The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-07-28
Money Order Department.

Money Order Department..
cover $51 10000 in hard cash
passed through our hands last year"
said Mr.. William Plimley, the General
Superintendent Of tho Money-order
Department i'll the New York Post office,
to reporter few days ago. "By our
New York does about one eighth of the
entire business of America. I DIN safely
say that the system now in vogue is as
perfect rs we can reasonably expect it
to be, no matter how much polishing we
give it.
"It seems Incredible that this vast af-
sixteen years ago that G. T. Mcdonald
conceived and started tho idea of the
Money y-order Department iuto life. Be-
fore that it was only by the most elab-
orate care and lynX-eyed procautiOn that
even small amounts of money could be
| sent from one point to another with any
certainty of safe carriage but now it's
| safety has become such an assured fact
that people never consider the idea of
losing their money at all, but simply
make out M order and send it on it's
way. Who ever hears Of q loss nova
days? Mr.. Mcdonald, the originator of
the scheme, is now ut its head. He is
the chief Of the monoy-order system in
Washington. A recent Recommendation
of his in relation to the fees charged for
sending money through the Money order
| Department is reduction from 10 to s
cents on amounts not exceeding $5 and
on orders over $5, and not over $40, a
reduction from 10 to cents, and M OK
tension Of tile limit Of the amount that
may be sent in any ono case from $50 to
800. I am in favor of Chief McDon-
ald's accommodation, and think, though
I'm by no means sure, that Postmaster
James, now that he is in tho Cabinet as
Postmaster- General, will view it favora-
bly, also."
"What is the smallest amount you
ever made out nj order for?"
! Mr.. Plimley considered moment
and then touched little electric button
on the side of his desk. This desk is a
curiosity. 1t has row of eight or ten
buttons down each side, with q bronze
plate over each one, setting forth in
black letters exactly which clerk in III
indicated department may be expected
to answer. On the top is another long
row of buttons, and at each end arc
more, eight or nine being grouped to,
gethcr Oh one plate in some instances
While the General Superintendent talked
to the reporter yesterday his business
went on as usual. He touched one but
ton and in n moment n clerk appeared
with bundle of checks and immediate
ly withdrew. Mr.. Plimley signed two
or three checks, touched n button an(
they were taken away by another clerk
He went right on and signed severn
third clerk appeared, and so on through
pressed one of the mystic buttons and il
by his side.
"What's tho smallest money ordel
ever sent ?"
| "Ono cent, sir"
"Many Of thcm?"
every few. They were probabl,
sent for joke. Quite n number have
beon sent for five, ten and fifteen cents
but people in general .fail to sec the wis
dom of paying fee of ten cents fo
sending five"
The clerk bowed and withdrew, an
Mr.. Plimlcy turned to the reporter ant
said "The increase III the amount O
| ilOICS "o "lll lllUClSSU IL liOp no
tonish you. The number of money OF
{ ders issued during the fiscal year wa
7,24O,537 for the whole United States
This in money reached the cnormou
sum of $1OO,352, 1883. Over hun
dred millions passed in absolute safct.
through our hands. The fees paid t
tho Post-oflice Department reached tn
, aggregate of 1916, 1920. For the trims
action of nll this IN immense amount O
correspondence is necessary. We wrot
nearly 40, 600 letters last year."
"You spoke Of tho increase"
, "Truo. If you are not tired of figure
| J. will give you some more. In 1879 W
had 1,161, 1878 transactions, amountin
in money to $43, ,652, ,273.37. This wa
an increase over 1878 Of 100, 110 transnt
tions md $5,000,000 Tho next ycal
1880, showed 1851 ,095 transactions
| amounting in all to $51 ,231, ,749.04. Th
was gain over the previous year {
> 1870, 100 transactions, and 81, ,679, ,475. G.
The work is constantly increasing. ri
average Of all the orders is $13."
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