New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-06
The Pos Msstsr cf
ROWLAND HILL.

:
The number printed in the MOn,y Order cor
responds with the number in the advice, and
no Post Master has right to destroy any of the
forms, or use them for any purpose otherthan tho
one for which they are designed.
This is the whole machinery; as simple aud
regular as clock-work. Publishers, merchants,
or others, living in cities, and having an account
with q banker, can indorse over their Money
Orders, send them into the banks 40 50 much
money, and the bankers clerk calls at the Post
Office, and gets them csshed 10 gold aud silver at
par. Money Order for so (f2) costs six
cents commission or exchange, which is paid BY
the person taking out the Order. Add to this the
postage Of bis letter-two cents-and 10 costs
him eight cents to remit the so. 1t is Just the
rsme for less sum. Over so, and not more
than S25, costs a commission Of IL cents-six-
pence sterling. No Money Order is granted for
larger sum than IS $3.50; but if moro money
is to be RENTED any number of Money Orders
can be obtained at the same time. 1t will be
seen that the Exchange on sums OF any amount
over $50 is about half of one per cent.
The commissions received on Money Orders
throughout Great Britain, in the year 1888,
Az ounted to s434, $40 The clear profit to the
Po.t- Office Department, arising frem the bust
meas, was:
In sI6 $50 In 1859. ...... s53,ib
In ls5l...... 81, les In ls53....... 7O,745
Previous to Nov. 90, 1910, the commission on
Money Orders was one shilling and sIpence ster-
70 6ua do nd
ii1pence for those not over two pounds. At tina.
GATE the commission was reduced to siXpence aud
tbreepence, as it now is, aud since that they
have been in almost universal use.
There are about 1900 Money Order Offices in
Great Britain. Every Post Office has one con-
nected with it; but the Sab Post. Off :es-some
FIVE or six thousand in pumber-haye very few of
these Offices. There are between eighty and
ninety of them among the Sub Offices and Receig-
ing Houses Of London-within the " twelve mils
circle" As general rule, towns containing
three or four thousand inhabitants or more have
Money Order Offices. They are Of two kinds
msjor and minor Major Offices draw Orders
direct on every major or minor Office 10 the King
dom; but the minor Offices have to send their
Office of the Kingdom where drawn-London
Edinburgh, or Dublin-to get the stamp of that
Office On it before il can be paid. This occasions
delay Of one, two, or three days. The m,jor
Offices are not restricted in the amount of the
bu.iness they do, while the minor Offices are.
The latter are rot allowed TO issue Orders ex-
ceeding $50 in the sggrega in one day. The
smaller offices are constantly accommodating
money, from the greater number of Orders issued
above those that are paid while in the larger
Offices the reverse is the fact.
1t might be supposed tina. the Money. Order
system would run into competition with the reg
ular banking and exchange business Of the coun-
try; but it does not On the contrary, the banks
themselves use it constantly. The British Gov
eminent contemplate the extension Of the system
TO all their Colonies Should they do it, it would
prove great convenience. And such a system
between our own Post Office and that of Great
Britain, would be Of vast advantage to the hun
dIeds of thousands Of emigrants that are yearly
coming to our shores, and not only save the
money Of the COlonists, bat perform a service for
which compensation would be paid. A Senator
has lately given notice that be intended to bring
in bill providing for system of Money Order
Exchanges between the Post. Offices of the United
States and Great Britain. But why not have
Money Order system for the whole country at
the same time The records Of our Dead-L
Office show not only large amounts returned,
but heavy sums for which no owner can be
found. the original RENTER not being found.
In numerous instances drafts are sent and re-
turned to the Dead Letter Office, and the banker,
on being applied 10, has refused to state the res
idence and address of the remitter During
last year there was case Of the kind. draft
for $1,000 was cent, and, in consequence of
sudden death, the ignorance of the friends of
those concerned, or other causes, it never
reached its destination, nor was it applied for,
and, On the banker being ssked to give the ad-
dreis Of the sender replied that he never kept
such addresses. That draft 10 now on file in the
Desd-Letter Office, and the banker pockets the
thousand dollars. Now. If we had the Money
Order sJstem, the money, in case, of this descrip
ton, would 90 to the Government, and not to
private party, though, from the exact record