The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-07-16

reSlRnat1ons The next day l saw the
secretary and told him the same thing.
ne said: Captain, I've good mind to
take this over to the president. Il wish
you would, / replied. So he took the
papers and went over to the White house.
When he came back, he handed me
paper and asked me if / would be
willing to agree to the terms which
IL proposed. They were that 'on
proper representations and apollo
gies made to the chief of the bureau. the
men should be appointed chance print
ers' and take their positions on the list to
fill vacancies in the regular force as they
occurred. That was substantially my
own proposition. As / looked over the
paper. said: Il know that handwrit-
ing. That's Ben Harrisons' handwrit-
ing The words son proper representa-
tons and apologies made TO the chief
had been interlineated in the presidents
own hand.
"When the proposition was laid before
the committee as the secretary's ultima
tum, the committee would not accept it,
and said that the men would never come
back. But within a month one of tbs
men came to me and asked to be REIN
stated. / asked him If he knew the terms
of his reinstatement-tha he would take
his place as a chance printer and that
he must recognize the authority of my
self and all OF my subordinate officers.
He agreed to all this and / recommended
his appointment. Then the others came
back with one exception) including the
master workman, and there have been no
mora quiet, gentlemanly employees in
the bureau while have been in charge
of it,
The controversy was important because
it involved the question whether the
treasury department or the Knights OF
Labor should control the bureau. When
Secretary Window and I were before the
committee on appropriations and was
explaining my estimates for the year, Just
the night before Mr.. Window dieds Can
non of Illinois said to me: "Who's run
ming the bureau now, Meredith; you or
the Knights OF Labor?" And Mr.. Win
dom replied: 1--WE are running it.
sI asked Captain Meredith if he
thought that any effort would be made
to establish among the employees of the
bureau the rule that exists IN private
stablishments-that union men viii not
work with those who do not belong to the
union.
81 think it will not,'' said Captain
Meredith. at could never be successful.
No discrimination is ever made at the
bureau for or against a man because he
is a member OF a labor union, except
that frequently / have appointed men
on the recommendation of committee
of one of the labor organizations, because
l know that il they recommended him he
must be good workman. 1t IS optional
with the chief of the bureau to recon-
mend plate printers for employment;
though the greater number of the bureau
employees is under civil service. -
The bureau of engraving and print
ing occupies big building which cost
the government $500, 600, and to which
an addition has Just ben made at a cost
of $50, 600; the chief of the bureau has
sometimes in his custody property worth
millions, and yet the appointment of a
chief is in the hands of the secretary of
the treasury, while the public printer,
whose office is very similar, is appointed
by the president and confirmed by the
Senate. There is one man in the bureau
who is subordinate official but who re-
ports directly to the secretary of the
treasury. He is the custodian of the
dies and plates. Mr.. Johnston, who has
succeeded Captain Meredith as chief of
the bureau, held this position for some
time before Captain Meredith's resigna-
ton was accepted. He was appointed to
it so that he might become familiar with
the work of the bureau before taking
charge. The fact that the custodian of
the dies and plates reports to the secre-
tary, is one of the checks on fraud to the
bureau. When you stop to think that
the bureau sometimes prints 81. 100000 OF
currency in day, you begin to realize
the possibilities of corruption in the
place. l asked Captain Meredith if there
was any chance that a dishonest man
could steal from the government or could
commit any fraud while holding the
position of chief of the bureau.
'sIt would not be possible without col
fusion throughout the entire bureau, ,,
said Captain Meredith. Gin the first
place, the custodian takes receipt for
each die and each plate that leaves his
hands and gives receipt for them when
they are returned. The bureau is not
closed until all OF them have been returned
to the vaults. Each piece of steel is reg
istered as it is received and receipt is
given for it when it is taken out for en-
craving. Then the paper on which the
currency is printed is counted by govern
ment agents when it leaves the factory.
IL is sent to the chief OF the CURRENCY
division of the treasury department. Mr..
Huntingdon, and there it is counted and
the count verified. Then it is issued to
| the bureau on requisition from day to
day as it is needed. 1t is counted when it
leaves the treasury department and again
when it is received at the bureau.
It is counted out to the wetting
room and wet down. Then it is
issued to the printers assistant and
| she takes it over to the printer and
counts it before him SO as to verify l..
| Then the press registers each impression
made in a little clock which is locked /:
and from this register the super intelli-
gent gets record of the number of i'm
pressions made and they must correspond
with the printed sheets Then the
printed sheets are counted and sent ia
the drying room where they remain all
night. Then they are counted again and
taken to the numbering division, where
they are counted before a recent
! is given for them. The numbering ma
chimes are fitted with registers which
record the exact number of bills nun
bered. Then the sheets are taken and
examined by serial numbers to see that
the numbering is perfect. Then they are
counted again and made iuto bundles be-
fore they are sent to the treasury depart-
ment, where they are to receive the sea
and to be cut apart. You know thev are
printed four to the sheet. The sheets re-
main uncut until they have been delivered
to the treasury department. Altogether
there are fifty two counts of each sheet 81
paper by which 1t is checked on its way
through the bureau of engraving.
When 4 o'clock comes the heads
of divisions get together and coplppre
their accounts, and they must be made
to balance before the employees can leave
the bureau. That is, the number O.
printed sheets in different stages of com.
pletion reported by each division anf
; the number of imprinted sheets on hanc
} must aggregate the number of sheets or
hand the night before imprinted and tn,
} number drawn on requisition the day
before. So you see there would have IL
be collision ali through the bureau To-
any fraud to be committed. No. thinl
that the system by which Uncle Sam
cash is protected in the process of manu-
facture is about as perfect as it can be. },