Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-01-24
The Postal Notes.

A Washington special to the Cleve-
land Leader speaking of the success of
the new postal notes says:
"An interview with an official of the
postoffice department ELECTS some in
teresting facts in regard to the postal
notes. The demand for these notes has
been much greater than was anticipated
and the number which will be used dur
ing the first year after their introduce
ton will exceed the estimate by about
one million notes. The greatest sale of
notes is in the small towns, from which
they are sent to large cities, some large
retail establishments in New York Re-
ceiving as many as five or six hundred
in single day. During the second
week in December upward of 500, 900
were paid at the New York city post
office. When this system was inaug-
urated the officials who had the money
order system most at heart feared that
the postal notes would largely supersede
the money orders, and therefore were
not favorable to them, but reports from
ten of the principal Offices show that
the decrease in money orders is only II
to ii per cent. Before the use of pos
tai notes began postage-stamps, a most
| unsatisfactory medium, were largely
used in making remittances by mail,
and it has been estimated that several
million stamps were constantly in the
mails. Postal notes are now generally
used instead No case of loss in trans
mission, alteration, or counterfeitine
has come to the knowledge of the de-
partment, and only about dozen cases
of reissue occurred during the first
three months. The life of postal note
that is, the period elapsing between
the date of issue and presentation for
payment averages about eleven DAYS.
while the life of the English postal note
is said to be but six days. The differ.
ence is to be accounted for by the diff.
ference in the size of the two countries.
The color of the paper (yellow), which
color was chosen because of its nonpho-
biographical qualities, and also because
| it is sensitive to the action of acid. has
some drawbacks, and will be improved
upon. Paper of different color will
be used in the next issue, and the an.
pearance of the note will be greatly i'm
proved. These notes are the onlv gov.
eminent securities except money or.
ders that are not issued at q fixed value
and this popularity makes it necessary
to adopt precautions not required in the
case of national bank notes. where
white paper can be used, because the
engraved letters and figures express the
value. The postoifice officials are en-.
| deavorlng to overcome the obstacles
met with, and another modification will
leave the space where the value of the
note is written in at the Issuing Office
perfectly plain, thus making the amount
easily diScernible. The notes have here.
tofore been conceded here, thereby en-.
failing much additional labor on thu
employees, for which there has been M
additional compensation, and hereafter
the paying offices will cancel paid note,
before sending them in for audit. Al
first some postmasters made numerou:
mistakes in finding out the figures de
noting the value of the notes, but Their,
are now few of such mistakes. and thu
system is working without an error
The notes are an assured success. anc
large numbers of them for 25 cents. 81
cents, 81, and 3, are now in circula
ton. The total absence of small note,
of the national banks, and the scarcit,