, 1879-08-10
OIJR SUB-TREASURY.
An Important Part Of the Govern.
ment Machinery.
The Funds Deposited There, and
by Whom Paid In.
Issuing Certificates, Paying Coupons,
Redeeming SilFer, Etc.

Issuing Certificates, Paying Coupons,
Redeeming SilFer, Etc.
lnconveniences Of the Present Quarters
The Future Home.
- The United States Sub-Treasury, In common
with the other Government Offices in this city,
has been compelled for years to put up with
Quarters in the Government lodglng-housc,
n hich, in addition to being dark and ill-ven-
tilated, arc rather on the "cabined, cribbed,
.copdned ordc1," so different from the ideal
headquarters Of an important branch OF the
Government service. In a room. whose dirnen-
xions are not more than 20 By 81, and In which
frequent calciminincs and an almost steady use
:ot gaslisht during certain months Of the year
xrc necessary in order to repair the luck Of
sunlight by artificial methods, in q room COLI
taining two large burglar-proof safes, but al.
most entirely deficient Of protection from the
outside except such as is afforded By the pres
ent insufficient watch force, are locked up
on an average from s., 600 to S, ,000, 900,
.Ebile the amount OF business transacted in
the way OF receipts and disbursements will
average something like sS0, 600 year. II
there is any department Of the Government
business which needs more room, more light,
and better accommodations Generally, or whose
importance requires the early completion of tho
pcw Government Building, once inside Of which
It will be presumably safe from the assaults Of
burglar or mob, or the ravages OF fire, it is the
Sub-Treasury, the designated depository Of
Government funds, the local branch Of the
THE sUB-TREAsuRY
does Its work quietly and .modest1y. Outside
OF tic usual daily item to the effect that so
much silver was redeemed or paid out By the
Snb-Treasurer and his assistants, it is an office
that rarely gets into pginr- During the CON-
paratiyely recent rush for refundfng ccrti6-
Gates, more people made its acquaintance
probsbly than had ever known that there was
such place before. The number OF persons
wbo in the ordinary course OF their lives, hare
occasion oyislt this Government bank, as it
were, or who know ANYTHING Us to the use it
serves, the business it does. OF the methods by
which j. does it,.is comparatively small, so that
something that will serve to post the others up
In these particulars may be read with some
degree Of interest
The reader has gained from the above some
idea as to what the room looks like. It is the
6rst room to the left OF the hall on entering the
.Custom-House from Arcade court 4 counter,
In the shape Of mason's square, shuts out the
oublic from the inner portion, where the Sub
Treasurer, Mr. Frank Gilbert, Cashier Bradley,
Two tellers, bookeeper. and three clerks are
Engaged at their work, The Suh-Treasury, it
local depository of Government funds
1t once tile Governments stroug-box, fgura-
lively speaking, and its disbursng Office ct this
po;nt,-also serves the uublc convenience in
furnishing opportunities for exchanging the kind
of money one mas for the kiud one mas not but
xhich one desires to obtain. Since resumption
set in, the receipts OF gold have been entirely
over the ecouDter,-yofuptarily. as it might be
said: The amounts have varied greatly, as much
as S2o, OOO having been received at one time
THE BULK OF THE SILVER
received comes from the mints, either at Pbi1a-
delphia, Carson City, or San Francisco. 4 large
amount OF subsidiary silver is also received over
the counter III exchange Tor currency or in the
sbaoe OF deposits from other Government Of
fees. Before the new law went into effect
July i providing for the redemption OF sub
Sidiary silver to any desired amount. it was re-
ceived over the counter only from Government
officers Who had taken 1t in the course OF busi-
ness, and who we're prohibited from receiving
more than IS in any one transaction.
Now all restrictions as TO redemption have
the Snb-Treasury bas redeemed fully s245 600 OF
this subsidiary silver. The majority of the
standard dollers sent out to the country never
passed through Mr.: Gilherts department at all,
but were sen. directly from the mints. The
ouly paper money received, at least in Dir. Gil
bert's time, has been small bills-ones aud twos.
The Collector OF the Port and the Postmaster
turn over their collections every dav and deposit
them in the Sub h-Treasury, as private business
man would make daily deposit with his
bank. The office is also the depository of
the funds from outside post-ofiices, Col
1ectors Of Customs, and Collectors of Internal
Revenue. Collector Harver, however, makes
his daily deposits Of internal-reVeuue receipts
with the Fifth National Bank, which, as mat
ter Of convenience, has been made within the
past year special Government depository for
this purpose. The Government also deposits
here great deal Of money to the credit Of its
disbursing offices in the various departments,
aud the Sub-Treasury also has on hand what are
called Federal Court accounts,-those OF the
Marshal, and the Court where a case goes
through the hands Of Receiver. The amount
now tied uo in the Sub-Treasury and belonging
to the Court in such cases is in the eneghborllood
Indian agents also keep accounts here, which
are checked against aud the checks frequently
presented by the banks, through which, for
convenience Of payees in the matter Of
,assa'9 e he y esse o ofve SsoDn sses "fsn5 5SaE
10 the hands Of a Receiver, as. for
instance, the Third National of this city the Re-
cetrer draws checks 10 pay dividends against bis
account, after having first received permission
from the Comptroller. The Postmaster draws
ne money Tor the expenses Of conducting his
Office tn bulk.
WITH TUE COLLECTOR OF INTERNAL REVENUE
and his Storckecpers and Gaugers u different
course Is pursued. The Storekeepers are paid
a. the end OF the month by checks on the Sub
treasury drawn bJ Collector Harvey against his
account US dtshursing agent The Gaugcrs, at
end ol The month, make up what Is known as
FORM l5o, la statement in gross OF their work,
showing the number OF gallons gauged each day,
anu Inc total for the month. This is sent to Wash
nmgt9n, u examined, and the Disbursiuv Clerk Of
Iae trensary Department sends each Gauger a
cneek, not on the Treasury here. however. but
on TINT at New York, which it costs him inst Is
e@4ss - 70 convert into cash ct Chicago bank.
1o understand the United States Narsha,,s
ocai,nss with the Sub Treasury. It Is necessarv
10 remember that the salary al that nff1.;oj IL
onIy S.aN year, bis other revenue arisiue from
tle serving Of writs. He is lirnited to recc;r;ng
$bU1 year, aud out Of the office fees he ;e ~.
;quired TO pay his deputies and clcrts r.
alter dong that he finds be has ST. .(00 1aft r.
Guiding his s3oo, he keeps 5000, and t,,rns ~
$1,oU over to the proper Department at Woehs
inEtoo* The Sub-Treasdry is a denos;tnrr for
the funds sent him from Washington tn nav
court expenses, jury and witness fees, etc. ctc
and checks on this fund are drawn upon tfee