New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-06
posr-OFFICE IMPROVEMENTS.

General of Great Britain stated, in reft reace TO
the Money Order system in operation in that
country, that cit may be considered nearly
perfect as relates to the interest of the remit
"ter," for duplicate order is given if the orig
inal is lost, or destroyed or stolen. This system
like almost every other Improvement In Govern
meDt operations, originated with individuals and
NOT with Government. In 1872, three Off cers Of
the General POET Office projected plan to en-
able the public to transmit small sums of money
by means of Post Office money orders. 1t was
carried on as private spec ,lation-Ihe Govern
meat merely assisting it by permitting the Official
correspondence to which it gave rise to be
frapked through the post. The amount OF
money order was limited to f5; the commission
charged was Sd. in the pound, and the proht 70
each of the officers was about gao Isl 300
a,tar. Tbssysten continued. as private con-
Germ. until 1899 when the officers having charge
of it were allowed pensions for their private
rights, and the business was taken under the
charge Of the Government and Incorporated in
the postal system. The commission was so great
and postage so high that to remit G. as far - 100
miles cot the RENTER 4, or 81 for sending S2j.
Consequt ntly, the amount of business done was
small, and the profit to the projectors limited,
and, for forty years, it went on with little or no
increase-paypg each officer an average Of less
than $1,000 a.year. The annexed statement
shows the extent of the business in 1888 1884,
and 1885,
Date Carmissto1s NdprN
1898. ..........slss 72 ss,o57
ls34.............. 10, asa $3.50
1859. ..-..-.-. ~ ,JVS J,lW
Herewe see the result Of exorbitsnt charges
in bushes. managed solely for individual profit.
Precisely similar result was experienced in Crest
Britain, when the rates of postage we're high, and
previous to Rowland Hills gigantic improvement
From 1916 to 1886, the postal revenue of the
Kingdom actually fell of, while during the thir-
teen years following the introduction Of penny
postage, the gross revenue increased over 50 per
cent, while the expenses in that time increased
only 60 per cent or less than per cent. annually;
and the net revenue, IS4 per cent, being over :
per cent. per annum.
The establi shment of the Money Order system
wss attended By like extraordinary growth.
During the first fourteen years after it was
brought into use, the business increased from "a
insignificant sum to So, 5000 per year, paying
to the Government, in commissions more than
S434, 900, with clear profit Of $4,000. In the
whole rouEd Of finan ,ial history, Of banking and
mercantile operations, there is not case pre-
sentipg so prosperous and successful q result
and all of it hiss been accomplished without risk
revulsion, or hard times" and with the most
constant and uniform success. The following
figures are given to show the enormous increase
in the busness Of a single quarter. The result
is the number and amount Of orders issued and
paid:
o,,,,,r IssslNO, WALES -LospoS--
sne'S o-srs; Anouaa orser,. A.ou.t
1 ~ ,sss - - SOS So. ~, ss10s
jan . r$1'."''S'7s sle .sso....lsI Ss iasig5
To an application from the Postmaster. Gsuer.
for larger staff Of clerks, the reply embodied
in Treasury minute shows the spirit of true
business men, and not nigsardly and fahe econ
omy. 1t opens in these words:
Write to the Postmaster re General that my Lords
having carefully considered the full and interesting
Rsnort on tina MOnsy or3ey Deoartmsnt which 10