The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-05-01

the usefulness of this branch of the
government without in any manner
increasing the expenses.
The plan proposed is TO have the
denominations running from one to
nine cents free of cost and in denomin-
atons running from nine to forty cents
at a cost of one cent, and those run
ming from forty cents to two dollars
and fifty cents at Il cost of two cents.
1t is argued that in as much as these
notes must be paid for in advance they
will have no effect upon the postal
finances except to transfer them from
one post Office to another, Il process
which has no effect upon the postal
receipts whatever.
Aside from the fact that the rate on
the postal money order is reduced from
three to Two cents when the amount is
less than two dollars and fifty cents,
the rate under the present plan being
three cents there is no practical
change in the system from that al
ready in effect. OF course on amounts
below ten cents the cost is reduced to
nothing. which is cheaper than under
the present system.
The effect of the proposed change
will be to largely destroy the present
plan of post Office money orders, as
there is no limitation in number of the
new notes which can be purchased or
sent through the mails at any one time
Naturally when a sender desires to use
these new notes he will purchase
sufficient duplicates of the lower
denominations to make up the required
amount of his desired remittance and
thereby secure the services OF bank
er without cost.
Aside from the oheapness of the
matter the principal advantage of the
notes may be kept in stock and used
at pleasure instead OF requiring
special application every time a note
is wanted. There will be far, less Sc
curity than formerly for there will be
no means of identifying the holder of
the new notes, possession being the
positive proof OF ownership. They
may therefore be extracted from letters
in which they are sent and converted
into money without the slightest
danger of detection.
The plan would of course operate to
the advantage of the mail order houses,
because their customers would be en-
abled to keep on hand the notes in
such small denominations that they
could order as small an article as
spool of Thread and enclose the notes
which could be instantly converted in
to cash at par. Heretofore the mail
order houses have been compelled to
accept stamps for The small amounts
when the customer was not SO located
that he could procure money order
The plan will therefore have a ten
dency to drive the merchants in the
smaller places olt of business and
consequently centralize the merchan-
dising business to the final ruin of the
small merchant.
1t will also materially interfere with
the business of the bankers in the
smaller places, where no inconsider-
able portion of their income is de-
rived from the handling of small
drafts.
1t is we'll known that there are
instances in which remittances of
small amounts is an imperative neces-
sity, but the government has already
provided simple, safe and cheap
means Of doing this and 1t would hard
ly seem advisable to enter upon a
scheme that would seem to be more
injurious to the business interests
than BENEFICIAL to the public.