Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-24
Postal Department Adopts a New
and Better Form For Do.
nestle Use.
Has Many Merits Not Possessed BY
the Present Order Purchaser
Gets Receipt.
A Description of the New Blank
and Some of Its Advan.
tages.

troduced gradually, or as supplies OF
the old form become exhausted at the
various postoffices throughout the
country, after the 4th of September.
The new form is somewhat smaller
than the order now used. Its dimen-
sions are about those of the ordinary
bank draft. 1t has two adjuncts-the
advice, or notification to be sent by the
issuing to the paying postmaster is a
reproduction of the order through the
use of carbonized paper (the manifold
lprocess), and a receipt for the amount,
to he furnished by the issuing post
master to the remitter.
On the back of the order a separate
space has been provided for the stamps
passed for collection.
In color the order is blue having a
light blue ground, with fine, closely in
terlaced, tinted lines of geometrical
lathe work of darker shade. In the
center 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 work will serve to prevent imita-
tons, but as an additional safeguard
against counterfeiting horizontal
water mark, composed of the initials
q S. 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 nanifold), the order and the
advice are produced simultaneously.
BY the same operation the essential
particulars OF name of payee, date.
amount and place of payment, as writ
ten in the ORDER, are duplicated or re-
produced and made to appear in the ad-
vice precisely as in the order The
liability to mistake is thus greatly les
sened and saving of time effected
discrepancies between order and adj
vice, which, by entaiing additional
correspondence and causing delay in
payment. have heretofore been a source
OF annoyance TO the department and
postnasters and payees, are prevented.
and absolute uniformity between the
order and the advice insured. The dis
patch of advices. which hitherto have
not been made out until after issue of
the orders, will also be accelerated.
The receipt, which is 10 he furnished
by the issuing postmaster to the remit
ter, showing the number and date of
the order and the amount for which is
sued, is also, in the main, a reproduce
ton, by the carbon process, of the writ
nv n q ts,.,,,
must necessarily agree Herewith. The
adoption of receipt has not hitherto
been practicable. 1t will tend to popl-
larize the postal money order. suppling
more than all else what was needed to
make 1t, in the estimation of the pub
lie, a perfectly satisfactory vehicle for
the transmission of small sums Pos
SESSION of the receipt VIII give the re-
nlitter a feeling of security. on the
back of IT he may make for his own
eonvenienee, memorandum Of the
name and address of the person to
whom the remittance is made and the
purpose for which it is sent PRODUCE
tion Of the receipt will greatly facilitate
reference to the records if it becomes
necessary for the remitter to make APP
plication for duplicate order or in
curry as to whether the original has
been paid; and here again saving of
time will be effected.
In shape and size the new order is
deemed a decided Improvement over
Iany other form of money order hitherto
ladopted by the department. Its dimen-
Isions being about those of the ordinary
bank draft, it may be conveniently
handled VIXEN mixed with different
kinds of commercial paper. 1t is be-
lieved that the change made in this re-
Ispect will be heartily approved by banks
and business people generally
That the new order may win its way
to public favor by is simplicity clear
ness and adaptibilty. great care has
baen taken to give 1t this character by
arrangement of its parts by avoiding
surplusage in the text or wording, an6
by using plain type and excluding
whatever would be merely ornate de
sign.
/ The postal money order system, from
a small beginning in 1864. when the
number of money order postoffices es.
ltablished in the United States was 419
has grown to be one of the great indis.
ipensable agencies of exchange There
are now about 10000 such Offices. The
number of domestic money orders is.
sued in the United States during the
past year was over 30000,0OO, amounting
| in value to s21O.O00.0 900. The system i.
used most extensively for remittances
| from places where bank exchange is MOI
so readily obtainable. While supple.
lmenting facilities for intercourses be.
tween populous centers, it has it's owr
special field, supplying means for the
safe and cheap transmission of money
Where other agencies for the purpose
could not be successfully maintained.
In the adoption of the new form OF
order the interests and preferences OF
patrons of the system, no less thar
economy of administration, have beer
duly considered: and it is therefore con-
fidently expected that it will tend to
enhance in no small degree the popular
ity of this method of making remit
tances. 1t is expected that on or abou,
jan next the fee charged for orders
will be materially reduced.
Postmaster Saint has received a
supply of the new form of domestic
money orders adopted by the postoffice
department Their use will be begun
gradually throughout the country after
September !, as local supplies of the old
style are exhausted. Mr.. Saint esti-
mates that the new style order will be
in use at the Marshalltown office about
october ]. The new form Of order has
many merits not found in the one in