Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-03-11
.GU|NEAS AND POUNDS
More Than the Mere Shilling Dr.
ference Between Them.
MONEY CASTE IN ENGLAND.

| EF%a
The Pound 10 Straight Business Mon
ey, but the Guinea 10 the Cent an
Money-A Nice Distinction In Charge
and In Payments. ~
Funny thing" said the writer, VIII,
had Just received check for f2 g
from London. 'how the editor over IL
England paid me In guineas. not IL
English pounds. In fact. 1t would bt
an Insult If the editor had simply pait
me f2.
"They've two kinds Of money Over
there. One kind is straight business
money. An even e. would have meant
in effect that had performed rou
tine job Of some kind, such as compil'
ing table of statistics for the editor
and that was being paid for mechan'
1cal labor.
But the editor adds an extra shil-
ling to every pound he pays me. This
means that am not supposed to have
performed any labor at all, but to have
created work of art and submitted
this work of art-otherwise literature
for arts sake.
MY check is written Two guineas,
and the envelope in which 1t is sent
me is addressed John Smith. ESQ.,
This in effect is second recognition
that ! have submitted piece of liter
airy art. Yet the figures on the cheek
arc to 2s.' to prevent errors in book
Keeping.
IF I'd been on the staff of the pc
riodical my salary would be paid me
in pounds sterling. for then I'd he
supposed to be working for pay and.
according to English ideas. no longer Il
gentleman.
'These two kinds of money, guincas
and pounds. show up lii many curious
ways. All professional men are paid
in guineas. If you are running a big
private school you make charge in
guineas for tuition, and parents of
your pupils pay you in guineas be-
cause you're supposed to he merely
engaging in an altruistic. philanthropic
project Of building Drawn and brain
for Britain. But you pay the teachers
in your school in pounds sterling, for
they're supposed to be working for
pay, not for love.
If you're Il doctor you make your
bills for professional services out in
guineas. Barristers are. paid in guin-
cas-. Horse race prizes are given in
guineas for all gentlemen's races
'"rhe most curious mixture of all is
the clergyman's pay. This is a queer
mixture Of commercial and profession-
al ideas. The charge of a parish u.s..
known as a living and is paid in
pounds sterling, but If a wedding or
christening takes place IN the parish
the clergyman receives personal fee,
always guineas instead Of pounds.
ARTISTS are paid in guineas. The
late James MacNeill Whistler, who had
a delightful habit of turning keen
wit on friends and making enemies
thereby. was once paid for q work of
art in pounds sterling. a delicate I'M
plication that Whistler was dauber
and tyro.
1.-Two trades are paid in guineas for
goods purchased, but other trades are
paid in pounds sterling. These trades
are the interior decorator and the jew
eler. The jewelers. goods are supp0s.
ed to be works Of art, and such COM
mercial articles as watch chains and
are priced in guineas. Ger
tain swell and exclusive London tai
lors. to whom you have to be intro
duced. by the way, charge you in,
guineas for the coats and trousers they
consent to make for you.
Directors of companies were for
merly paid in guineas for their attend
ance. They are now paid IN pounds
sterling, but when pound sterling Is
In minted gold it isn't a pound sterling |
any more. but sovereign.
1.-THE idea is that, directors Of COM
panies are always feed in gold, and as |
only are coined now they |
are paid in sovereigns. The only ex-
ception is the directorate Of the Bank !
Of England. The members of the |
board are paid in golden guineas, part |
Of small store kept in the bank and |
dated in the early years Of the last |
century.
"A gentleman "wagers with his |
friends in guineas. He buys hunter !
Or u pony polo from friend in gum |
cas-, but II pounds from q horse trad |