The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-11-18

William E. Curtis Washington cor
Chicago Record Herald:
The postoffice returns furnish the
most accurate barometer we have of
the condition of business. If man
or firm is not doing anything they
do not use the mails, but Then they
are busy they have to buy stamps and
a return is made of every one that
that Is sold. Hence the sales of post
age stamps are an index Of the condi
ton of business, and during the ascal
year ending June 80, 1909. the re-
cefpts from that source we're $751;
967 ,s15.46. an increase Of Si1, 593, 103 "A
over 1908. The second-class postage
paid in money amounted to sT,236.-
05S-70. an increase of $2S5,551, 80.
Third and fourth class postage paid
In money was s3,229,741.35, an in
crease of s395.797. 80, and the reve-
nue. from box rents in the postofices
throughout the country was S3,946,-
259.71, an increase Of s112,956.16 over
the previous year.
There was a falling off in various
other sources of revenue. the most
conspicuous being that from the
money order business. During the
last fiscal year there was decrease
of s188,000 in the amount of domestic
money orders issued and decrease
of s12,310,759 in the amount OF for
eign money orders issued The reye.
nue. from this source was s3.41I ,625.3S
for the year, showing a decrease OF
260,13006 from 1905.
The total revenues of the Post.
office department for the fiscal year
| 1903 were s203, 5e2, 3S3.o7, being an in
| crease from the previous year of s12,
083,719.66, or 6.31 per cent--a very
I hea1thful sign OF the restoration Of
| business from the panic Of 1907
1 which was felt even into the first ana
second quarters of the recent fsca
1 year.
The only way to explain the fall
ing off in the money orders Is on tn
theory that the foreign-born elemen
in the United States had not sui
4 ficiently recovered from the har,
times OF 1907 and 1908 to afford send
ing any part OF their savings to TIL
old folks in the countries from whicl
+ they came But when the Decembe
returns are in we shall be able t
judge more accurately Of their finan
/ cial condition because they are in tn
habit of buying more money orders t
send to their parents, relatives an
L friends across the water at Christina
time than at any other season of tn
year.
There has been an enormous II
crease in the amount of money sent 7
Europe in that way. Thirty years ag
the value of foreign money orders wa
little over two millions OF dcilarl
Twenty years ago it was twelve mi
lions. Ten years ago II was a it'll
less than fourteen millions, while !
1908 1T has reached the enormous SUI
of ss8,972 .288, without considering th
amount OF money that YVES carried b
returning immigrants, sent by ban
, drafts, through the steamship compal
les, In currency and In other way
7 Every returning Immigrant carries h
savings with him, and million dollar
or more goeg TO Europe In thai wa
q every year WAS or steamer ont
/ when gteerage passengers for Irelar
] alone brought more than $1,000
I American money to the purger to
!, changed into English money. On a
i other occasion. before we landed
Genoa. the steerage passenger
almost entirely italians, broug'
about $4,000 to be changed into Il
currency OF their country.
~ During the last ten years 1888
0fE E,s- bs1-- .sr-.t :. I,-e~5 ~ ,,oot,,