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

lowed by Great Britain and Germany In
1871. Canada in 1876. Italy. France and
Belgium in 1877, 1879 and 1882, respectively.
Spain Is the only important European
country which has no postal money order
Every mail steamer leaving New York.
New Orleans or San Francisco carries
precious freight of these orders to be ex-
changed by the recipients for coin or cur
rency of the realm where they reside. Inc
great bulk of this business is with Austria,
Hungary, Germany. Great Britain ana
ITALY. In few instances the incoming
exceed the outgoing orders, but the aggre-
gate balance is against the United States,
because of the large sums which. immi-
grants send as gratuitfes to their relatives
at home, or remit for investment. Many
of the thrifty Italians send money to be
deposited in the postal savings banks OF
their own country.
There Is no savings bank department IN
our postal service, but many people use The
money order system a substitute. This
is particularly true of commercial trav-
elers. actors and all that large class OF
people who have no permanent abiding
place. 1t Is common thing for such per-
sons to invest their savings in money or
ders, drawn in their own favor, treating
them as certificates of deposit readily con-
vertible into cash in case of need.
For the management of this vast business
at home and abroad there are now en-
ployed in the money order division of the
Post Office Department, under the direction
Of the first assistant postmaster general.
sixty-two persons The same class or
work required the services of thirty-six
persons in 1880, when there were less than
5000 money order offices, as against 3I,OO0
now, and when the number and amount
Of domestic orders issued were about one
seventh and one-fourth, respectively, of the
business recorded for 1904. The labor OF
collating the figures for the year ended
June 3d. 1905. has not yet been completed.
Much of the work of the money order d.
vision requires clerical ability of the high
est order, as well as specialized talents and
accomplishments A great mass OF CORE
spondence is received written in the Ger
man. French, italian. Spanish and Scandi-
navian languages. Several Of the staff or
clerks are linguists. some are expert &C
countants. while others must cultivate ia
miliartty with foreign names and places, as
well as the geographical and political d.
visions of the world. This is necessary to
enable them to correct blind addresses and
effect payments orders to the persons in
tended. Delicate questions touching con-
flicting claims and property rights arise.
Complaints are to be considered and inves-
tigated: evidence sifted and decisions rem
dered.
In addition to conducting the correspond
ence of this division and keeping exact
records of all transactions the small cler-
ical force must supervise the purchase and
delivery of supplies OF various kinds from
contractors. To keep $1,000 post offices
stocked with the printed forms, record
books. stamps. stationery and other sup
plies needed for the proper transaction OF
the business; to SO contrive that the ma
chinery shall move smoothly without jar or
friction, and, most important of all. to see
that funds are provided at the points where
they are needed for the prompt payment
of orders, is a task that requires unceasing
vigilance and industry.
The most serious problem confronting
the service at this time Is to devise a form
of order which will defy, at least mini
mize, the efforts of forgers to swindle
wary merchants by raising" amounts.
Under direction of the Postmaster General
committee of experts, one of which is the
superintendent of the money order system,
now has this matter under consideration.
Twice before, since the establishment of the
system, the form of the order has been
changed. namely, in 1894 and again in 1897.