The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-22
POSTAL MONEY ORDER CARDS'
\ Much Needed Innovation "h'ch
Uncle Sam should Make

XVbon I'm those days any one wanted
To remit an odd amount by mail It was
| possible TO do this in the small paper
| monies which when enclosed IN let
ter. passed safely through the mails
When the resumption OF specie pay
| ments came ABOUT, ana the ISSUE Oh ~
yer fractional currency soon drove the
paper fractional out OF existence.
The need OF a medium 70 transmit and
remit sums I'm fractions Of dollar was
recognized by the Postofllce Department;
which sought to alleviate the demand
| through the pOsta notes. which were
issued at many Offices. but not by any
means at a majority OF the Dosto'nees
| I'm the United States The man At 'he
country crossroads VINO wants 10 sehu
| IN cents 10 n concern In the city buys
hostage stamps and encloses them IN
| his letter. He forgets however 10 place
| tho cummed side on an oiled paper, <nd
en- when they reach the city house one
| half OF them are stuck together end
cause the city man not only the loss OF
a good deal OF valuable time IN tryihB
10 get them apart. but also cause h.lh
10 say certain words when would make
the recording angel close ms ears IN
hurry.
I'm concerns doing a large mail order
business where the amount or stamps
received Is very great. there is. IN nearly
all Of them "A certain amount set aslde
10 allow for stamps received IN sucp
shape as 20 be unavailable TOT 'se ~
postage Then 10 realize the casn Tor
AN these stamps the firm mas 10 MAKE
a sacrifice OF from / 20 Q per cent. ana
though this seems very small II counts
IN IN the course ~ year.
The postal notes have been done away
With and now only the mOney-order bus
mess remains. but often there is In
county only one OF these Offices
The money-order system which now
prevails in this country Is a rather com
pIicated piece of machinery. and 70 OBJ
tain an order one has 10 MI out an ap-
plfcation in writing. This. 10 people VINO
handle their pens I'm office and store all
dav long. looks like very little trouble.
but 10 our cousin In the country who is
more familiar with the hoe handle than
| a nenholder this in itself proves bug
bear when he wants 10 send a small
amount Then again. as said before
only a limited number Of postohces are
money order offices so that 20 obtain
such an order the farmer has 10 20 per-
haps 10 or 10 miles In the more spareiy
settled parts Of the country.
The express companies. ever ready 10
draw patronage and business TO them
selves issue money orders, and through
their efforts 20 make their orders a con-
venience 10 the public. must have cut
very seriously into the revenues the gov
eminent ought 10 derive from the trars-
mission Of money.
WHY cannot the government come 10
the relief Of the people by Issuing a
postal mOney-Order card for sums OF less
than one dollar. something after the pat
tern given below?
II farmer Jones I'm Brownstown wishes
10 send 10 John Smith q Co. I'm Ne"
York fifty cents for their valuable pun
LEGATION Of How 20 get rich In I'VE years
bv raising pot try" he would simply
purchase a card from his local postoffce
| at a cost of two cents, place upon TINS
card 80 cents worth OF stamps. Ill out
and direct his card. write his order on
the back Of &c. and the transaction, as
far as he IS concerned. IS over.
The operation saves him the necessity
Of buying a sheet Of paper and an envel-
ope. which again 10 the city man Is a
mere bagatelle but to the farmer who
buys them by the single sheet and single
envelope. this saving represents two
cents
The postmaster at Brownstown would
cancel the stamps affixed 10 the card;
| the postmaster at New York, upon pre-
sentation and surrender OF the card
would pay John Smith & Co. ~ cents.
and i'm his accounts with the Department
cents paid out. The POstoiiice Depart
mcnt now carries cards for one cent.
so by making the cost OF this card two
cents the government would get one cent
extra ON every card carried, which would
/ surely pay for the trouble Of counting
and verifying the Cancelled cards and the
number of extra stamps used. The
| amount being limited 10 sums OF less
| than one dollar. would make IL possible
| 10 let even the smallest offices I'm the
country redeem cards for Il Is not often
| that such small amounts are sent from
| the city 10 the country. In exceptional
| cases this may be So but II would hard
| ly seem probable that cards OF greater
value would come 20 a small Office than
| the receipts OF the Office would repre-
/ sent.
| No receipt should he required; the
| card itself. with Cancelled stamps attach
ed and plainly postmarked with the
| mailing and also the receiving point,
| ought TO be prima facia evidence. and
no card should be payable at any other
| place than at the Office at which the
addresses OF the card receives MS mail
The size is the same as the large card
of the 1892 issue.
Every postofice I'm the country keeps
10-cent stamps so that with the space
| reserved for - stamps. the space ought
| 10 be sufficient TO place enough value on
| the card to make the amount up 10 the
| prescribed limit but where one card
| would be used 10 remit " cents. one
hundred would be used 10 remit . or
| 80 cents
1t seems 10 me that this plan Is so
simple and so practicable that anyone
would be convinced of its DEMENT'S. and
on the other hand I cannot see wherein
there can be any loss 10 the department
| by its use. II the card went through
| the mall with the stamps uncanceled,
then OF course IL would offer a tempta-
! ton 10 steal the stamps, but as they
are cancelled and the amount or the card
| only payable TO the ADDRESSED az the OF
flee where addressee lives, there would
be no inducement for its being lost In
| transit
Publishers Of the smaller papers would
certainly be benefited by II. as now re-
mittances have 10 be made I'm stamps
while a postal money-order card re-
deemable at the postofiice would give
| them the cash for which we All sign.
The country postmaster would no uouos
hail this scheme with delight Tor II
would give him the benefit OF the stamps
| cancelled AT his office the amount OF can
collation. forming the basis OF MS Sdiary'
] hope the press will take M this mat
ter and by giving this article puohclty
start a discussion of the pros ana con
Of the scheme. and I hope some one VIII
be able 20 suggest Improvements upon
my idea.--John 9aalzow' the virginia
Philatelist.
Fever on the Seneca Malariai
NEW YORK rui,. u Mr. Doty became