master Horn- the groggery until closing time. in from Spain with a whackin' Maggie-0. He had not lived in this to slipped allontly, on it grensed; So he sat in the corner, eyeing consignment o' gold ingots for die dahing villago two years not to out of the room. A moment later be her apoculatively, yet strangely charge in London. She's 'eld up 'ore reallzo that this aki belonged to appeared beside Jonathan. without hatred, albalt he was dis- by the for for a week. The plan be a vowel of the same name, gusted enough. He was wondering to lay her alongside our brig an' how much longer he must endure transfer the ingots to our bold; the horrible old harridan before he then she's hauled off an' scuttled would have the courage to seek an we suyves aurelves-ng best wo elsewhere for shelter from the ele can. The gold's supposed to "ave ments and food for his lank little gone down with 'or, but all the time atomach. Jonathan, orphaned, it's syfo aboard the Ben-'oms, an' would have been a work-house | Lloyd's o' London mykes good on brat, but Widow Blake, his aunt the Insurance. Sweet, I calls it.

He returned to the street on the by marriage, seeking a slave, had But us bloody foremast 'ands, wot had him handed over to her on her moves the goid, 'ave to 'ave our fair two men pulled off into the fog and specious promise to give him a good whack: if we don't get it we blow ran for half a mile until he found home. He was intrigued by the sight to gain to Lloyd's, for which two lampposts glowing faintly and of her gin-colored none; the bright we're stebly rewarded, an' on the about six feet apart. He know where Toey end of her proboscis always first bright day we walke out to ho was now, for thane lamp-pasta fascinated him; he wondered if the see then connivin' skippers 'ung in Danted the carriage entrance to the mother he had never seen was rochains."

rectory of the Reverend Mr. Nelson, molely liko Widow Blake and the "They should listen to reason." whose only son, a lad of Jonathan's aluts who frequented the neighbor the other man agreed, but even age and much too democratie in hood and frequently Importuned Jonathan could me that he was his choice of emociates to please him to extend them credit for gin mid, as becomes one who has lived his father, was, by some strange on the nights whon the widow seats of intimidation and upon freak of boyiah tolerance and ad- agricola, he said peremptorily: cumbed to her palations carlier whoso person had been visited all miration, Jonathan's solo friend and than usual. He had never seen a ton frequently the appalling brutal-playmate. Upon the two occasions Jadv.

Itles to prevalent in the English when Reverend Mr. Nelson had His attention was caught by a navy and mercantile marine in found the disreputable Jonathan on

"It seems to me," Jonathon re fragment of conversation from the those days. "But," he added on a the premises,, he had ordered him two customers. The elder of the two whining note, "wot if they refuse to be off and promised him a birch plied Judicially, "that wo must be follows was speaking:

to?"

Ing if he should show bis nose thera sure of our ground before we tell They can be chucked overboard, again. So Jonathan was graterut Lloyd's of London about this awin-

dia." mind; they'll drown as quick as now for the fog that hid him, as

"Ah, yee. Lloyd's must, of course, you an' me. Come on. Let's go back he crossoil the lawn and prored in the ship."

into the lighted window of the live Informed at the earliest possible moment to prevent the payment of They rong and Jonathan hoarding room of the rectory,

the insurance."

Jonathan's attention was mught by a fragment of conversation from the two customers' table. Hls young ears were docked to catch more, for the pair were sufficiently gone in liquor, aut too contemptu-

ens of the beduidtod widow nad a mero child to be at all onutiou

"Listen to me, matey, and do wot I say, an' yet te drunk for a year on the gold it'll get yo. We'll

all be rich."

"Aye," his companion muttered thley, "but if anythin' allps we're gibbet fruit."

"Maggie-O has the gold aboard." he reflected, with that mental lucid- ity so often found in very young children who have known the worst that life has to give. "And the gold la going to be changed to the Bea- horse. Nies work, I calla I. Harntio must hear of this, secin' as 'ow he's me partner,'

"Well, my good fellow," he as Juted the urchin patronizingly,

and what's in the wind now?"

"Gold! Crime. Murder on the high some," Jonathan whisporod."

"Explain." Horatio commanded. Bo Jonathan explained while his pal listened gravely and without in- terruption.

"You did wall, my man" he an- nounced gravely at the conclusion of the tale, "to bring this matter to my attention. I will consider what measures to take to unhorse these scoundrela." And he advanced one foot and scratched the end of his small pate chin as if employed in most profound thought on a most perplexing problem. Falling in this as miserably as he would have fallad to decline the Latin noun,

Well, well, my good Jonathan speak up. What do you suggest? Tell me and I shall give your oug- Eestion due consideration.

"So you and I Horatio, must teal a small boat and go out to the scene of the crime, observe it and-er-ah--"

"Follow me," commanded ti Horatio Nelson and in bis childish treble there was something of the tono that was to lead England's

the clink of coins thrown on the Ha heart filed with pity for table. The men had reached the Horatio na bo surveyed tho acene The older man hanged the table door and Jonathan was about to within. Mr. Nelson wao tutor to his with his mug. Two more ruma, pick up the colpo, when Widow own children-four in number, the inse," he called to Widow Blake, Blato nerooched at his elbow, "Porather thres being girls, and Jona and Jonathan sprang to all the tugce coppers! Didn't I tell yer?" than realized, by the unhappiness Jonathan leaped for the door, but, evident in each His face, that order, accepting another amurt alap from the proprietress as he alid surprisingly, the old lady followed their father was striving to teach past her. As he passed her again, swiftly, in time to give him a ghove them something very dimcult to with a mug in each hand she and send him flying through the learn. As a matter of fact the un-avy to glorious victory thirty-ave hlased:

open portal out into the middle of imaginative martinel was demand years later at Trafalgar. "Mind, Jonathan, ye don't let that the street, where the for imme- ing that bla ten year old daughter, neum pay yo with them worthless diately swallowed him. He picked Susannah, deeline the Latin noun, himself up and, following the sound agricola. She failed miserably and Portuges coppers."

or defacing of any gold coin which is Office seemed to pride itself upon below the least current weight any person to whom it is tendered; being a surly bureaucracy. That is but this is a risky business, because, not so. It is the business of every

if such a person defaces by stamping Purchaser

to provide

the

correct

a coln under suspicion and it turns amount in legal tender. Change can

CINEMA NOTES

(Continued from Page 11.) ·

out not to be a wrong un," he is nowhere be demanded except from the the Hollywood version. It is a picture guilty of an indictable misdemeanour. Bank of England, and then-only in that has, when finally completed, the form of change for a note or exceeded the expectations of the In any case diese provisions concern-

Is "Come ing gold coins are rather sardonic in or more into £1 or 10s. notes; and

the fact that complications do not more prodeers. Such a film an age when there are none in cur- rent circulation, and the fortunate pos- often arise is a great tribute to the Closer, Folks," It is supposed to be an especially funny comedy. James; -sessor of a few odd sovereigns is dar kindliness of mankind in voluntarily more templed to sell them to a gold-giving change when it is humanly Dunn cnacts the starring role, that smith than to pay debts with them. possible. Strictly speaking, however, As for coins which come under sus the practice of tendering a £5 note of a typleal Broadway pitchman, or picion, not as light in weight but as for a penny bus fare should not be sidewalk salesman, who makes a bad in quality, the simplest thing to indulged in except at the doors of the living selling phoney watches for do is not to accept them, or, if they Bank of England, when the intending twenty-five cents. A female collea- have been accepted Inadvertently, to passenger can bolt in and obtain tender them with a caveat. at some change if it is refused on the bus. gue, played by Wynne Gibson, gives booking oflice where there is a test Even so, he cannot count upon obtain Jimmy the idea of taking an entire ing machine which will break them and the wise breadwinner will there- and invading small towns with their ing anything smaller than a 10s, note,

company of pitchmen on the road, while you wall, and remove templetion to pass on the torch fore make a habit of borrowing a few

to

big-city, high-pressure salesmanship, someone else in a handful of change, bronzes from his family before leav

ing home. Otherwise he will have With his pal and favourite shill, or The mention of change leads straight either to descend or to travel in the booster, played by George McKay, in has tud his money's tow, Dunn leads the band of sales- to, the greatest shock of all those latest bus wit In the question of legal tender. It is worth, and the picture changeless ren into Stone City. Complications that taxi-passengers grimly working off their from this point on are many and not generally recognized

between drivers and the like are within their notes is amusing without being allur varied, with a romance rights in falling to possess change, Ing to habitues of rush hours. Finally, Dunn and his intended victim, Miss Most people are familiar with the fact it may be hoped that these revelations Marsh, working gently into the story. that Postmasters are not bound to give af potential embarrassmenis will not It is a tale that should afford a good change when receiving a payment nor undermine the general affection for deal of morriment. In addition: authorized to do so when making a legel tender nor impair the benovo Miss Gibson and McKay, the cast payment; but think that this is only a lence of the wish that all may have includes Herman Ding and Gene

Lockhart, relie from the past when the Post more of it, whatever it is.

any

THE

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(To be continued)

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Cie.Des MESSAGERIES MARITIMES

3 QUEEN'S BLDO.

OUR BRITISH

180

--- 132

ACROSS

1 All these clues are.

4 Speech that may find you out.

9 Hos this library revolving

shelves?

11 Vile upheaval.

12 Letters of attorney,

a bookmaker admits a

13

mistake.

15

You'd need

one to climb

10 Haphazard.

Iceberg (two words, 3 and 3).

17 Bereaved season.

19 Hard to and.

20 Might occur even to you.

22 Roll of American noles,

25 Lend a hand.

an

27 A number of rows with faddlst. 20 Wrote "You are old, Father William," a long me before Carroll ever thought of 11. 20 Sounds a merry composition. 31 Against. 32 This Axture has nothing to do with the League of Nations (two words, 4 and 7).

33 Our coasts frequently suffer

from it.

than

rather have them

34. I'd

ivers!

DOWN

1 Are the more usual.

2 There is nothing about a note

to hang anything by.

3 Asking for more.

5 You'll discover this in a round-

about way.

of occupation:

7 E.g., Stephens.

8 The start of many a request,

9. Nicer secret hidden here.

10 Form of salutation (two words,

4 and 7),

TEL. 2005;

CROSSWORDS

12

110

13 Train put into words,

-14

like a flower in my sur-

SWEE

17 Reduce rents possibly,

18

Between

two miles, it's further.

very

21 It is not playful to apply this

term to a porteress

23 The man composes a compost-

tion.

24 The donkey conceals its dimen-

'sions for the trials.

26.

city might be looted at any

27 Indicates the party of moderate

uplutons.

30 If you are all this, nothing has

distracted your attention.

31 You are left to guess, the name

of the author.

Yesterday's Solution

BOW LILLIPUT AAOMAGN

GABAVAN HALIFAX KBE CEY ย 8 ALE KEYED OS LO LEE GTD CE

I DARTS BOANDAL DA EMBASSY PAGES P 30|8|||A|1||E|| PO STAR TRUNK LAND

ASHANT I DOEN D

OUTLAWS FETE FURTHERMORE

BHA

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