The Republican., 1890-02-22
Monsy-Orders Like Bank Checks.

wears between the Government and
the express companies regarding the
transmission of money for people
not having hank accounts. 1t has
been AN interesting struggle. Each
side has striven energetically to pre-
sent the most satisfactory SO. ution Of
the problem /; that Is, to proyide
means for sending small sums of cash
to all points in the safest and cheap.
est manner possible. but as usual in
such cases where public and private
enterprises come into conflict, the re-
suit is q signal victory for the com
panies. The fact is established that
money can now be sent by express
money.orders at less expense. bother
and delay and with just as much. il
not more, safety than through the
postoffices. A partial knowledge OF
this on the part of the public has
caused a revolution in the money
order department of the United
States Express Company, the bust
ness of which has more than double
in the last twelve months, while the
present indications point to a still
greater increase during 1890.
The immediate cause of this great
increase Is due largely to the imprOv.
ed system of handling money that
this company has adopted. This is
represented In its new form of mon
ey.order. by far the simplest and
most complete thing of the kind yet
devised. 1t is in reality. as we'll as
In appearance, nothing less than a
bank draft, and in security and me-
gotiabiIity corresponds closely to a
cashiers check, with the United
States Express Company and its nu
merOus agencies as the bank, 1t is
superior to almost any ordinary per-
sonal check, because the company Is
far better known than the average
individual who enjoys the luxury of
a hank account. and hence its com
mercial paper would he ca shed where
q personal check might not go un
questioned. Any banking institu.
tion IN the country will take these
orders like currency, since, unlike
postal orders, they are negotiable
anywhere. AS all the complicated
features peculiar to the money. order
formerly used by the company is
done away with in the new check
the mer est tyro in financieI matters
can readily understand everything
about it.
Suppose you want to send $50 to a
relative in, say Chattanooga, Tenn.
You don't want TO waste time stand
ing in line at the postoffice awaiting
your turn at the postal-order win.
dow. You do not want to incur
even the slight risk that il attached
to registered letter. and you GER
tainly don't want to send the money
without some sort of safeguard. You
are in doubt. II you only knew
some responsible PERSON with bank
account you would go to him and
buy check for the sum you want to
transmit. Now, this is just where
the United States Express Company
steps in to serve you. 1t is respon-
sihle concern. Its bank account is
immense. Its paper is current every
where. 1t will accommodate you
with the desired check, or money
order, if you please. for trifing
sum-in this case just 10 cents. You
step into its main Office, No. 49,,
Broadway, or into any oflts numer.
Gus suh-offices in this ci.y. or into
any one of its 4 900 branches through.
out the country. and without a mo.
ment's delay you are provided with
the desired order or check.
Besides the order itself, you get
also a receipt. The order you for
ward by mail the receipt you keep
as an absolute guarantee against loss.
for if the order does not reach its
destination within reasonable time.
or. say it is lost in transit. then on
producing this RECEIPT your money is
refunded or duplicate order issued.
No blank applications have to be
filled out hy purchasers, and no wait.
ing for Il letter Of advise on the part
of the recipient of the order. And,
as stated in substance before. 1t ia NOT
necessary 10 produce the order at one
certain place; it il good at all the of.
fees of this or the other express
companies. since these corporations
pay each others orders. As there
are Is 600 express offices in this Coun.
try, Canada and Europe, it follows
that there are $4,000 places where
money can be sent in this way.
The rates for these. orders are as
follows:
Any amount not over S5, 5 cents;
over S5 to $40. 8 cents: over $40 to
500. 10 cents: over 500 TO $40. 70