New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-16
CASH FLOWS TO EUROPE.
Postoffice Does Record Traffic in
Christmas Money Orders.
ITALIANS SEND THE MOST
Morgan Estimates Total To BE
Handled at New York This
Month as $12,618,90

One of the most prosperous Of SANTA
| Claus's branch establishments In THESE
fleeing ante-Christmas days Is the lor-
| eign money order department at the
New York Postoffice.
| Edward NJ Morgan, the postmaster
who seems always to be in tune with his
twinkling-eyed side partner, said yester-
day that all previous records were
broken on Wednesday, when 5Z,soV
| money orders were purchased for re-
demption in foreign countries.
The increase both in the number and
value of foreign money orders thus FAR
issued this month is considered remark
able For instance, last year the foreign
born were considered to be good to the
home folks, when they sent through the
New York PostoYfice In December $40
259. 272 by steamships, the generous re-
membranes being represented by 634,-
229 money orders
Coincident with the announcement
that Wall Street feels too poor this
Christmas to make the usual presents to
it's employees. Mr. Morgan. First AS
sistant Santa Claus. points, with par
donable pride, to the fact that thou-,
sands of Italians and others among the
dav Iaboring class have shown that they
were enjoying unusual prosperity
Bio Gain Over Last Year.
Mr. Morgan said that the foreign
money orders thus far purchased this
month showed an increase in value OF
about % per cent over year ago, ana
that in numbers of money orders the IN
crease was at least 16 per cent over this
time last December. IF the present
rate of Improvement is maintained
throughout the entire month"; he said.
1T will mean that the foreign money or
der department from this one postofflce
will transmit SI261S904 in 133. 7OJ
money orders. Two years ago the money
SO shipped amounted to SS,021.9lo, and
the number of money orders was 52l'I5b-
II is too early. of course. to give many
positive figures for 1910, but it certainly
does not resemble hard times so far"
Instead of one there are now five for
eign windows working. Last year the
Mauritania. sailing on December %,
i,carried 61,S70 money orders valued at
49, a.
orders last Christmas was carried. how
ever by the Lusitania, leaving here. on
December S, with S6,453 slips of paper
calling for 81 ,5e2, 607.
1t is expected that the Mauretania
when she sails tomorrow will add to its
long list of records of other kinds the
enviable one of bearing across the At
lantic a greater number of Christmas
greetings of greater intrinsic value
than any boat has ever done. The
Philadelphia. sailing to-day, viii also be
heavily laden.
Money Comes This Way, Too.
The merry, merry. golden chimes are
not ringing in Europe alone. ,ALr.. Nor
gan said that his Office redeemed on last
Wednesday 50,5S4 foreign money orders.
1000 beyond any; previous record.
An Italian, accompanied by four COM
patriots. obtained "a money order for
$4,000 yesterday, parable to- d bank at
Rome. The charge for transmitting that
sum was $40. which the men cheerfully
paid. Four Italians, each accompanied
by about four friends, sent away total
Of $500. Italians seldom send away
money without the support that friends
can give.
A man who has spent many years in
the postoffice pointed out yesterday
that Italians, as q class, seemed unwilI-
ing to trust American financial institu-
tons, either to hold or transmit their
money. The charge of the postoff1ce de-
partment of 81 for each 500 shipped
was, he said. considerably greater than
the cost of a bank draft. But Italians
flock to the government. trusting it as
they would their mother
/ Also, said the. observer, Italians seem
to wait fer Il rainy day. In the real
sense, he said. they saved for that very
time most of them working in the open |
and putting. off the banking of their
money in Rome or Racamulto until
the weather conditions demanded that |
they take day off.
Foreigners are polite" said the OBJ
server once more, and I only wish the |
Americans were as little given to pyro-
technics when some little thing goes |
wrong l have seen the man whose |
business it is to assist the public in |
various ways in the money order room |
abused for nothing at all except mis- |
take in kindness. If there are five men |
in line for one window and three men |
in front OF another, this man frequently |
suggests to No. D that he will save time |
by making himself No 4 in the other
line. If it should happen, though, that |
a person in No. As adopted column
wants two or three orders, and the man
who has changed positions loses thirty
seconds, the assistant who tipped him off
is frequently the recipient of call |
down 1t is an American always who
does this. But if Americans get too much |
change at the window they do not stop
to growl. And they never come back