Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-27
How Uncle Sam Registers and Files
Returned Interest Slips.
RESUME OF GOVERNMENT LOANS
Defeating Efforts to Defraud the
Treasury.
LARGEST SINGLE PAYMENT
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
There are a great many persons in this
country who have no idea of the system
that Uncle Sam keeps with regard to the
interest checks that paid quarterly on
registered bonds. There are numerous in
stances, incidents .hat happen every day
IL the registers Office of the Treasury De-
partmtnt. that go to prove this assertion.
A man will write to the office saying that
he has not received his check for interest,
payable. perhaps, eight or nine years ago,
and that he would be very much obliged IL
the department would make him out an
other check for the amount. The clerk
TO whom this letter is referred goes to Ills
books. finds the report number and then
goes to the file room. where the old checks
are kept. and ninety-nine times out Of one
hundred. or It would be more correct to
say nine hundred and ninety-nine times
out of Il thousand, picks up the cheek
winch the gentleman swears he did not
receive. Endorsed by him and returned to
the Treasury Department having been
paid to the individual in question. There
are very few times that the department is
found to have skipped any of the thou
sands of holders of United States securi-
ties in the shape of registered bonds.
System Not Complicated.
The system by which this accuracy is
possible is not a complicated one. except
that 1t deals with numbers embracing the
third period. The loans of the government
are IL two forms-registered and coupon.
OF course. in the case of the coupon
bonds no such record is kept, but in the
case of the registered bonds an individual
account with every holder of any and all
such securities ever issued by the govern
ment is kept in the Office of the register of
the treasury When the time comes for the
quarterly payment the registers Office pre-
pares the schedule, which Is then sent to
the treasurers office. where the checks are
Drawn The checks are then sent out and
are returned in due time to the registers
once after payment has been made Checks
are not always cashed in al that time how
ever. many persons who are careful with
their money holding them and perhaps
sending them to the treasury for payment
years after the original quarterly payment
when an old check of this description
comes In it is referred to the registers
once In the same manner that a complaint
would be, and the matter is carefully
looked up 10 see that there is no possible
ehanee of the government paying interest
Twice W hen the checks are finally re-
turned to the registers office the number is
carefully entered in books for that purpose
and the checks themselves are then tagged
and placed in the file ROOM SO that II is a
matter OF very few minutes for a clerk
VINO Is familiar with the routine to find any
check that has ever been returned to that
office.
The books of the registers Office IN TO
me he end OF the last fiscal year. June 80.
1871, snow that there are now 3StS, STD
checks registered and filed away for DOS
s1ble reference. The checks aggregate a
sum of s.;s3J ,0S6.Jj. this sum being the
tolai amount OF interest paid out by the
government on registered bonds up to that
time. During the fiscal year ending June
80, 1897. there were 131 563 checks received
at the registers office for registering and
Elng agsregating an amount of SS0237,
7Jf.42.
Registered bonds issued by the govern
rlent. with the number of interest checks
received, registered and filed in the regis
yer oHiee under each loan. together with
the sum total value of each set of checks
SO received and filed, are as follows:
Various Government Leans.
Acts of July II and August 5. 1861. 5 per
cent boads-Number of checks received,
5293. amount. s., $3.50 Acts of july II
and August ). 1861. continued at 3I per
oent-NUmber received. & 202; amount, ST.
ISL 1885, Act of March 3. 1863. 6 per cen:
he nd-Number received 3,ua9; amount. 81
513.4oa. Act of March 3. 1861 continued at
-. per cent-Number received SSH ::
amount, S1,6l4,0I2-I1. Funded loan of 1881
. Per cent-Nu1nber received, 2D2 1S9:
amount. s196s6.395.9I. Loan of 1881 con-
unued AT BIZ per cent-Numter Received
54.2S4: amount, sl6.U91 ,0OI11. Act of july
lSS-y d per cenl-Su mbeT received. 81 -
?i9, amount, $2S.346. .D4. 80 Funded loan of
1871, AZ per cent-Number received 569
19l: amount. $lo5.3I7. 1854. ID Loan of 1881
continued at per cent-Number received
Ell; amount 81 Isl, 0i6.69 Loan of 1907
rer cent-Number received 2SO4, al :
amount. SiS2,9i5, 1904 Loan of 1901 3 per
cent-Number received, H. 40i; amount. 81
:srl411- Loan of 1925 per cent-Num-
FER received, 1853; amount. 5000. 2tl,
Pacific railroad bonds. G per cent-Number
received 6o.:2i: amount, s5SI513TO -
District of Columbia bonds ffty-year fund
ed loan of 1924, 3-65 per cent-Number re-
eeived; ia;oD amount ss,1s0.25430. Old
funded debt. > and 3ir per cent-Number
received. 35Io: amount $3.50 1Ol 10
AS an instance of how persons retain
cnecKs made payable to them for interest
ana 90 not cash them in until years after
the payment is made. one of the checks
Under the funded loan of 1881 for So was
turned in last year. while four aggregat-
ing S.'s4 under the continued loan of 1871
ana sixteen aggregating S9975 under the
loan OF lSS2 We're received curing this
year. There have not been any checks
under the hrst four loans received at the
registers office for some time.
Dcfraudins Uncle Sam,
There are more ways than the one out
liz ed IN the beginEing to which persons
resort to defraud the government in the
matter of bonds anf checks. Half bonds
are received. the other nalf II is alleged
having been destroyed by fire. Then during
the course Of years along comes the other
half the sender. often the same in boil
cases. alleging that the other half. pre-
yiously redeemed at the department hsd
been destroyed by fire. But the trick is
always found out, SO complete is the svs.
TEN now in use.
II is practically impossible to pass a
forged check through the office 1t is otter
the case that checks come in with sig
natures tEat Immediately ~
or with imperfect Endorsements, or. per
haps. with forged Endorsement. Their
they are Immediately sent to the regis
ter's office and a comparison is made with
the check issued under the last preyiou.
quarterly payment Should the check bt
inadvertently passed by the treasurer's
office IL rarely. and II may be said never
gets through the auditors Office through
which Ii has q -.