The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-07-26

"What becomes Of al the money
orders which are never presented for
parmentf' asked o Washington busi-
ness man Of a postal official, reports
the Washington Star. Every few
DAYS we receive letters from our GUS
TONERS saying that they have for
warded orders for goods, but the or
ders have never reached onr hands.
And this is true Of a very large mail
order house 10 Washington"
"They disappear in various ways,
was the reply Some are burned or
torn up instead of the receipts and
this Is particularly true Of interna
tional money orders where the re-
ceipts are of the same size Of the or
der, only white>in color. Some are
sent in letters which are not adj
dressed at an or are incorrectly ad-
dressed, and these, together with
thousands Of other orders, find their
way 20 the dead letter Office. llti-
mafelv most Of these letters find
their way back to the remitiers or
duplicates are applied for
"The British government ut'llzes ae
a source Of postal revenue an Of the
money in its hands which is not paid
out 10 meet money orders upon pres
entation and derives about $4,000
annually therefrom. Our govern
ment does not attempt 10 derive any
profit from this source and the
money IS turned into the treasury.
where 1t Is held in trust as il were,
70 meet these ohlirntions. The gov
eminent has no desire ia claim OF
confiscatt this money oud II viii
pay It's obligations - he form OF
money orseF At ary iirne upon pres
entation upon satiafsine itself IN
the Instance Of q long lapse Of years
that there mas oeen no nrevions pay
ment BY dnplicate or otherwise. In
Great Britain. ! neiieve, this money
becomes forfeited to The government
after a certain number Of years, four,
] think. The British government evi-
IDENTIFY proceeds upon the theory that
n a holder OF money order or the
sender does not seek TO cash the or
der within a reasonable time the gov
ernment can put il TO good advan-
tage by applying the amount TO IFS
own use. Such a practice undoubted-
~ facilitates the business Of the gov
ernment's end OF the contract and is
strictly legal II authorized by Law.
In nearly all money transactions
there IS a limitation upon the valid
ity Of any voucher which represents
cash as 20 its presentation. Even
note payable without date is barred
by the statute Of limitations In the
various states,
There Is to-day an accumulation
Of over s.. 500, 900 in the treasury Of
these unclaimed money orders which
has been gradually plling MP year aft
er year during the IS years the gov
ernment has been conducting a
money order business. With each in
dividual order the government has
made a special effort 10 effect pay
ment to the payee or restore the
amount 10 the remitter. and, failing.
can 40 nought but keep the amount.
The fact that $1,000 duplicate orders
are annually issued would appear 20
| Indicate that the American people are
extremely careless iu the handling
OF these money vouchers. Where the
originals % or how they are disposed
Of would I'm valume.
"The government has issued $1,000
COO. 900 in money orders, aud has paid
every cent Of this great sum except
the S.. 100000 | have mentioned. a
single order may be- issued up TO si0c
IN amount. and the average is about
$50. the smaller offices issuing the
great bulk OF orders and the larger
offices cashing 9s per cent. of them.
"Trayeling men, actors, circus men,
railroad employees and others, whose
business requires them 10 move from
place % place. are very fond Of bny
ing orders payable TO themselves.
They cannot spend an order as a bin
and as no one but themselves or the
lnAorsees may secure the amount Of
the orders they are Just that much
ahead when they get into the next
town. making themselves their own
banksrs with The government as o
depository Sometimes an actor OF.
circus man win present q dozen or
ders at the close OF the season which
he has bought from time 20 time, and
their amount represents savings
which otherwise would have been
spent"