Rensselaer Republican, Volume 28, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 December 1896 — "PICK UP” FOR UNCLE SAM. [ARTICLE]

"PICK UP” FOR UNCLE SAM.

Millions of Dollars of Unclaimed Money in the Treasury; 1 There are millions upon millions of j dollars in the treasury paid in Tram different sohrees which belong to citizens of the United States. To this wealth the postoffice department, through the trroney order office', contributes largely. A few years back the postmaster general deposited with the treasurer nearly $3,000,000, the money from uncashed orders which had accumulated since the office was- started in 1803. At first no effort tvas made to restore this unclaimed money to its rightful cjwners, but the letters of advice, turned in as unpaid by the postmasters from all,ove* tiie country- were kept, in case a demand should be made for their payment. This money remained to the Wedit of the money-order office, show--Ing a large profit for,the service. This polfct-y was subsequently changed, and now the office endeavors to refund the timmey to the remitters by a draft drawn on the treasury. This rule obtafiisrin case of money orders less than ten years old. Letters of advice older than this are destroyed. Every year about 1 per cent, of the money orders issued are not cashed, leaving from SBO,OOO to SIOO,OOO unclaimed, which is deposited in the treasury*. There are many reasons to account for this large number’ of money orders not being cashed. In some instances orders are filed away with other papers and forgotten. More frequently the letter containing the order is lost 6r stolen, and the order never reaches the addressee. This is true of the orders made out to the large shops which do not receive the order or the accompanying letter containing orders for goods to be shipped, owing generally to the dishonesty of employes. There are cases, too, where men have used the money order office as a bank and have made out orders to themsehc-s which, owing to sudden death or other cause, have never been claimed. It is difficult, however, to explain why such large sums remain unclaimed, for in case fin order is lost-a duplicate is easily obtained. Application is made by either the remitter, the payee or the ..office of payment; and a duplicate is issued with only the delay necessary to comply with the forms. A year ago t lie department made a ruling that tupplicate money orders could not bo issued in less, than three months from the time yvhen an application was filed, but tliis was found inconvenient, and this order yvas rescinded.