The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-03-25

At present our postal service is confined chiefly
10 the carrying Of letters and papers. and does
not vet, as in England aud other countries, in
clude international merchandise parcels, the
issuing Of money orders, tho telegraph opera
tons, and the investing Of small savings de-
posts of laboring and poorer classes, all OF
which are becoming the legitimate work Of the
department in other countries. and are found
very productive Of revenue.
Postal CARDS viii shortly be introduced here.
and will doubtless become as popular as they are
abroad. The chief objection 10 them has been
that the communication is exposed 10 view, SO
that anyone can read it. Still for all this, three
hundred and eight millions Of cards, or sir
cards per head for the entire population, were
sent through the American post-ofhces in 1881,
producing a revenue Of over three millions Of
dollars. A new device, however, has been in
troduced, which removes the objection referred
TO. Over the message side Of the card falls q
flap Of thin brown paper, which may be sealed
to the lower edge Of the card, 10y moistening the
gummed edge of the paper, thus leaving both
ends Of the card open, and NJ the same time
partially concealing the message. These are
called - private message cards, - and have only
been introduced into American post-ofiees, since
January /. OF course, both the old and new
style of cards should be ordered and kept here.
but for general use, the old will be preferred.
The cost Of postal cards, as is well known, is
one cent for domestic, and two to three cents for
foreign cards; but the latter will never be much
used here, as they are not in America,
POSTAL MONEY ORDERs-are rapidly gaining
in circulation in foreign countries. They were
introduced into the United States about the year
1865, and so rapidly, has the demand for them
increased. that, according to the last report OF
the postmaster general, the number of postal
money orders issued during the year ending
June, 1851, was nearly eight millions, and in
value the enormous sum Of one hundred and
ten millions of dollars $40, O00, 000). The fees
paid to the government on these orders amount
ed to 81. 073, Social OF which was collected in
small sums ranging from five 10 INVENTIVE cents
each order. II anything were needed TO demon
strate the usefulness and popularity OF these
money orders, the proof is furnished in their
rapid increase. These orders vary in amount
from ten cents TO fifty dollars each. The aus
thority to issue postal money orders here should
at once be granted by the Legislature, as no
measure will so readily and surely fill an i'm
creasing public want Us this. At first, the prin-
cipal ofice on each island would serve 20 COM
mence the order business, and as soon as the sys-
tam becomes established, and the people are
better acquainted with it, il can be extended TO
other places, as necessity demands.
The PARCEL Posr-is the latest innovation of
the British postal system. II is a sort Of OK
press department, which carries parcels OF
moderate size, and which it il proposed TO ex-
tend to the continental nations, and eventually
to all the members of the postal union, that
wish to introduce it. l have not seen the details
of this plan, as regards dutiable parcels sent be-
tween different countries but probably some
equitable concessions are made on the recipro-
city basis. 1t certainly would be a great con-
venience to have such n system established be-
! tween Hawaii and the United States and
England, as it would be much used for obtaining
articles not readily procured here. An inter-
island ''parcel-post" service is also greatly
needed, and would prove n new scource Of re-
venue to the department. As now sent, by
hand, parcels are often mislaid. delayed, lost
and stolen, whereas, if entrusted 20 the post
office, they would receive greater despatch and
security. The fees i'm this branch should be less
than in the regular mail service.
POSTAL SAVINGS BANKS, as they are called,
are attracting much attention abroad, and some
interesting statistics about them are published
They are simply repositories in the post-ofices,
to receive the earnings of the laboring classes. and
any small amount will be received and credited
to a depositor. The system originated in Eng
land about twenty years ago, and by law every
money order post-ofice receives deposits.
There are now over six thousand of them in the
United Kingdom, and the number of open de-
post accounts exceeds two millions, or one TO
every fifteen of the population. The amount
deposited during the last year, as before stated,
exceeded four million dollars, made mostly in
trihing sums and the entire amount standing
to the credit of depositors among what can now
hardly be termed the poorer classes, l0as oper
one hundred and sirfy million doiiars Can any
one question the beneicent influence OF this
great work in England E? During the twenty
years Of its operation, the English Government
has derived a net profit of three millions OF
dollars from this source alone. The system has
proved a most wonderful success, not only in
England, but in every country where it has been
adopted, and without interfering at all with the
business of the private savings banks.
L see no reason why this savings system may
not be Immediately introduced here. with advan-
tage to the people and profit to the government.
The result would be that many small sums be-
longing TO natives and others, that are now kept
hidden in chests or buried in the ground, would
be brought into circulation, be invested, yield
ing an income for the support OF depositors, and
encouraging habits Of thrift and economy. There
can be 40 better time chosen TO commence this
deposit system THAI the present prosperous era
Of Hawaii. Iii u estimated that there are over
ten thousand laborers and mechanics now en-
ployed iii all branches Of industry in our grplp,
whose annual pay averages two hundred dollars
each, making an aggregate Of two millions Of
dollars. If each would save only a twentieth
part of his earnings, here are a hundred thou
sand dollars that might annually be gathered.
and invested in government bonds or other safe
securities.
The rate of interest would, Of course be, small.
In England, it is only "a per cent, while In
some of her colonies it is 4 per cent, and this
would appear to be a fair rate to establish here.
1t is not, however, so much the rate OF interest