Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-22
CRUDE AND COSTLY SYSTEM
Vast Amount Of Labor Involved in Hand
ling Money Orders.
ARCHAIC METHOD OF AUDITING ACCOUNTS
Tons Of orders Returned, Verified and
FILED in Numerical Order
Plans for Reducing
the Work.

Few who fill out occasional money orders
at the postoflce, relates the Washington
Post, stop to think Of the almost
number of similar orders which are issued
daily throughout the country, much less do
they realize the enormous amount OF labor
involved in handling the millions Of dollars
thus deposited with the United States postal
employees. II one takes into consideration
the 35, 900 money order Offices under our
government alone, including Alaska, Ha-
wall, Guam and Porto Rico, It will be
easier to gain an adequate idea of the work
Of keeping track of the so, 900, 900 of these
vouchers which pass through the hands OF
our postmasters every year.
Yet all these money orders, which, as
blanks, were sent out in book form and by
serial number, though they are widely
separated and travel thousands Of miles,
with landings by many people, are
brought back after use, and, like the parts
Of every well regulated system in the
heavens above or the earth beneath, are
restored to their original form-for once
more they are placed in proper succession
in books.
The headquarters for these inconspicuous
but nevertheless consequential slips Of
paper are in the office OF the auditor in the
postofnce building at Washington. The
accounts Of all the postmasters are settled
there, where weekly and monthly state
ments, comprising hundreds of sheets Of
figures, are sent for inspection. Large city
offices sometimes send weekly 900 sheets, or
thiryt-six columns OF figures, enumerating
each OF the 100, 900 or more orders accom-
panying them. To compare and settle &C
counts as vast as these, TO inspect and
verify them, assert, label and file them, Is
only a skeleton part OF the work required
Of this bureau.
AT the head Of the great number OF
people required is Henry A. Castle, chief
auditor for the United States Postofice de-
partment. ais bureau is under the treas
ury. but It has entire control OF the settle
ments and accounts Of all branches OF the
postal service. During the six years which
Mr.. Castle has been in ONCE he says that
he has witnessed a growth of more than 70
per cent in the business. This he at
tributes to the enormous expansion of the
postal service in every direction.
From 9 100000 to $313,OOO,OOO
When one considers the fact that dur
ing the first year Of the money order sys-
TEN, which was started In 1864, only a lit
tie over 81, 00O, 900 was issued in domestic
orders, as set up against the $S13, 600, 900 OF
the year just ended, some idea of its
growth may be imagined. Money order
offices are springing up all over the coun-
try, 5000 of them having been added since
July / last. This is due in a large part
to the opening up of the West and TO the
greater free delivery facilities. In one
week over three-quarters Of a million dol
lars is paid in the Chicago Office alone.
Every money order paid in the United
States comes to the auditors office as g
voucher and must be handled many times
before the accounts of the issuing and
paying postmaster can be properly audited
Arriving at the office, these statements
are first taken up in the inspection divi-
sion. Needless to say, numerous mistakes
are found, and, strangely enough, most
of them are against the government. II
addition to verifying the amount, all the
columns Of figures must be footed up and
technicaities as to signatures and In
dorsements attended to.
The vouchers are then carried forward
in bulk, Weighing hundreds of pounds {
day, to what is called the "round-tabl'
section" Here In two large. rooms mel
stand at circular tables and throw the
vouchers into pigeon-holes labeled with
the names of each state where the orders
were originally issued, including the new
poSSesblonb dCqulTeu ny OhCAe ohm' AlpeI
having thus been distributed by states
the slips are taken to another section
where a number Of busy women are EN-
ployed in asserting them into alphabet.
zeal order, according to the town of issu,
in each state, another section ASSERTING
them by towns themselves. AS som,
states have 1000 or more post Offices, thu
magnitude of this task may be easily un
derstood.