The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-31
PAYING TELLER'S LAMENT
How He Reads the Stamp Act to
Riotous Customers.


Another week of this moaned tn
paying teller through his grated win
dow, according to the New York Even
ing Sun, and 1 shall be a fit subjec
for a padded cell in some private asy
lum''
"Why?" queried the interlocutor.
Good heavens, man, don't say
word. My head won't stand the strain
It's been why this?' and why that?
until 1 begin to think there never wa:
even a first cause in creation.
It's the women and these Internal
eternal stamps. They simply won
understand. You'd suppose, after {
week or more, some of 'em would re.
| then. Pardon me a moment, sir.
A check fluttered through the grated
window.
Have you stamp, MADAME"
STAMP" murmured a soft voice
''oh, no; I'm not sending it away.
want the money myself
Certainly, and if you want it now
you must put a stamp on the CHECK
It's a tax, you know. It's the law"
There was a single exclamation OF
dismay from the feminine customer
Then she rallied.
But they never did that at my hus-
bands bank
Have you been there this week? ''
mo, to be sure I've not. But S5hy
did you say / have to be taxed? One
of those war taxes? Oh, yes, remem-
Der now. My husband did say some
thing about what I had to do to cash
the check, but 1 thought it was only
the same old rigmarole. He always eX-
plains every time he gives me a. check
He thinks I don't understand business
principles. But I always manage, to
get the money. May L have my money
now, if you please?"
"There'll be cents charge for the
stamp, madam
"Oh, very well; but I should think
you ought to pay that. The bank
makes all the profit. don't get inter-
est on the money. / didn't want war in
price woman-oh, dear, no. Really,
there's very little we can do for the
cause at home, isn't there?"
1--WE can pay the taxes, ma'am."
$50 we can. 1 hadn't thought of it in
that light. Here's cents. No, I'll take
half a dozen; or do they come by the
yard? If l buy quantity you'll have
to send them, for they'd all stick to-
gether if I carried them about in such
warm, moist weather. You don't have
delivery wagons? Very well, I'll take
one at a time. That's all now. isn't
it?"
You merely have to affix the stamp,
madam, and then cancel it,
But this is Cancelled. 1t says 7. r.
Is that like 'Georgius r. and Victoria
r. on the big seals in England? /
didn't know that imperialism in this
countrye meant that. You want my
initials and the date? Well, I'll date
it, but I mustn't endorse it, My hus-
band says that's very dangerous"
Madam, every check must have a
stamp and it must be Cancelled with the
date and your initials. That's the
law"
81 suppose I don't quite understand.
But I have to have the money today.
can't wait to ask. Do 1 have to lick
the stamp? How perfectly horridi 1
should think the government would do
that for us. Couldn't the board of
health interfere? And do 1 endorse the
stamp on the back of the check? Front
Of the stamp? OF the check? Oh, dear,
it is very perplexing. Why, I'm keep
ing such a lot of people waiting. Well,
that's done. Yes, ten-twenty-tw
five dollars. Thank you so much. I'll
be sure to remember all about it next
time"
After an interval of active business,
the perspiring teller again had II sec
onds of leisure. He leaned YEARLY
upon the glass counter before him.
That's fair sample of the way it
goes" he said. Men ought to know
better, but they don't. Some of our
oldest customers make the most
trouble. Apparently they hadn't read
he newspapers.
why don't l have a wet sponge for
he stamps? That's part of what l call
ny kindergarten method. If the pub
ic ticks the stamps, the public is going
% remember the new law. After our
ocular customers. show that they have
got used to the novelty, I always put
he stamps on for them: but it's work.
t means about $40 an hour TO the gov
.rnment for the checks that go over
his counter of mine. That's $50 a day,
md it involves the handling of $500 |
stamps. / was pretty near crazy at
irst, but if the public is disposed to /
10 its share / shall soon become accus- !
omed TO the work. The questions and
he arguments are what 1 can't stand. |
Sood morning. sir"