Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-09
MONEY SENT ABROAD
Millions of Dollars Transmitted
to Old Homes of Immigrants.
ITALIAN ORDERS LARGEST
Gen. Burgoyne's Sword Preserved at
Old Hadley, Mass.
MARK OF HIS GRATITUDE
Slave-Holding in New England.
Negro Who Served in Patriot
Army After Sold on the Block.
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM F. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
There is steady stream of money
flowing from this country to foreign lands
through the money order Office of the
Post Office Department; and although 1t
is not noticed because of our enormous
-~eaIth and extraordinary prosperity. it
would be serious drain on any other ma
ton. Last year $500. for example
3fai4 $50 postal orders on foreign coun-
tries were issued by the government of
the United States. being an increase of
eO5 972 above the number issued during
the previous year. They represented the
sum of $3.50. 426. an increase of $2O.
90 ass over the previous year.
Nearly every dollar of that enormous
sum was sent by wage-earners in this
country. newly arrived immigrants, to the
old folks at home. and in that way We are
millions of foreign families in foreign
lands. Very little of this money was
spent by tourists. They do not carry
money orders. They take funds to meet
their expenses in letters of credit express
checks bank drafts and other forms of
paper. but the newly arrived immigrant
has been accustomed to intrusting his
money to the government in the land he
came from and when he has little sur
plus he goes to the post office and buys
"A
send 1t for months and perhaps years. 1t
is always difficui; to balance money-order
accounts with Italy. Hungary. Germany
and the Scandinavian countries for that
reason. Immigrants from them are in
the ha bit of buying money orders for in
vestment. Very few of these money
orders are used to pay for purchases
made in Europe. as may be judged by
the countries to which they are sent.
Largest Amounts Sent to italy.
The largest amounts of money orders
are sent TO Italy. Last year they num-
bered 40. 795 and represented a value of
SIS. $50. 519. and they We're bought in al
most every part of this country where
Italian laborers were at work on the rail-
ways and other big construction enter
prises. and at the branch post offices near
the Italian quarters of our cities. No doubt
much of this money was intended and has
been used for the purchase of steamship
tickets for the families OF those who have
decided to remain in this country and
keep their jobs. Very often Italians in
this country buy tickets for their wives
and families, brothers and sisters and
other friends and relations in New York
and other cities and send them over in
stead of the money.
The increase in the numbers and the
amounts of the money orders is quite as
rapid as the increase in our Italian pop-
uIatiOn The total value of money orders
issued for Italy in 1907 was 1913, 03o
greater than in 1903.
The largest number of money orders
vera issued for the United Kingdom
last year representing value of S11 $50
OPS an increase of 50 1873, $40 over the pre-
vious year. You will notice, however,
that the average amount Of the orders