The new Post-Office cheques are to come into use on
or before September 1st. They are to be of four denominations,- 2s. 6d., 5s., 10s., and 15s., the poundage being ld. for the first two, and 2d. for the second two. The cheques can be presented at any Money-order Office, and will be paid ; or they may be crossed and paid in to a banker, who will then collect them. They are, in fact, cheques, and will be very convenient ; but we are quite at a loss to understand the limitation on values. Why should not a Money-order Office give a cheque for any sum under a pound ? We suppose the difficulty is that the Department wants to check the postmasters, by making them account for the bundles of cheques delivered to them, which could not be done if they could vary the amounts ; but in that case, why should they not be allowed to put stamps upon the cheque ? For example, Smith wants to send 2s. 9d. to Liverpool. He buys a 2s. 6d. cheque, -with a threepenny stamp pasted on it. He would have the .cheque he wants, and the accounts would be as closely checked as before. He cannot do this now, because the Money-order Office will not pay him for the stamp.
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