Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-07
THE PLATE-PRINTING CONTEST.
Conclusion of the Hearing Before the
Senate Committee.
THE CHIEF OF THE SECRET SERVICE SAYS THAT
THE WORK OF THE STEAM PRESSES AFFORDS
GREATER OPPORTUNITY TO THE COUNTER
FEITERs-A LIVELY DISCUSSION.

Senators Hiscock and Harris, as a finance
subcommittee, gave the final hearing to-day in
the controversy between Mr.. Graves, the chief
OF the bureau Of engraving and printing, and
the plate-printers, as to the relative merits of
the work done by hand and steam-presses.
Chief Bell, OF the Treasury secret service, was
the only witness examined and he testified
that there was no counterfeiting of silver certi-
Gates until the steam-press and modern
methods made such thing possible. He called
the attention of the committe to the worn
appearance Of silver certificates which
very short time. This appearance of age
was one of the things taken advantage of by the
counterfelters; they prepared their paper so as
10 make 1t appear worn and the indistinctness
OF the impression and the creases and torn
edges covered multitude of defects which
would be visible in new bill.
MR.. RALsroN FOR THE PLATE PRINTERS,
followed Mr.. Bell, and claimed in his summing
up that the great weight of the testimony went
to prove that the steam presses were doing in
ferIor work.
The closing argument was by Mr.. Graves,
and in this he strove to make plain to the COM
mittee that the steam-press was as good an in
strument for the production Of currency as the
hand-press ever was.
The committee have not as yet come to
any conclusion, and the effect of the argu-
ments can hardly be estimated. After
the committee had adjourned there was
quite a warm discussion, in which
Chief Bell, Mr.. Graves, Mr.. Ralston and the
two plate printers Messrs. Kearney and Jor-
don, participated. MIR. Graves said that some
of the specimens Of work which had been ex-
hibited by the plate printers were unfair-they
were carefully selected he thought.
This warmed Mr.. Jordan up little and he
can get it made to order. We have to get our
samples out of the circulation"
MIR. GRAVES SEEMED TO BE ANNOYED
at the position taken in the matter by
Chief Bell, but that official stated very
emphaticaly that he did not care two
cents whether the bills were printed by hand
or by steam; what the secret service wanted
was bills THAI could not be easily counterfeited.
EMF. Graves, speaking of the controversy with
a STAR reporter, said that it was easily seen
that the oaly reason why the plate-printers
opposed the steam-presses was a selfish one
The general adoption Of steam-presses would
cause temporary slackness in work.
The plate-printers on the other hand insisted
that they had other than selfish motives; they
had craft pride, which was hurt by the
WHOLESALE PRODUCTION OF BAD WORK.
They also intimated that their conduct was
capable of more easy explanation than that of
kMr. Graves, who was, they claimed, acting as
an agent for the steam-press makers.
Chief Bell talked of the matter for some
time with STAR reporter, and in the course
of the chat he reiterated the statement
that he had no interest, one way or
another. in the present struggle. What
ne wanted and what he asked
for was a return to the note-printing methods
OF twenty-five years ago, when bills were so
carefully printed that ittook a skilled engraver
at least year to produce a single plate. The
supposed improvements in the later issues had
made things SO easy for counterfeiters that
nrlu fly hot r..
a poor engraver, had. by the Photographic
process, engraved the lockwood blocks for the
81 and SIS silver certificates.
The old notes had in them several colors and
tints and each tint required separate plate
and separate impressions; this made counter
feiting
AwoRK OF EXTREME DIFFICULTY
Now the tints had been removed and the
notes could be photographed, something not
could not be caught by the
instruments. He wanted the bills printed
in the highest style of art-something that was
not now done. He produced a number of speci-
mems of genuine and counterfeit notes, and
showed how genuine note that had only been
looking than counterfeit bill. Senator His
cock, when shown the two and asked to make
the counterfeit. Chief Belt said he
had received number of letters
from bankers and merchants as to the quality
silver certificates. He said, however, that
the banks had not as yet been
very great sufferers by the counterfeits
because counterfeiters do not push their money
on banks; they get rid of it by making pur-
chases OF small merchants, and then securing
poor people who suffered from the miserable
work done on the silver certificates.