New-York tribune., 1902-02-02
REASONS FOR A NEW COIN.
ANDREW H GREEN TELLS WHAT LED HIM
TO PROPOSE A TwO-AND-A-HALF-
CENT PIECE.

Washington dispatches yesterday reported that
Congressman Amos ]. Cummings OF TINS CITY had
introduced bill for the coinage OF a tWo-ahd-a-
balf-cent niece at the request OF Andrew h Green,
.ho ou+bor of the bill When Mr. Green was seen
AZ his Office. at No. PA Broadway yesterday he
spoke freely of the reasons leading him TO propose
Ouch measure
remarkably exemplifed In the tenacty with which
the American people in spite of their decimal sys-
tenn of currency. continue to reckon values in the
shfings Of their ancestors. 1t is still a very preva-
lent custom notably IN the Eastern States, but
extending also into the middle West. to mark
prices Of goods in shillngs as, for instance, u
for two shilings, or 2/6 for two and sixpence and
the custom OF fixing prices at the shillings equva-
lent in money, as, for instance BIZ cents
is almost universal In such cases, where the
amount of purchase is integer and a fraction
the buyer is invariably obliged to pay the extra
half cent This in the aggregate, is no small bur
den upon the manual classes. This injustice was
obvated for many years by the coinage OF copper
half-cent pieces, which was suspended in 1851 In
lieu of haIf-cent pieces to-day the proprietors Of
some large stores in Chicago, am told issue half
cent tokens redeemabie in purchases at their
counters.
While this old, hereditary reason for fraction
al coin has lost none OF its potency with the
lapse OF years, new and more powerful reason, or
group of reasons has been produced by modern
economic conditions The progress Of science and
invention, resulting in cheapened production. to-
gether with marvellous growth of population,
massing itself in urban communities, has revolu-
tionized prices and created a demand for a sub
sidiary coin between the one-cent and fve-cent
piece. Some Of the reasons leading me TO believe
that 2I5 cents Tor a quarter of "A dime) is the
proper denomination for such intermediate coin
are as follows: Nobody ever makes a single pur-
chase of half a cent Half-Cent pieces, therefore,
not needed for such purchases. The half-cent
whenever required By the old shilling system OF
prices, is always part OF sum OF which ~ cents
and other convenient amounts are the com
uonents The two-and "a -half-cent piece therefore
would meet all the requirements of the obsolete
half-cent piece due to this reason Another fact
pointing to the d-one-half-cent piece
five cents is the marked and growing tendency
toward reduced streetcar fares-a tendency which,
piece would materially encourage ne Almost uni
versal streecar fare in American cities is five
the halving of that amount for adults, as ii is
quite generally halVed for school children. Half
fares for the working men going TO and returning
from their work would he great boon 10 them.
American street railways. with their fve-cent fares
and large profits, cannot long remain behind the
railways of England and Scotland, with their penny
and halfpennv fares In New-York City
progress has already been made in this direction.
Two railroad fares across Brooklyn Bridge are sold
two-and-one- -half-cent piece, is three cents. When
it is considered that fifty million passengers per
the immense traffic over some OF the ferries which
require tkreecent fares during part OF the day,
andone half-cent piece in this city alone In addi-
ton TO the bridge and ferry fares, transfers from
the elevated TO the surface roads are charged at
thrse cents, as the nearest amount to half-fare
The two-and- -half-cent piece would combine in
a sihSle com an the convenience once afforded by
ne me od copper halt-ceEt pieces discontinued in
ls9D. the bronze two-cent piece discontinued i'm
$50 and The nickel threecent piece discontinued
IN issOl, and, as we have dollars half-dollars
and quarter dollars the addition to our dimes md
half dimes Of quarter dime two-and a-haif-cent
DIVISION OF our decimal system"