, 1873-10-31

washington correspondent. a nMmbDr Of Coil-
gteasnlon and othcrs arc now enjoying froe
rido In connection with tho schomo. 1t will boar
watching.
THE POST-0FFlCE Department.
Tho N1oncy-Ordcr systom and tho
1'nnlc--Plnn OF the, rostn1 Savings
11amk.
From. he Ntto York Erentng Post, Oct. a0.
i, ten. III. L. Nqo Harrison, special Agent OF
tho Order Department Of tho Post Oiico
has juBt t.comptetod m extonsivo tour Of inBpec-
ttou through tho WoBt. In conversation to-day
he made an interesting statement In regard to
tho workings Of tho monoy-order system during
IIo snid that tho result of hts inquiries In the
principal Westorn citiea, including Cincinnati,
81. Louis, and Chicago, showed that tho uBo Of
tho money-order ayatom had Increased from as
to 40 rer cont, sinco the beginning Of tho panic,
and threo-tifthH OF moro OF this inorease was be-
bolioyod to be permanent,
This advance had come mainly from business
mon, who formerly conducted all thoir financial
transactions through the banks, and were, to o
great extent, ignorant Of the workingn. Of the
money-ordor systom which thoy thought could
bo used for Government business only. SO deep
waa this Ignorance IN some caHos, among men
that merchant in Cincinnati carried bis money
order In bis pocket for days. believing 1t to bo a
receipt, and complaining meanwhile that his cor
respondent had not received the money. This
lnck Of knowledge was duo, Of coursc, to the i'll
modes Of doing business while tho solvoncy OF
banks WIS un1ncstioned. When tho safety OF
these institutions was imperilod, mon sought q
method Of exchange In which they could place
creased development Of tho postal monoy-ordor
systom.
amount Of 32l ,000 III ono day during The panic,
@t,ayr, f1upv vr1, lin for.
| 1nerly tho average was but 100000. In Cincin-
nnti, $40 900 day is tho average, against 10000
formerly. Il. Chicngo tho number Of ordors roBo
to mn Iout 4S9 5 10 ay soHnt'ns aay to aro 70
abont 934 ,0O0.
Con. Harrison aail tho information le had re-
| coived lod him to llelieve tint smnr increaHe
| in tho mouey-order business had taken place
of this incroaaed confidence In tho systom, had
| grown q general dosire among business men
| That tho limit Of tho amount to bo tra1is-
| mittcd in this nAnnor should bo increased from
| $50 to $500 botwesn first-elaes Offices. The
limitation to Offices Of tho Arst-e}ass, vol aa
! tho present narrow Limitation Of the amount, ia
duo to tho toar that heavy drafts might be made
on small country offices, renderipgit necessary
! to koop large sums Of money IN them ~ great
rial. Tho funds would in such cases bo on
dnngercd both by tho possible dishonesty Of the
Postmaster and by tho insecurity Of most village
post-ot1ices, in The event Of an attempt at burg
! larry II tho increase in tho limit Ia confined to
d list Of frst-class Offices, aay goo in number,
system will, 1t is thought. almost exclusively
control tho exchange business Of the country.
| THE PROPOSED POSTAL, SAVINGS BANK.
Gen. Harrison said that during the panic .
largo number OF Offices hold back their surplus
fl,ndB inHtoRd of sending them to this city, fron
fcar that tho orders next day would exhaust
their funds, the rocepts not being oqual 70 tlt
emergency. At tiunos, therefore, tho New Yorl
1.n1m l,$S$n
! ,nands had always beon mot. Tho confidence
created by this promptnoss and safety OF OK
change through tho Post Office, under ciroum
stances tho most adyerso, had caused great in
tercst IN tho proposition OF postmaator- Genera
son visited Canada last month to examine tht
workings OF tho similar institution in the
Dominion. which Ia lnoleled after tho Englisl
system. Tho poatmasters at Montreal ant
Toronto, WHO ara virtually Assistant Postmaster
| GonoraiB, assured linn that during long aerieI
| Of years The systom lad proved highly satisfac
tory. -
rho plan of tho postmaster-d General is To-
Congress TO establish q national savings institu
ordor Offices shall ho branches. In these o{icos
money can ho deposited in sums of SIS and up
wards, the dopositors having the amounts regu
lnrly recorded in bank-books, and tho Govern
per cent, for tho llsa Of the money. This none,
will bo transmitted to- tho noarent Assistant
Treasurer for deposit, to DO used by tho Treaaury
Department In tho payment Of tho public dob
and current expenses. In this way tho poo
man, like the bondholder, con bocomo crodito
Of tho Government. The immense amount o.
money now honrdod III the country byperaons wht
aso afraid to dopoat in savings banks, but wonl!
trust tho Government, would then, it is Bald
.be put into circulation; md 1t Is also suggested
that tho TreasurY. would, like certain savings
banlss, eventually accumulate largo resoryt
fund from unclaimed deposits. Tho chiof I'D
vantage which would accrue to tho Government
from tho plan, as urged by Its promoters, wonlt
be tho circulation Of money now idlo aud tht
retention in this country OF money which woulc
otherwise DO cent abroad: Tho bonds now helt
largely in Europe, on which the Government il
this plan, bio called In aB soon US loghlly pos
sible. Tho cost of maintaining the syRtem
with tho necessary inoroaso of clerks and othel
extra oxponBes ig estimated at e OF per cont
on tho deposits, the prosont cost of tho money
order systom being about GIG Of i per cont.
Tho postal authorities have not yet determined
whether it would be best to have QUO .rallt
contre Of tho system, or, in consequence Of tht
oxtont Of the country, tohayo aoyoral important
cities ns tho controa OF districts. !:
It is thought that the greater number Of do
postora during tho first year Of such all tnsti
tution would DO natives Of Great britain, wht
have oxporieuccd tho workinga Of a similar in
stitutioll abroad.
The Postmaster General intends to urge tht
project strongly before Congroas this winter
| and it ia undaralood to bc regarded with favo
by tho Treasury Department. President Grant,
approval has already Deon publicly Expressed.
Assassination ana Suicide.
From the THO Republics {]lertco), Sept, %.
During tho first Wcek OF this month, n mos
unfortunate and tragical occurrence excited 30
cIety in tho City of puebla. It was tho result @