New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-07-16
sCaRCITY OF CHANGE.

The sudden disappearance and general de-
ficjency of small coin having become serious
obstruction to trade and great public incon-
yenience, many individuals aud companies are
issuing shinplasters to supply the want-a
hateful and troublesome substitute for prime
necessity of civilized life. We proposed, in
stead of these unlawful and pestilent issues,
that general agreement should be had,
whereby our silver coins should, during the
suspension of specie payments, be estimated,
received and circulated at their actual value so
nearly as may be, regarding the dollar of com.
mcrce as the standard which it practically is,
thus continuing to employ our coin for the pur-
pose contemplated in its creation.
The n. J. Times thinks this proposition
" fantastic" and Ridiculous" and would fam
be witty at its expense. Let US see how II
succeeds:
The only objection that possibly be urged Against
THE TRIBusEs saegcs plan tina, 1t will not al al change
the present scarcity OF change Increase the value Of coin
and the value Of everything viii increase in the same
Adopt the agreement suggested and It would I'm
ueis,ely he found thsts
L. cent cobbler VII. Sc! Tor u cents.
q cent lunch viii sell ioi % csn.
~ cent dinner viii sell ios 90 cents.
The public would be placed in the position Of cat chi'ns
il. ov tail in vain endesyor it OF pushing
parallel lines nhty in ia vain hope Of their meeting
Our grocers borrowing ide, from the ingenious device
would perhaps. attempt bGGucc their scales when they
hsd once lost their equpose by adding equal weights 70 each
beam The feasible way tia; suggest. itself when
scarcity Of change Is to remedy the difficulty by
ressnis;ive value"
We infer that this is smart from its pro-
found destituton of knowledge and common
sense The evil which af'licts us is not n
dearth of small cOin-for there is as much Of
it in the country to-day as there ever was
but its disappearance from circulation because
of The disparity beteeen us nominal and ifs actual
raIue. The dollar of commerce Is paper dol
lar, and this is worth but eighty to eighty-hye
cents in coin. OF course, no one can longer
afford to sell ten to fifty cents worth OF what
ever lie deals in and change bill for bis pay,
The omnibus, the railcar, the grocery, the
bakery, refuses to make change, because it
cannot make a practice OF doing 30 without
buying change at heavy premium. We are
hence on the verge Of universal sbinpasterism
with all its deflement. and nuisances.
The remedy We prOilered was in substance
this-Ld us all agree 10 rec,ire siirer coin at
ats ACTUAL instead Of its NOMINAL raiue.
Make il the interest of the holders of change
to circulate instead of boarding it, by receiy-
ing it for all it is worth. This is all that is
needed to make change plentiful as ever,
and we cannot help preferrng it to any form
of shinpaster. The quarter-dcllar is rorth
thirty cents in current bank notes very nearly;
the dime is rorth twelve cents or thereabout
Why is it not better 10 estimate and circulate
silver at its true value, than to let it vanish
from circulation and be replaced by shinplas-
tiers, whereof each is an eyesore, while many
Will prove worth just nothing at oil