Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-10-25
WASHINGTON SKETCHES.
\ Glimpse at Some of the Nachin
cry of One OF the departments.

~
government involving the payment Of
money, from the million, appropriated
for pensions and war ships, down to
the smallest money order, has to he
passed upon 10y officials Of the Treas
AIRY Department before the matter is
finally settled. TO audit this enor-
nous number OF bills involving several
hundred millions OF dollars each year,
the Treasury Department is provided
with six divisions OF accountants, each
having his own branch OF the public
service to look after
The Sixth Auditor, now officially
known as THE Auditor for the Post
Office Department." requires from $50
to 800 assistants to keep track OF the
business OF that branch OF the service
alone. When the amount OF business
done each year is understood it will be
seen that these officials find plenty OF
work TO do to" earn their salt"
When the present auditor, Mr.
George A. Howard, assumed the duties
OF his office. he found himself con-
fronted with an accumulation OF
thirty-iive millions Of paid money Or
ders, which had to be first assorted by
the paying offices and compared with
the reports of postmasters who paid
the orders, and then reassorted by the
issuing Offices and compared with the
reports sent in by the postmasters
who issued the orders.
After the accounts are settled the
orders are tied up in bundles and kept
for at least ten years. Two hundred
and twenty-four tons OF orders issued
between 1864 and 1884 have Just been
sold as waste paper, realizing the gov
eminent 81 $50.
AS the result OF the investigations OF
the Dockery Congressional commit
tee into the mode OF conducting the
work OF the government departments,
number of changes have been made
in the Sixth Auditors office. The old
postal notes have been done away with,
and new money order has been issued
which requires but single checking
and that against the paying office.
When postmaster sends in the orders
paid during the week, he sends list
of them also. If the returned orders
tally with the list the account is closed
and that is the end OF that part of the
transaction.
For the use Of postmasters the
orders are bound up in book form.
Between the order and the stub are
series of coupons representing dollars
and cents. The order is torn off in
such a way that the coupons attached
to it will represent the amount for
which the order is drawn. The stubs
are sent in with the reports of the
issuing postmaster and if the coupons
missing from the stub correspond with
the amount given on the list his &C.
count also is balanced. This plan
borrowed from the United States Ex-
press Company, saves vast amount
of work, and reduces the number of
people employed in the old asserting
division" by nearly hundred. The
domestic money order system includes
over 10000 post offices, and handles
each year from $l5O,OO0,O0O to $780,
100000.
Another branch OF the auditors Of
flee, the Foreign Money Order
Division" looks after the foreign ex-
change, for in the principal postoffices
of the country you can now purchase
money order upon almost any civil
lied country except Russia, Mexico
and the South American Republics.
These countries do not even have do
mestic systems. When postmaster
is asked for a foreign order he gives
the applicant receipt for the sum-
and he draws an order upon New
York il the money is to be paid in
Europe, or upon San Francisco if it is
TO be paid in Asia. The New York
or San Francisco office will send a
copy OF the order to the exchange
office in the proper country and in
that country the nearest postmaster
will be directed to pay the money to
the person for whom it is intended.
In many countries, as in Germany, it
is taken directly to the house of the
party. There is no order given to be
mailed by the purchaser directly to
the payee, as is the case with domes-
tic orders.
For the Canadian business there are
six exchange Offices, extending from
Bangor TO Seattle, and orders are
ulaWh uDOi tiC hCulCSt NACbuhSC Va
flee. The force auditing the domestic
accounts requires some three hundred
clerks, while bakers dozen finds no
difficulty in keeping up with the
foreign business.
The Bookkeeping Division" re-
uuires about seyenty-five accountants.
Ali OF them are men, because of the
great weight of the enormous ledgers
in which are kept personal accounts
with ever postmaster in the United
States.
The "Pay Division audits the ac-
counts OF all classes OF mail transporta
ton expenses, amounting to upwards
of $4O,O0O,000 annually.
The divisions referred to are the