Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-12-09
REPORT OF TREASURER SPINNER.

General Spinner, Treasurer of the United
States, in his port states the amount of frac-
uonal currency ROW in circulation exceeds
s33,uCo,Ut0. This saves TO the people s2,0JO.O10
in interest yearly. About S22,UYu. Ouu-beIng
nearly two-thir3s Of the entire ci-culatlon-Is
returned every year. As a like amount Is is-
sued II requires the preparing, counting and is
suing. aud the redemption. cOuntiug aud de-
structiOn Of Sii,UUO,tt0 Of this small currency
ann uaily. 30 long a. this j. confined, the ser
vices OF female clerks cannot be dispensed
with, save by replacing them by male clerks,
whose salaries would cost the government
nearly double the amount now paid for this
service. He suggests some changes from .ls
plan submitted an his last annual report for To-,
reorganization Of the Office. The principal
change l. ore higher grad Tor female clerks.
his additional grade Of the female clerks fixes
the pay OF that. the b~si lass, just a. Aigh as
that pad 10 the lowest class OF the male clerks.
He urges the Increase oi the salaries OF en-
pioyees m the office.
The present system of compensation OF the
employees in the depart nents OF tae gOyern-
ment Is wrong, unwIse, uaJust, aud very de-
moIalIZng. Although so - n great degree In
ali tie branches OF the pubic service, II is par
ueuiarly so with respect TO the females 50 en-
ployed- Some OF thess are la places OF great
pecunlary responsibility, and incur great risks
Tins Is especially true OF such a. are employed
IN the redemption of the national eurrency.
mere loss OF notes, al error in the count. or
the overlooking OF counierfeits, makes eaca
clerk SO engaged personally liable ID respond
IN money 10 the amount of aEy errors so made
These amounts are deducted from the "a artss
OF such clerks regularly - the end OF each
month
lie says As soon as young men become
properly educated to The correct understand
ing and proper management OF the public busi-
ness they receive inyIt;.-t.ns 10 20 else where
as bOOkEeepers. tellers, ani cashiers AZ Larger
salaries. Instead OF educating men 10 manage.
other mems business, the government should
employ only such persons as had already a
good business edneauon, and pay salaries as
would command talent.
The Treasurer speaks OF the fiye-cent pieces
as base metal tokens, they having taken the
place OF the convenient Hve-cent notes under
the plea of a speedy retarn to specle nav
menlS." He says The fye-cent tokens are made
legal tender for ~, and are redeemable in
sums OF not less than S1Jl. All the others, IN
GLIDING the one-cent and the three-cent tokens
are entirely irredeemable, and have become a
nuisance by their great Accommodations IN the
hands OF small dealers. POstraasters are nv
law compelled 10 receive these government
tokens IN payment for postage stamps. and are
Then immediately liable 20 the government for
the amounts OF such sales in good money. But
me government that sold these tokens a. par
Tor their face value, or paid them As money ID
ATS Creditors, now turns round and refuses 10
receive them back IN payment from its own
oflcers, who Were by law compelled 10 receive
them on account OF The government.
Postmasters who Were so obliged TO receive
these tokens have Offered them by the ba.fuI
In payment OF their post Office receipts At the
counter OF the treasury, and have been COM
PEELED TO carry them home again, because toe
treasurer cannot receive over o. cents in
ptrSrcs ONrr 1cuI Genus IN one
or tWo-cenI pieces, In one payment. Was
mere ever AN act OF the government of a re-
spectacle people that, for meaness, can CON-
psre with thsl An individual that would
practice such a confidence game would ne
branded as a two-penny thIet ana would soon
be consigned TO house OF correction. gov
eminent that practices such frauds upon the
people cannot hope long to retain the espect of
anybody Ii has ben intimated, and there are
those that are upcharitabie enough 10 believe
the story, that the ownership Of an unprof1t
a no LAT b.nar 10 Inn
encing the passage of these speed return 10.
specie pay ent'' laws.
A government that has the meanness 10 open.
1y repudiate the raymentor redemption of its
one and two cent issues Will soon be suspected
OF being none too good 10 repudiate pay ment of
the larger obligations OF the nation. He rec
ommends immediate provision for their re.
demption in lawful money.
Three hundred persons are engaged in the
Ire asurers Once, two-thirds OF whom han
die money, but the Ire asurer reports that not a
single dollar has been lost