The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-05
5,
THE NEW ORLEANS MINT

THE NEW ORLEANS MINT
WHY 1T SHOULD BE RE-EsTA sLTsHED,
AND HOW 1T wILE~>~INCREAsE
TRADE IF ITS WORK Is RESUMED.
1t VIII Cost $500, ,O8O to start One El.e-
where and Hut $50, 900 to Re.estab-
ltsh the One Here.
Observing In the Washington dispatches of
Tuesday that Senator Eustis had made an ar
gument before the Senate Committee on Com
merce with a view to the re- establishment Of
the Mint In this city. and desiring to show
the immense advantages to be derived to the
city from such re-esta bishment. as we'll as to
show the superior advantages Of this city over
tho Northern and Western cities that are now
en- deavoring to secure the location of q mint in
their centres.
THROUGH THEIR CONGRESSIONAL
delegations DEMOCRAT representative on
| yesterday waited upon Mr.. M. y. Bonzano tho
| superintendent OF the mint. and subsequently
called upon quite a number of gentlemen who
prior to the war received from Mexico large
SHIPMENTS OF BULLION
and Mexican dollars, all OF which was assayed
and recoined here at the mint.
Inauiring at the door OF the Mint for Its su-
perintendent. our representative was shown
into the second story Of the building. into a
large room filed with every conceivable sort OF
apparatus for assaying. bottles. baths. retorts.
furnaces, etc. being arranged about the room
In complete order. and seated at one table was
the superintendent evidently in the midst OF a
scientific experiment.
Looking up for a moment he recognized the
| interviewer and opened the conversation by in
quiring IL we had come for more mint" news.
Our reporter replied that he had. and that no
would like TO PROFOUND few questions II he
could spare the time.
Mr. Bonzano replied by saying: Go ahead.
young man I am at your service"
Reporter-Well. sir. presume you are aware
that some Of the Northern and Western cities
are endeavoring to secure a congressional ap-
preparation large enough to establish mint.
Now. suppose that is secured. what will be the
result as far as this mint is concerned2
Answer-lt will prevent the possibility Of its
ever again being re- established.
| Question-When Senator Eustis was here
called upon you in connection with this matter
and / think YOU told me that you had all or
nearly all Of the machinery required for the
A-Yes, sir. That. however. was prior to the
passage OF the silver bill. and We might now.
were the Mint to be put In operation. require
one or two
| ADDITIONAL COMING PRESSES
Q-Would they be very expensive2
$500 An0hb saeb no; they would not cost more than
| Q.-Can You give me an estimate Of the
amount it would require to start the Mint: mako
necessary repairs. etc. and run 1t say for year.
Ayes; but in tnat estimate you must bear
In mind the fact that the expenses for the ilst
repairs necessary. and the additional pr sses
needed; that Is. we would have to employ more
Q.-How much OF that would be skilled labor1
,A.-About one half. and in all we would need
about forty men. whose services would cost the
| Q-You mean for the year2
A.-Y.s: say for the year ending June /. 1879.
large supply Of coal. All we would need
would be charcoal 1a and wood. which would not
Q-Ihen the officers. clerks. etc. how much
A.NNot over SIG 600; that would be an outside
limit for the clerks. book-keepers and other
Q-Now the repairs to the machinery you
been idle 80 long 1t would require some re-
A..Yes. sir; some Of 1t would. for instance.
the boilers but the presses. dies. ETC., are in as
| good order as they were
! THE DAY THEY WE'RE PUT In.
The whole amount necessary for repairs would
Q.-That makes a total necessary outlay for
one ar OF 100000. Now, what advantage has
eially I ut as 10 the Coinage nf silver? s s'p0
Avery many. In the first place. this is the
nearest port to the valuable silver mines Of
Mexico. and where now 2 large amount Of
would all.
WE'RE THE MINT ESTABLISHED.
come TO to this port and to this mint for coinage
Q. You say that the re-establishment of tho
mint here would secure that bullion trade that
now goes to Europe and that 1t will cost but
pose, pose Cincinnati, st. Louis W or r Chicago should
secure enough influence to locate mint at
either Of m the e. three pa es. what would It cost
the United States government to put up or
make the necessary repairs for suitable build
ing?
hat is. even to put sucn machinery in az We
have here: The machinery alone would cost
$4,000, Then ss,t too the prope,ty which Is
come almost worthless 10 the government.
Q.-SupDose either Of the cities named Sc
cured the mint. would that secure the Mexican
bullion trade for this country or for that minta
A.-No. sir:
| Q. Why not?
s.-Because to get the Mexican dollars or the
silver bullion to either of the cities it must
first come here consigned to the agent OF the
by express. with insuranc :. 10 the city you al
lude TO, making one brokerage here with the
! EXPRESS AND INSURANCE
charges and another brokerage at the other
end, and all those expenses but one brokerage
would be saved by a direct shipment from
Mexico to Europe. which the shippers know
full well.
i Q.-And how would it be were this mint in
oper ation2
A.-Why. there would be but the one broker
age as In the case Of the European shipment.
Q:-And would there be market here for the
bullion?
| A-Yes. indeed. and good one We ought
to have with the mint running. about IS 600 600
yearly. which would be the lions share Of the
bullion that comes ont OF Mexico.
| Q.-What is the capacity Of this mint or what
would it be with the two new presses?
Ave can turn out about SO 900 600 annually
in silver coin. The Philadelphia mint coins
morn than 81 900. 600 monrh. This is next to
that in capacity. and can be made of eQua
capacity.