Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-09-11
THE POSTAL NOTES.
A Convenience that Is Not Gsnsr,
ally Understood.
Or. Macdonald Explains What They
Are and What is Expected
Of Them.

WASHINGTON. September lO.-Dr Ne.
der DiviCiol Of he Portoiiice Department,
in Star int"' view, gives some interesting
ard timely information concerning the
method Of the new portal note system.
The number of questions asked mt pot
Cffices shows thai the nature OF the issue
is not generally understood.
Now" said the Doctor, 81 will tell you
al about the postal note in a very few
words. The postal note is simplya form
O. money orders-of cheap money orders
for sums less than IS, payable TO bearer 1t
is not issued in lieu of the ordinary money
order but concurrently with money orders
Tor sums less than s.. That is to say, TIVE
public have the option o. purchasing from
the postmaster at the office of issue, a
money order or postal note for sums IN.
der $, Just as they prefer. If a man pur.
Chases money order he pays fee OF eight
cents, and the PoStoffice Department a.
sumes the responsibility OF seeing that it
is paid to the proper person. II he buys
postal note he pays a fec OF three cents,
ard then transmits it through the msil at
his own risk. The chief difference between
a money order and. "a postal note is that
Wnlle one is maze payaOle 10 ueSl gudteu
person, the other is made
Payable 10 Bearer
Then, if letter confirming a postal
note is rfed, the thief can readily get it
cashed'' ;
"Yes," said the Doctor, "the bearer oBa
postal note is paid the money, but the
wrong person, especially il he had robbed
the mails would find some difficulty about
cashiDg the note, perhaps more than they
would be ready to meet. For instance,
whoever sends the note can take a descrip.
tion Of it, that is, the name of the Office
from which il was issued, and the one
where it is sent and the amount. Then the
one who uses il has to sign his name at the
bottom, and if the postmaster does not
know him, he can also be required to sign
the note on The back in addition. 1t will
not he so easy matter as you suppose.
Besides, as a rule, the amounts will be so
small as to discourage the running OF any
such risk"
THE Primary Design Of the Postal
NOtC,''
resumed the Doctor after this DEPRESSION,
lis to take the place OF fractional currency,
which was a great public convenience.
There has been a very general demand
from newspaper publishers, dealers IN ar
tcles Of merchandise of small value and
{. hers for something that could be used in
making small remittances by mail. OTdi-
aerv postage stamps could not be redeemed
aud coin was not available because II was
neither safe nor convenient. The postal
note meets this demand
Suppose a merchant receives large
quantity OF these notes must he take them
to the postoilice himgelt?' asked tie re-
porter
Certainly not" was the renly. "Treae
nOtea are payable to teIrcr, Just ss bluE
check is. The merchant gives them 10 his
messenger or clerk, aud he can get them
caehcd at the post1ltice. He dos no haze
the trouble of assigning, as in the case Of a
money order
Can't he pay them out sgain in trade
IF the
Customer Will Receive Them
he can" said the Doctor, with a smile.
These notes. are not legal tender; and
there is no objection on the part OF any
one TO take them. | gee that they have
been refused at the L. S. Treasury, because
they had no facilities for clshing them.
There must be some ore to take the postal
notes to the postoffice, either at the office
drawn upon or at the Office OF isGue. No
doubt they will be offered at the banks
and il will simply be question OF C1nyen-
fence whether they are taken or not"
"Well, Doctor, why did you have such
an ugly color
The Object of That Color
is to make the note anti.photographic
Brown and canary color, with green on the
back, forms q combination OF colors that
defies the camera They will look better,
however, after awhile when the first rush
is over, and the printers have a chance TO
improve the press work"
But the color does not guard agsiust the
skill OF the counterfeiter" asked the list
ener.
mo, it does not" replied the doctor,
but every precaution has been adopted 70
prevent eounterfeiting. The note is printed
on thin bank note paper and has very in-
tricate designs of geometrical lathe work.
1t is possible, of course, for human inge-
nuity to counterfeit it as it has counter
fsited everything else, but the chances are
so greatly against it that they may be safely
Left out of the calculation. A counterfeit
would besides be very soon discovered, as
the notes and the stubs are kept and com
ps req when the accounts Of the p0stmasters
are made out The notes alter they have
been paid. are kept in the Auditors office,
inst as the money orders are as vouchers for
the money paid out"