Semi-weekly herald., 1913-09-11
THE GOVERNMENT AN HEIR.
United Pr,ss

Acceptance by congress of a bequest
of $4,000 made under one of the most
unique and unusual conditions in the
governments history, is problem
facing congress and the postoffice
department today.
That the postal money order sys-
tenn be officially and legally recog-
nized as the Child" and legatee Of q
deceased government official has
been solemnly recommended to con-
gress by Third Assistant Postmaster
General Dockery. For eleven years
the bequest has been available. Now
the postoffice department recon-
mends that the money be accepted
and used as a trust fund in accord
ance with the will Of the donor.
DR.. c. F. Mcdonald, formerly of
Boston, the father" of tho money
order system, is the governments
benefactor. He died in 1902, leav.
ing $4,000 to Uncle Sam for the ex.
tension and betterment of the fed
eral service.
For eleven years lawyers Of the
department of justice, the postoffice
department and congress have been
unable to decide what to do with the
money. A treasury draft for the leg.
acy has lain idle in the office of the
chief clerk of the postoffice depart
ment since that time. Now it is pro-
posed that congress formally pass a
law accepting the money and ap-
point commission for its use as di-
rected by the testator.
Mr.. McDonalds will provided:
"rhe sum of $4,000 to the secre-
tary of the treasury for the service
of the postoffice department to be
used by the postmaster general in
such way as he may deem expedient
for the improvement of the postal
money order system of the United
States"
The will was duly probated and
the $4,000 turned over to the treas
ury department by the administrator
of DR.. McDonald's estate. Legal
sharps of the government road pond
eroustomes and many long opinions,
holding that the money order could
not be accepted by Uncle Sam, al
though the money was already in
the treasury subject to the draft
given the postoffice department. Sue
ceeding administrations puzzled with
the legacy, but could not touch it.
In 1906, former Senator W. MUIR
ray Crane of Massachusetts,, sought
to solve the problem by attempting
to have the $4,000 released by the
government and turned over to dis
tant relative of DR.. Mcdonald, who
was an employe Of the postoffice at
Boston. The federal lawyers got
busy again and decided that this
could not be done; they held that
while the government could not &C.
cept or use the legacy, in the ab-
sence of legislation by congress
neither could it give the money to
McDonald's relative.
For seven years the matter was
held in allegiance, with the $1,000
awaiting disposition. The knotty
problem was legacy officially "in-
herited" by the new Democratic ad-
ministration. Third Assistant Post
master General Dockery recsntly
transmitted to congress, through
Postmaster General Burleson and
Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo,
letter recommending that congress
authorize department to accept and
use the bequest. Dockery's letter,
stripped Of its official "red tape"
teens with human interest. He
said:
CDR Mcdonald was the father Of
the money order system and its first
superintendent. He founded the sys-
TEN in the United States and made
it his life work, devoting to its sue
cess all the time and energy. Child
less, he watched the growth of this
creature of invention until it came
to be the greatest and most success
full system Of its kind in the world,
and 1t seems natural enough that his
pride in that success assumed the at
titude of parent toward a favor
ite child. Viewed in this light the
bequest by which he endeavored to
sinure continued improvement of the
service when his far-seeing mind
could no longer direct the policies
and safeguard the interests Of the
system, is easily understood, and
seems to impose upon the department
as trust the duty Of making all
reasonable efforts TO fulfill his wish
es.
Law officers united in pronounc-
ing the bequest valid and the title Of
the United States perfect. Therefore,
in order to enable the department to
realize the testator's wish and thus
honor his memory by efforts to ad-
vance the interests Of the service,