Show c to rsA e + xrsr x rrmi rzs + rats atrruannr p c > N + t zuwr aarv u rwyr w ortiA + rava rits Iii j I Gossip of Washington What Is Gohifi On at the t National Capital mawoWiwoww + u owewvooc + t r + rwcw ouowowo + oato Lost Money Orders Worth Millions n WHNTIP CLAIMANTS 4c y fOR IQOOOOo fl 111 ASIIINOTONA Washington woW wo-W man discovered some days ago that hor German nurso was destroying destroy-ing the money orders she iiurchnscd to remit to the Fnthnrland She hud torn up within tire last flvo years more than 500 of money orders thinking they wore receipts for tho money deposited In tho olllco at Washington Wash-ington and that tho money had been I duly sent to her old mother In Germany Ger-many This Incident recalls tho fact that there has accumulated In the national nation-al treasury millions of dollars possibly possi-bly ten millions since tho establishment establish-ment of the present system In 1SC1 Tho government assumes the role of i trustee for the safe transfer of money mon-ey from one Individual to another and tho protection Is nearly perfect yet Uncle Sam cannot always remedy the carelessness or Ignorance of persons t buying money orders An official speaking of tho system said This vast accumulation of k money Is steadily being augmented i from year to year and unless tho pea plo become better acquainted with II the character of a money order transaction the accumulated sum promises to become almost fabulous This money has accumulated through I no fault of the United States Tho system Is perfect and Instructions are clear nnd ample l For one thing It Is known that persons purchasing money orders Ig nornntly destroy them hollovlng that tho order constitutes nothing moro than a receipt Many persons also are Ih tho habit of purchasing money mon-ey orders before traveling from one phico to another with a view of converting con-verting them Into cash as needed and these arc lost through carelessness by fire etc It also frequently happens that orders or-ders are sent to wrong addresses and after repeated attempts on tho part of tho postolHco department to find tho payee or remitter are cent to tho department together with advices as unpaid Notwithstanding this tho government govern-ment has wisely mado provision for tho payment of money orders lost or destroyed by tho Issuance upon satisfactory sat-isfactory proof of loss or destruction of n duplicate money order payable to tho payeo or remitter making application appli-cation therefor as tho caso may bo Provision Is also made for tho payment pay-ment of orders which are not presented present-ed for payment before tho time limit provided by law has expired In ono Instance a claim for tho payment of a lost postal note was allowed al-lowed 25 years after It became Invalid Inval-id It will bo seen that as trustee for its citizens In the transfer of private pri-vate funds tho United States exorcises diligence In an attempt to find the rightful owner And yet millions nro still outstanding for which claimants will never appear This vast sum is held in suspense by tho government |