The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-18
From the Washington Star.

Wr1tten-DOnt WOrry-Ine OoV-
ernmenps Clerks Are Paid to Do
That.
From the Washington Star.
while the procuring and sending of a
money order is comparatively simple"
said a money order clerk to a Star man
to-day. "the fact that we are asked so
many questions by those who patronize
that branch of the governments SER
vice indicates much lack of knowledge,
or forgetfulness, on their part.
1.-THE maximum amount for which
domestic money order may be drawn,
payable in this country, Cuba, Canada.
Hawaii, Porto Rico or the Philippines,
is 500. Orders are now drawn on Cuba
and Canada on domestic form. But
you may obtain two or several orders
for this sum upon the same Office, en-
abling a person to transmit a large sum
by mail. For instance. thousands of
dollars have been sent from Havana
from the same remitter to the same
payee in New York
The maximum amount for a single
order payable in Great Britain is $50.
"A person contemplating a trip abroad
Will buy several hundred dollars worth
OF money orders payable to himself in
London. If he does not cash them in
full, he secures repayment of the bal
ance upon his return home without adj
ditional cost and without inconveni-
ence.
Don't hold the order as a receipt.
Send it to the person to whom the
money is to be paid.
Keep your receipt safely until you
learn whether the amount has been
paid. Always present your receipt to
the money order clerk at the Office
where you purchased the order when
you wish to make an inquiry concern
ing it. This will save you lot of time
and talk
With an international order, where
the receipt is the same size as the or
iginal order. only on white paper, don't
send the receipt instead of the order,
as hundreds of people do annually. 1t
is true that the order may be paid by
duplicate abroad, but it may not, and
delay and confusion result.
IF you desire repayment of either a
domestic or a foreign order always
bring the order with you when you go
to the postoffice. You will be saved de-
lay, another trip and care fare.
DO not mutilate the order or change
any portion of it.
Always examine the order carefully
when you receive it from the clerks.
Mistakes are often made by the clerks
III you discover a mistake at the win
dow the enormously drawn order will
be Cancelled and new one issued in
its place. 1t saves future trouble to
you and to the payee.
"One of the main reasons why the
statue limits the Endorsement on an
order to one is because the government
is not engaged in the banking business.
If money order could be Endorsed
without limit, as a check on a bank,
the order would become a negotiable
instrument, as the term is legally I'M
derstood. A single Endorsement makes
it quasi negotiable.
IF an order is not presented for pay
ment before the expiration of one year
from the last day of the month in
which it is issued it becomes invalid
by law. Upon presentation of the or
der, however, if it is domestic, you will
get your money in few days by war
rant and without additional cost
do not forget that foreign orders
are not repaid upon presentation, as
are domestic orders. Authority from
the government upon which 1t is
drawn must first be obtained through
the department in Washington. This
consumes about six weeks in the case
and Central Europe, to three months
in the case of an order drawn on Cape
Colony, India or the trans-Pacific col
onies of the British empire. Don't wor-
ry about your money. 1t is safe and
you will get it back as expeditiously
as possible.
"In applying for a duplicate lost do
nestle money order don't expect
to get 1t in twenty-four hours. Dupli-
Gates are issued by the department in
Washington, and several days must
necessarily eiapse before the applica-
ton can reach the department and the
duplicate issued and transmitted.
Write your application for money
order legibly. If you can't write take
along some one who can. The money
order clerk is prohibited from perform
ing this service for you.
Don't register a money order. Some
careful people do. 1t is unnecessary.
The rule of the department is strict
that money orders may be paid only
upon Identification, and an identified
ton usually as complete as the teller
of bank requires upon the presenta-
ton of a check by an unknown per-
son. If postmaster effects payment
to the wrong person he and not you is
the loser. That's why they are so care
full.
THE government undertakes for the
required fee to transport for you to a
particular person or his single indorsee
a certain sum of money payable at a
particular postoffice. Let the govern
ment worry about its safe delivery;
don't you.
you have a vague idea that the
issuing postmaster must have inform
ed the paying postmaster in some
manner about you because of the ma
ture of the question put to you when
you present the order for payment. He
gets this information by means of what
is termed the advice a paper which
contains all of the particulars you can
read on the order itself, the amount,
date, office, etc, as we'll as the remit
ter's name your own and your adj
dress, etc. This is the reason you are
caught up by the clerk If you happen
to give an address different from that
furnished by the remitter and speci-
fed in the advace, which would hap
pen If you had moved in the mean
time.
you wonder how he gets this in
forma ton before you receive the or
der. The advice must be dispatched by
the first mail after the issue OF the
order and awaits your coming. II the
advice is missent. not sent at all or is
lost in transit, as sometimes happens
application for second advice IL
made, for the order will not be paid
without an advice. except at the post
masters risk, which he seldom as
sumes unless he knows you very we'll"