Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-08
A TREASURY DRAFT.
The Tedious Process of Getting 1t oerti-
fed and Caahsd.

! WASHINGTON, Sept. Did you ever
! try to get any money out OF the United
States Treasury? Honestly, of course.
Money that belonged to you in considera-
ton OF some service rendered by you to
Uncle Sam. It's most difficult, compli-
Gated and interesting process. Getting
money out OF the Treasury dishonesty
would, l fancy, be no more difficult. l
feel sure it would be no more interesting.
1t would not be easy to get money out OF
the Treasury dishonesty. Larceny Is
almost impossible here, and bur
glary is almost impraetcable. The
actual money in the Treasury { a relative
ly small amount OF the governments
available assets) ID so secured in strong
steel vaults, behind triple steel doors
and time locks Of the latest
patterns that, even If there were
no human guards between 1t and
this world, the most expert burglar would
find the task of getting at 1t arduOus in
the extreme. But day and night armed
men watch it, and day and night every
body who goes near it is watched with
| hawk-like care. The great building
occupied by the principal bureaus of the
Treasury Department is now guarded
more carefully than ever before, save
during the war. All the entrances are
watched all day and all night; guards
patrol the corridors; guards patrol the
streets outside the building, and guards
! sit before the vault doors. They are all
armed, and by an ingenious arrangement
of electric signals are all in cOmmunica-
ton with each other and with the chief
Of the watch, a big, burly beef-eater, who
sits In little room just by the main en-
trance. But if the treasures of our grand
old uncles are thus guarded against bur-
glars land SIGH" they are even more
carefully guarded against claimants OF
all sorts. The elaborate system of bolts
and bars and guards which insures the
security of the national nest-egg from
those who would break through and
steal has its counterpart, at least,
| in the complicated system of checks
and balances through which claim
must pass before it comes to payment
| Suppose you had a contract to supply the
Department of State with red tape, and
suppose that you sent them few bolts,
and then a bill for 81. Now, assuming
| that the half dozen officials at the Depart
ment of State through whose han it
must pass before going to the Treasury
Department at all, assuming that all
State Department people pass upon it ia
vorablv, so that it goes TO the Treasury
Department with good reputation, your
labors have but just begun. Ii the State
Department officials should happen MOTTO
pass tavorably upon your bill, then you
| might have to go to the Court OF Claims
or to Congress for satisfaction. Then you
might not get it. And IL you did 1t would
cost you a hundred times as mach as your
bill. But suppose you send 1t over to
the First Auditor Of the Treasury with
favorable Endorsement. The First Audi
tors clerks thereupOn state the account
formally. Now, suppose that you need
that dollar on particular day, and that
YOU cannot wait the outcome OF the slow
processes Of these Treasury officials.
You come down to Washington. You go
to see the Secretary of the Treasury. We
will suppose that as an unusual favor for
some unusual reason your case is made
''speclaP'-taken out of the ordinary run
and pushed through with extraordinary
celebrity by every official who touches 1t.
You may get your draft in few hours in
stead Of having to wait few days for it.
But you must go through all the compli-
Gated processes in that case made and
provided Just the same; and you must go
yourself. You begin at the First Auditor.
BE takes your stated account, examines
it, approves 1t. Then it Is recorded in the
record division of his Office. Then it is
examined and recorded in two divisions
of the Office of the First Comptroller.
Then it goes back to the Office Of the First
Auditor, and upon the strength of the in
dorsements on its face and back a clerk
prepares a certificate, stating that you are
the creditor OF the United States to the ex-
tent Of ST. Then 1t Is taken TO the First
Auditor, who signs it. Then it is recorded
in the record division Of the Firs
Auditors office. From there It goes to
the record division of the First Comp
troler's office. In both divisions It is
duly recorded. Now it must go the Office
Of the Register Of the Treasury to be reg
Istered. Each Of these processes takes on
an average quarter of an hour OF your
valuable time. From the Registers Office
it must go to the Warrant Division of the
Secretary's Office. Here a warrant is
drawn on the Treasurer of the United
States for the sum OF 81, payable to your
order. Then this is taken across the hall
to be signed by the Secretary OF the Treas
ury. When he has signed it it must 20 to
the office OF the First Comptroller to be re-
corded, and then to the Office of the Regis
ter to be registered. Then it is car
ried up stairs and through a long cor
rjdor to the office Of the Treasurer Of
the United states. There the warrant is
carefully recorded again and then the
draft on the Assistant Treasurer at New
York is prepared. This seems 10 be the
end of the matter, but IL isn't, The draft
must be taken TO the Treasurer of the
United States and signed by him, and
then 1t must be recorded in the Record
Divisions and registered in the Office OF
the Register OF the Treasury. Then,
believe, you may have your draft, pro-
vided nobody raises question as TO your
identity. BY that time, though, you
at least will think Identification unneces-
sary. You will feel as though you had
known some OF those Treasury officials
for a score OF years. You might go
further and fare worse in your friend
making, for these Treasury officials are
good fellows. But the time will seem
long 10 you. For fyou sent your card in
To the Secretary at say 10 o'clock in the
morning, it, is by the time your draft IL
handed you quite O'Clock, and you feel
as though you had earned that dollar. /
think / would rather earn mine in some