The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-24
NEW POSTAL ORDER.
Post Office Department Adopts Ne"
Form That is Pleasing.

Post office Department Adopts q New
Form That is Pleasing.
The post office department has adopt
ed a new form of domestic money or
der, which will be introduced gradual
~, or as supplies OF the old form be-
come exhausted, at the various post
offices throughout the country, after
Sept. 4.
The new form is somewhat smaller
than the order now in use. 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 mapitold
process), and a receipt for the amount
TO be furnished by the issuing post
master to the remitteT.
On the back Of the order a separate
space has been provided for the
stamps Of banks through which it may
be passed for collection.
In color the order is blue, having
light blue ground, with fine, closely in
terlaced, tinted lines of geometrical
lathe-work, of darker shade. In the
center is an escrutcheon bearing the
words, Postal money order in shaded
capital letters of the same two tints of
work will serve to prevent limitations;
but as an additional safeguard against
counterfeiting, horizontal water
mark, composed of the initials L. 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 manifold process), the order
and the advice are produced simultane-
ously. By the same operation the es-
sential particulars Of name of payee,
date, amount and place of payment,
as written in the order, are duplicated
or reproduced, and made to appear III
the advice precisely as in the order.
The liability to mistake is thus greatly
lessened, and a saving of time effect
ed. Discrepancies between order and
advice, which, by entailling additional
correspondence and causing delay in
payment, have heretofore been a source
of annoyance to the department and
postmasters, as well as to re-
mitters and payees. are pre-
vented, and absolute uniformity be
tween the order and advice insured.
The dispatch of advices, which hither-
to have not been made out until after
issue of the orders, will also be acctara-
ated
The receipt, which is to be furnished
by the issuing postmaster tp the re-
mitter, showing the number and date
Of the order and the amount for which
issued, is also, in the main, reproduc-
ton, by the carbon process, of the
writing and stamping on the order,
hence must necessarily agree Herewith.
The adoption of a receipt has not hith-
erto been practicable 1t will tend 10
popularize the postal money order, sup
plying more than all else what was
needed to make it, in the estimation
of the public, a perfectly satisfactory
vehicle for the transmission of small
sums. Possession of the receipt will
give the remitter feeling of security.
On the back of it he may make for his
own convenience, a memorandum of
the name and address of the person TO
whom the remittance is made and the
purpose for which it is sent. Produc-
ton of the receipt will greatly facih-
tate reference to the records if it be-
come" necessary for the remitter to
make application for duplicate order
or inquiry as to whether the original
has been paid; and here again a saw
ing of time will be effected
In shape and size the new order is
deemed a decided Improvement ovcl
any other form of money order hitler
TO adopted by the department. Its di
mansions being about those of the ordi-
nary bank draft, it may be convenient
ly handled when mixed with different
kinds of commercial paper 1t is be-
lieved that the change made in this
| respect will be heartily approved by
banks and business. people generally.
That the new order may win it's way
to public favor by it's simplicity. clear
ness and adaptability, great care has
been taken to give it this character by
arrangement of its parts, by avoiding
surplusage in the text or wording, and
by using plain type and excluding
Whatever would be merely ornate de-
sign.
The postal money order system, from
small beginning in 1864 when the
number of money order post offices es
tablished in the United States was 419
has grown to be one of the great indis-
pensable 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 3O,O0O,OO0 amount
ing in value to 100000, 600 The system
is used most extensively for remittanc-
es from places where bank exchange
is not so readily obtainable. While
supplementing facilities for inter
courses between populous centers, II
has its own special field, supplying
means for the safe and cheap trans
MISSION Oh money where other agen-
cies for the purpose could not be sue
cessfully maintained
In the adoption of the new form of
order the interests and preferences of
patrons of the system, no less than
economy of administration, have been
duly considered; and it is therefore
confidently expected that it will tend
to enhance in no small degree the pop
ularity of this method of making re-
mittapces. 1t is expected that on or
about Jan. next the fee charged for
orders will be materially reduced.
Postmaster j. Evarts Greene receiv-
ed samples of the new forms yesterday
and, while he would have some details.
so far as printing is concerned differ
emit, Mr.. Greene considers the new form
a big improvement over the old.