Evening journal., 1901-07-13

anu lne pubic Will Dear IN mind tla'
no less than $1,000 envelopes contain
ing money were found loose in the
mails last year, and that an approx.
mate number are found loose every
year, the reason why l never received
my paper or why didn't those goods
Gomez will be answered.
These loose coins and envelopes
pour into the Dead Letter Office from
postonices and railway mail postoffice
routes all over the country and aggre-
gate a large sum. Postage stamps by
the thousand are also found loose in
the mail bags and in the mails. How
they got there or where they come
from, or to whom they belong. none
can answer with positive identification.
save that they get out of the letters or
packages in some manner. The de-
partment had returned to 1t last year
$500 worth OF these loose postage
stamps, piecemeal, from single stamps
to a dozen or more in a lot, and there
is no record of the number that were
found by postal employees and never
turned in.
THE question Of a special issue of
money which has for primary object
use for mailing purposes has been more
or less agitated of late If this money
We're to be always in the hands of those
who patronize the large stores of the
great cities or those who desire to send
money through the mails, it might ac-
complish its purpose, but if it circu-
lated as a general medium of exchange
it is questionable If the remitters
didn't have 1t handy they would send
coin just the same. AS you state, your
house often receives letters with sew
eral pieces Of coin and pennies in the
envelope, some letters containing 81
and 81. That's the only money these
people have, so they send it and trust
TO luck that ii goes through.
Postage stamps are Objectionable
for many familiar reasons. There is
considerable time, penmanship, labor
and small additional sum of money
necessary before you may procure a
money order, and then only at money
order offices. and many of your sub
scribers and the customers of the large
stores mail their letters at offices which
are not money order offices.
1T will be seen, therefore, that there
are good reasons why a special issue OF
currency for use in the mails might
right channels.
Another plan would be to reduce
the fee on money orders on sums under
s. to cents and lower the fee on
other amounts up to the 500 limit.
Such a reduction would undoubtedly
cause a tremendous increase in the
money order business, and whether it
would yield as much revenue as at
present could be decided only when the
plan went into operation ard was tried
for a reasonable time
Government matters, postal and
otherwise, should not in all instances,
it seems to me, be considered from the
standpoint OF the revenue end of it.
If the government should not consider
it advisable to issue a special kind of
currency the problem under discussion
may be partially solved by the reduc-
tion of the fee for money orders to the
lowest possible sum.
"At any rate, those who send money
through the mails, whether in coin or
currency, should remember that the
government does not insure it's safe
delivery, except when the letter is reg
istered, and then up to the amount OF
$40 only.
Subscribers to newspapers and store
patrons may save themselves a great
amount OF annoyance and money il
they will send a money order in theii
letter. il it is possible to procure it"