Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-08-07
BIGGEST BANK IN THE WORLD.
she Sixth Auditors Office, That Audits
Accounts of O. 900 Postmasters,

The Sixth Auditors Office, That Audits
Accounts of 64, 900 POstmasters.
WASHINGTON, Aug. THE largest
accounting house IN the world, the Office
of the sixth auditor of the treasury,
which audits all the accounts of the
81, 900 postmasters of the country, is
now comfortably situated in the fine
new six-story brick building opposite
the postofiice department building.
Since 1885 the money-order branch of
the sixth auditors office has been located
in an old dancing academy, known as
Marini's hall, place wholly untitled for
the proper prosecution of that work Its
occupancy was the cause of constant
annoyance to congress for the provision
of II more suitable place. At the last
session of congress, the postmaster gen
eral, being fully enlisted in the matter,
and fully convinced that it was not a
proper place in which to transact that
immense business, made an arrange
ment with private persons for the erec-
ton Of large and commodious building
on Il street, directly opposite the post
office department.
The clerks engaged in that branch of
the work never had any of the modern
Office cOnveniences, such as We're af-
forded generally to clerks in the depart
ments, and congress, recognizing that
fact, made an appropriation of $50, 900
for the proper titting-up of the building
with file-cases necessary for the pres
ervation of the records. The cases are
built of picked steel, manufactured by
the Fenton Metallic company, of James
town, N. Y. Congress also made an ap.
preparation of $4,000 for carpets, fur
niture, etc, for the use of the clerks EN-
gagged in that Office.
The building has been completed. and
that part Of the office transferred there
to, and what was formerly known as
the Botany Bay" of the treasury has
been converted into the model Office of
that department in all of its appoint
ments. The statement is justified that
never since the adoption of the money
order system in the postal service has
that important feature been provided
for the prosecution of that work until
now This branch of the Office is com
posed of five divisions, known as the in
Specting, recording, checking, asserting
and numbering, and foreign, and en-
braces about one-half of the entire force
OF Jne SlNtn AUDITORS s ONCE.
This branch of the business, by reason
of its ill-proyided quarters, has been in
arrears with its work for several years
past, but under the present arrange
ment much improvement has been made
in the condition of the work. For sew
eral years past their quarterly reports
were from five to eight weeks behind
the quarterly statements of postal ac-
counts, but for the past three quarters
the work has advanced so that they are
now enabled to furnish their figures ten
days in advance Of the postal side of the
account
There are from 10000 to $4,000 Offices
in the country doing mOney-order busi-
ness, each rendering report of its bust
ness weekly. These weekly statements
are verified, the figures checked off, and
the account stated by the bookkecpers
engaged III that branch of the work.
The pay vouchers returned by the post.
masters with their weekly statements
number about $4,000, 900 per year These
vouchers have to beassorted and handled
by five different corps of clerks before
the account to which they relate can be
finally adjusted.
Coming in rs they do, from all quar-
ters of the country, they are first thrown
into states, and then into offices, so as to
bring all Of the vouchers belonging to
any one Office together. After that the
pay vouchers are checked up with the
Office Of issue to see il they agree. The
magnitude of this business is beyond the
conception of any except those who are
brought i'll daily contact with the bust
ness as it concentrates at the auditors
Office 1t is the largest banking house
without capital in the world, and the
books, papers, etc, connected with its
operations, which go to file every year,
amount to at least fifty tons.