P. S.—Please give this letter to the man what’s _got a sow_
in my barn, as he wants to get away.
In Byberry Township, near the mill
And in a house upon the hill,
Lives a young lady in the same
Miss ——x she calls her name
Below the House on Comly’s lot
A son of Vulcan has a shop
Now Ross, I know, you’ll oblige the fair
Just have the kindness to send it there.
To Leughellyn Weintz
Pass. yhunk Rode
Below Tom Pitchers bar Room
who selles most infurnell bad
whiskee—Southwerke,
Philadelphy.
_THE MONEY-ORDER SYSTEM._
The money-order system, which in England is so popular, has partly
failed here. It went into operation on the 1st of November, 1864, under
circumstances which promised a decided success. The amount to which the
law limited the order-system was not less than one dollar, and not more
than thirty dollars. This was to accommodate a certain class of people,
and at the same time test the utility of the system for the purpose of
hereafter creating a more extensive operation of the principle and also
increasing the amount of money sent.
That it is an important step in postal progress its operation in Europe
is sufficient proof; but here we started wrong. What should have been a
plain, simple transaction between the parties—the paying money and
receiving an order—has become perfectly mystified by the ambiguity of
the language of the law, as well as the numerous technicalities thrown
around it. A poor woman applies to the window for a postal order on New
York for ten dollars: she expects the order made payable to herself or
to the party to whom she sends it, which on presentation would be
immediately paid. It will be observed, upon reading the “General
Principles of the Money-Order System” and the “Instructions to
Postmasters at Money-Order Offices,” that if this poor woman was
requested to read the “laws and regulations” it would be to her “all
Greek.” Were the amounts named thousands of dollars instead of pennies,
those interested would be of a class whose education and business
knowledge would enable them to comprehend it: as it is, we know several
instances of poor persons resorting to the old custom of forwarding
their money rather than undergo the ordeal of a clerk’s explanation of
the law.
_GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF THE MONEY-ORDER SYSTEM._
I. Money-order offices are divided into two classes. Offices of the
first class are depositories, in which those of the second class deposit
their surplus money-order funds.
II. Any office in either class may draw upon any other office in the
list of money-order offices for a sum, upon one order, from _one dollar_
to _thirty dollars_. But when a larger sum than the latter is required,
additional orders to make it up must be obtained.
III. When money-orders exceeding one hundred and fifty dollars in
aggregate amount are issued in one day, and to the same person, by one
or more offices, upon a second-class office, the postmaster at the
office so drawn upon will be permitted to delay the payment of such
orders for five days.
IV. The money-orders shall be made out upon printed forms supplied by
the post-office department, and no order will be valid or payable unless
given upon one of such forms.
V. Any person applying for a money-order will be required to state the
particulars upon a form of application which will be furnished to him
for that purpose by the postmaster.
VI. If the purchaser of a money-order, from having made an error in
stating the name of the office of payment, or for other reasons, desires
to have the said money-order changed, the issuing postmaster will take
back the first order and issue another in lieu thereof, for which an
additional fee shall be charged and exacted as for a new transaction.
The order so taken back must be cancelled by the postmaster and entered
in his books and returns, in its proper numerical order, as “cancelled.”
VII. Parties procuring money-orders should examine them carefully, to
see that they are properly filled up and stamped. This caution will
appear the more necessary when it is understood that any defect in this
respect will throw difficulties in the way of payment.
VIII. When a money-order is presented for payment at the office upon
which it is drawn, the postmaster or authorized clerk will use all
proper means to assure himself that the applicant is the person named
and intended in the advice; and upon payment of the order care must be
taken to obtain the signature of the payee (or of the person authorized
by him to receive payment) to the receipt on the face of the order.
IX. When, for any reason, the payee of a money-order does not desire, or
is unable, to present the same in person, he is legally empowered, by
his written indorsement thereon, to direct payment to be made to any
other person; and it is the duty of the postmaster upon whom the order
is drawn to pay the amount thereof to the person thus designated;
provided the postmaster is satisfied that such indorsement is genuine,
and that the second party shall give correct information as to the name
and address of the person who originally obtained the order. MORE THAN
ONE INDORSEMENT IS PROHIBITED BY LAW, AND WILL RENDER AN ORDER INVALID
AND NOT PAYABLE.
X. Any money-order office may repay an order issued by itself if
repayment is applied for on the day of such issue, but then only to the
person who obtained it, except in special cases. The fee or charge shall
not in any case be refunded. If, however, repayment of an order is
desired later than one day after its issue, the postmaster must refer
the application to the money-order office of the post-office department.