Evening star., 1901-12-20
District of Columbia Leads Several
States and Territories.
TRANSACTIONS In WASHINGTON
More Money Comes in Here
Than is Paid Out.
MAGNITUDE OF BUSINESS

''One OF the branches of the government
which is closest to the people Is the money
order system of the postal service, yet, as
simple it is, there are various wrinkles
of useful and popular interest which are
often forgotten or misunderstood by the
millions who aid Uncle Sam in making
both ends meet by patronizing the mails"
said postal official to a Star man this
morning
AS The Star explained a few days ago.
the District of Columbia leads all other
states and territories in the use of the
mails per CAPITA heading the list with g. 81
expended on an average by each person.
In the money order business the District
makes a high showing in proportion to it's
population. and in comparison with the
other states and territories exceeds many
IN aggregate volume of the money order
business transacted This is a most graft
flying fact. and is Indicative of business ac-
tivity within our circumscribed area of
less than ten miles square.
Practically Transacted in Washington
I'm this connection it should be borne in
mind that for the purpose of comparative
illustration what 1 say applies substan-
TALLY to the city of Washington and it's
various substatiOns. The remaining presi-
Dental post office of Langdon and the four
fourth-class post offices do not transact
materially affect the totals. Therefore
Washington as city is largely entitled to
take unto herself the credit the figures and
facts given bestow upon her.
During the past fiscal year the money
order offices in the District of Columbia
paid 263.4o5 domestic money orders
amounting to 81 al, 137, and 7,4S9 interna-
tional money orders, amounting to SI9.549
or 2f6-S9t money orders in all, amounting
to s1.s24.2s6.
There were issued during the same period
1li,2i5 domestic money orders amounting
to S1.5> >3.1Gi, and S,0I2 international money
orders. amounting to S129.l03, or we issue
IN all lIJ,.Di money orders amounting to
81. 1U:.1I
To arrive at an aggregate total we add
all OF the orders issued and paid, and the
amounts received and paid out and that
gives a complete total Of 4 > POI orders s.
sued and paid. and the sum of S3.52 567
taken in and disbursed.
An analysis of these figures shows that
We received an excess of S121 OH on orders
drawn els-Where and payable here, over
orders ISSUED here and payable elsewhere:
this balance being in our favor as the
money passed into the hands of the hold
ers of the orders here.
"A comparison of the number of orders
issued and paid shows that We paid III
80 more orders than we issued. If we had
-SStItG orders in excess in amount of those
paid The balance would have been against
the District for whatever the excess may
have been
"As long as We pay money orders In an
aggregate sum in excess of those We is
sue there is just that amount more of
money coming into the District than is go
ing out of it through this particular chan
mel, and. as | have said. last year the
amount was Sl21 OH to the good A fair
peTc' ntaSc of this money comes from the
surrounding states from persons who shop
in Washington by mail. transmitting money
orders i'll payment of goods
Ahead of Several States.
"A comparison by states and territories
VII prove equally interesting. 1t cannot
be expt ctod that the District of Columbia
which is so limited in area compared with
the greater of the different states in which
are situated many large cities, may justly
compete with these states, but we do make
SHOW ng relatively as large as any, and
surprisingly so when compared with some
of the states and territories.
In order that the results may be seen at
glance | have arranged a table showing
the s -ates and territories which do a less