Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-09-12
NEW FORM or POSTAL oRosR.

The Post Office Department has adopt
ed a new form Of domestic money order,
which will be introduced gradually, or
as supplies OF the old form become ex-
hsusted, 81 the various post offices
throughout the country, after the 4th Of
September.
The new form is somewhat smaller
than the order now In use. Its dimen-
sions are about those OF the ordinary
bank draft. IL has two sdjuncts-the
advice, or notification 10 be sent BY the
Issuing 20 the paying postmaster, Il =
reproduction of the order through the
use OF cArbonized paper, the manifold
prccess), and = receipt for the amount,
20 be furnished BY the issuing postmss-
ter TO the remltter.
On the back OF the order q separate
space has been provided for the stamps
Of banks through which 1t may be passed
for collection.
In color the order Is blue, having .
light blue ground, with fine, closely In
terlaced, tinted lines OF geometricsl
lathe-work, Of darker shade. In the CEN
tire Is an escutcheon bearing the words,
postal Money Order" In shaded capital
letters Of the same two tints OF blue.
The tint Of the order and the lathe-~ork
will serve 10 prevent limitations; but, as
an additional safeguard against coun-
terfeiting, = horizontal wster-msrk, COM
posed OF the initials L. ;. NJ. o., in broad
capital letters, has been wrought into
the paper on which the new forms are
printed.
Through the process mentioned (the
carbon, or manifold process,) the order
and the advice are produced simultSre-
ously. By the same operation the es-
sentisl particulars OF name Of psyee,
date, amount, and place Of payment, as
written in the order, are duplicated, or
reproduced, and made 20 sppesr In the
advice precisely as In the order. The
liability 20 mistake Is thus greatly lea
sened. and 8 saving Of time effected.
DISCREPANCIES between order and advice,
which, by eutsiling additional CORE
spondenee and causing delay in payment,
have heretofore been . source OF an
noysnce 10 the Department and postmas-
tiers, as well IS 70 remitters and psyees,
are prevented, and absolute uniformity
between the order and advice insured.
The despatch Of sdvices, which hitherto
have not been made out until after issue
OF the orders, will also be accelerated.
In shape and size the new order IL
deemed q decided improvement over any
other form of money order hitherto
adopted by the department. Its d.
mansions being about those OF the ordi-
nary bank draft, IL may be conveniently
handled when mixed with different kinds
Of commercial paper. IL is believed that
the change made In this respect viii be
heartily approved by banks and business
people generally.
The postal money order system, from
q small beginning In 1854, when the
number OF money order post Offices es-
tablished in the United States Was 4ls,
has grown 70 De one OF the great indis-
penssble agencies Of exchange. There
are now about $4,000 such offices. The
number Of domestic money orders issued
In the United States during the past
yes- was over 5o,000, 900 amounting In
value 10 s2l0.000,0o0. The system Is
used most extensively for remittanees
from places where bank exchange is not
so readily obtsinsble. While supple
menting facilities for intercourse be
tween populous centres, it has its own
special field, supplying means for the
safe and cheap transmission OF money
where other agencies for the purpose
could not be successfully maintained.