The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-19

one-fifth of the amount of money pass
ing through the mails in small sums, still
all efforts made thus far to secure the
easy transmission of such sums must be
considered a failure.
The movement which is now in progress
for the establishment of post checks
promises to furnish simple and effective
remedy for the difficulty. AS has already
been outlined in the columns Of this paper
the simplicity Of the plan and the entire
absence Of cost either to the government
or to the sender or receiver of the money
are its chief features. 1t is proposed to
transform the ordinary paper currency
into the required medium. This can be
done by reprinting all the one, two and
five-dollar bills now in existence and
having their faces printed with blank
spaces wherein may be written the name
of the person to whom the amount Is
transmitted the piece of currency itself
thus becoming a check upon the United
States treasury, as safe in transmission
as any piece of exchange. In ordinary
hand to hand transactions, CT course,
there will be no necessity for filing up
the blanks, but where the money is to
be transmitted the writing in of the MAJ,
ter becomes essential in order to promote
safety of transmission under all circum-
stances The only expenses with the
transaction arises from the necessity of
affixing a two-cent stamp in case the
amount is 81 or upward, and a cne-cent
stamp for the fraction of these. This
avoids a journey to the rostoffice. As
tWo-thirds of the postoftices of the coun
try are not money order offices. the uni
form availability of the plan appears
quite plain on its face.
Among the other advantages of this
plan will be the one that the renewal OF
existing paper currency VIII be made
necessarily more frequent and to great
er extent than in the past. thus avoiding
the most Objectionable feature of the
paper currency system. Another ad-
vantage will be the probability OF the
reissue OF fractional paper currency For
abuse this form Of currency by applying
to it such designations as 'shin-plastcrs,
etc, but the experience Of the American
public with silver change has taught them
the convenience and desirability OF the
old system of fractional paper currency.
Under the post check system the regu.
lar reissue of fractional paper currency
IS made certain.
Congress has been asked to authorize
an issue of $50000,G0G in fractional bills of
the post check form, in denominations of
5, TO- 10, %, and so cents, in place Of that
amount Of large notes row in circulation;
this fractional currency tC pass current
from hand to hand when left with the
blank spaces untitled. These can be
transformed INFO checks, payable to
rayee, and will require a one-cent post
age stamp for the government Zee, when
so transformed 1t will be noticed that
the expense to the sender will be CON-
paratively trivial. The mailing of a regis
tered letter now costs ten cents, while
money orders for small amounts are prac-
t!caily the same. The business interests
of the country have found it necessary to
Insist upon some plan which would sup
plant the present cumbersome and un-
satisfactory system. The pest check
scheme seems to meet all the require
ments Of the case and ought. it appears
TO Us, to present itself to congress as pes
sessing such decisive advantages as en-
title it to immediate adoption.