The Washington times., 1923-01-22
Chinese MONEY
PUzzL|NG To
VISITORS
.'Rir" and Little" Dollars
Cause OF Much tagging
in Trades.
By EDNA LEE BOOKER,
international News Service.


SHANGHAI, Jan. 22.-"Big" and
'Iittlep money in China causes
many tourist and griffin "a Chi
nese tenderfoot) to have brain Tag
and temporary insanity, to be ar.
rested on q charge Of battery and
assault. and to yeaTn for the good
old United States silver dollar.
In China q dollar IL as elastic AZ
a rubber band and has q swing
like the pendulum Of the town
clock. Much depends upon whether
You are on the big or little end Of
said swing.
System Is Complex.
A big dollar il equal to APP.
proximately $50 coppers, or eleven
dimes and five coppers. But .
dime 10 not equivalent TO ten pen.
nies-nothing 30 simple. A dime
may be changed for twelve, thir.
teen or fourteen coppers, according
to the exchange.
A little dollar Is equal to ten
dimes. The difference between q
big" dollar and q little" dollar IL
approximately one dime and q flock
of coppers.
The tourist begins to show signs
grinning Buddha In b shop which
must buy for Minnie, who instructed
him to bring her zone Of them
heather IDOLS from China.
This 20 o very interesting Chi.
nese curlo. and want TO purchase
going 60 take e TO AFneFiCA.
What Isl tbs price on the tag7" he
asks the Indifferent Chinese SALE
man.
: The Chinese looks blank. He
knows that the American 10 .
stranger. He IL too polite In hib
English to be an old China hand.
After much talking the Chinese
sees light.
"Oh, me savey-you wanche buy?
You talkee me how muchee? j
talkee you plopper price ten dol
Tor fifty. Plenty cheap"
The tourist, who does not real
he the cheap porcelain or brass god
IL worth about three dollars. gives
the suave CRATER ten dollars and
five dimes.
Wants 'Dlg" Monav.
Oh. no. no. no, InAsterP' exple6es
the shopkeeper. ''T tAIlkee you big
money. Wanche you pay me five
dolIa six dimes and five coppa. This
belong plopper.''
In department stores signs are
often seen: Small money accepted
up to fifty cants-aboVA. big
money" II you wish TO buy q
magazine marked thirty cents you
can pay three dimes, but II marked
ninety cents It cests you ten dimes
and several coppers.
In order to avoid this constant
struggle between big and little
money the chit system 10 used.
II you buy q house and lot you
sign q chit. II you take q big
party to the local jazz palace for
dinner you sign q chit. IL you
order q new gown from q Preach
shop. or hire a taxi, or buy an Ice
cream soda, instead Of paying cash
you sign your name to an l. o. q.
Costly System.
The system IL wonderful 20 far
~ the signing goes. But many
young man finds ne has let the
chit system 80 to his head when
1t comes to paying his bills, Every
month the Ckiese shroffs make
the rounds Of the offices and bust
ness houses to collect, How those
carelessly signed chtta do add upI
Often It IL difficult for a man TO
leave Shanghai without settling his
accounts, for the faithful little
RhToff will be down at the dock
70 see him off-presenting his bill
and making q scene before the
mans friends.
The chits are nearly always paid
by check. This means 'tkdR"
money-far be 1t from the banks
to deal in little" money-but it
saves the endless fighting over a
few coppers that always takes place
when having naah