Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-10

HE postal money order system VI '.o
United States has just celebrated us
fortieth birthday. During the nscai
wear 1865 the orders Issued amounteo
to scarcely more than a million DOL
lars For the fiscal year 1904 the orders
issued aggregated nearly four hundred MIL
lions. and it is safe to say that TOT the
year ended June 30, 1905. the record VIII
be broken by twenty-five million dollars.
This. briefly, is the history Of the money
order system of this country.
The postal money order system OF Great
Britain antedates that Of the United States
by about twenty-five years, during which
period it clearly demonstrated Its utility
and became firmly established as per
manent branch of the British service. As
early as 1892 a scheme of that nature had
been undertaken in England by some om-
GERS of the post Office establishment as
private enterprise but. owing TO detectNe
organization or lack of uniformity ana SIN.
plicity in operation, the plan failed to merit
or attract public confidence, which was es-
sental to success.
The government took the matter up for
serious consideration in 1888. and In jan
nary 1899 the English money order system
was introduced. In January, 1857, during
the incumbency of President Pierce. Post
master General James Campbell of Penn
sylvania transmitted to the committee on
post offices and post roads OF the house oI
system. The matter also was brought 10
the attention of Congress by the success
o-s of Cen Campbell, but 1t was not until
May IT, 1864. that an act was passed en-
ablng the department to put the plan into
operation
Under the direction OF Postmaster Gen
eral Montgomery Blair. the duty OF organ
izing the new branch Of the postal service
was intrusted to the late DR.. Charles F..
Macdonald, who was believed to be ad-
mirably fitted for the work and who Is
remembered today as the father Of the sys-
tenn. To his accurate knowledge OF detail,
skill in organization and wise manage
ment is due the success to which the pos
tai money system has attained. DR.. Mac
Donald laid broad and safe foundation
for the structure that was to follow. he
remained at the head of this service until
1898. when advancing age and III health
induced him to accept an appointment as
consul to Hamilton, Ontario, where he died
seven years later. He was succeeded by
E. M. Gadsen of Georgia. who served until
his death. in 1900. Edward F. Kimball IS
the present superintendent, and to his ad-
ministration is attributed much of the
credit for the enviable record this division
has made in the last two or three years.
Mr. Kimball has been in the service OF
the Post Office Department for twenty
years, having started a $1,000 clerk in
1885 He has worked through successive
grades to be chief clerk of the money order
division. and later its head. He was born
November II, 1859. at North Berwick, Me.
but came to Washington when small
child and may be properly called Wash
ingtonian. He had fondness for the sea
and was commissioned a third lieutenant
in the revenue cutter service, after gradu-
ating second In his class at the cadet
school. Mr.. Kimball has been superinten-
dent since January I, 1904.
The money order system was put in oper-
alton in the fall of 1854 at 141 offices. BY
the end of the fiscal year the number had
been increased to 40. These offices issued
74,27T orders, representing 81 ,3Go, 1882.
Anticipating a deficit on that account.
Congress had placed at the disposal of the
department 100000 to provide the neces-
sary equipment for post offices and defray
various incidental expenses. but only lit
i. tic more than $1,000 of that sum was ex-
pended for the purposes indicated. From
that time to the present annual reports
have shown an excess of receipts over ex-
penditures. The growth of the business
has been steady. each year recording
normal increase, with the exception OF two
or three years, during periods of financial
depression In 1880 the receipts were more
than one hundred millions; by 1898 the fig