Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-13

case number by which it afterward could
be identified through all the qualifications
OF the work.
Making the AIlotmcnts.
The subscriptions and the lists on which
they had been entered were sent to the
comparing division, where the work was
reviewed with great care and all errors
| corrected. The original subscriptions were
then gone over by a set of clerks, whose
Cuty 1t was to enter them on schedules to
be used subsequently by the register of
the treasury when issuing the bonds The
subscriptions and schedules were compared
III the comparing division in the same man
Ler as the lists. Both the lists and sched-
ules were then sent to the bOokkeeoer's
Civlslon, where if the list of subscriptions
agreed with the sci edules thew We're Dass-
ed on for allotment The subscriptions for
amounts larger than $500 We're taken care
OF IN another division of listers The work
was not prosecuted to an end in this di-
VISION because it could not be tod until the
DOCKS We're closed how much of the loan
would be absorbed by those who had APP
Piled for bonds of $500 and less. Subscrip-
tons for amounts over that sum were re-
CURED to be accompanied by per cent of
the amount of the subscription as an earn
est that the application was made in good
1altn Great bundles of yellow blanks with
Checks, drafts, post office money orders
ana express money orders attached there
to were stored In the vaults at the new
city post Office awaiting consideration when
the DOCKS OF the loan should have closed
Rejected Subscriptions.
Almost a week before that event Assist
ant secretary Fanderlp knew that the in
dividua subscriptions of the loan would
lar more than be sufficient to take all the
bonds, and therefore preparations were
made to return promptly all subscriptions
OF corporations, syndicates, associations. or
aggregated forms of wealth. This was a
move appreciated by those who's. money
would nave been tied up in the form of GER
titled checks until it was the departments
pleasure to return their bids TO release
TINS money as soon as possible was the
outy OF the department, and in few hours
after ) O'Clock July A. when the loan
closed, thousands of these checks were be-
Ing returned to unsuccessful subscribers.
In the Treasury Department proper the
Work mas been greatly increased, especial
~ In the treasurer's Office, where an addi-
uohal force has been employed to take care
of checks. drafts and other forms of re
InlttanGe sent by the Secretary for collec-
tion These were carefully gone over bv
the treasurer's force and sent to denosi
tary banks, by which the checks and drafts
were collected These banks We're required
TO make collections without expense fo the
government and when the certificate Of
deposit representing "a collection was re-
turned to the treasury the bank which had
sent 1t was charged with the amount and
the money was regarded as in the treasury
as soon as covering warrant had been
issued Collections up to the present time
have amounted to $115 600 600
In order to encourage the people to sub
scribe to the loan, Secretary Gage an
nounced in his circular that payments
would be received in almost every form In
which credits could be transmitted The
department received old bonds of other
loans In payment. 1t received gold, which.
being frequently of light weight and below
the limit of tolerance, caused much DELAY
IN the settlement of cases. Wherever gold
was sent in payment it was weighed and
If found too light the subscriber was re-
qutred to make up the difference
A branch of the Office of the register Of
the treasury was established In the new
city post office, where clerks were engaged
IN computing interest on deposits and in
preparing for the transmission of bonds to
successful subscribers. The actuary of the
treasury prepared interest tables for
amounts ranging from $50 to 81 200, 900 at
per cent, the periods ranging from one to
ntnety-two days. These tables enabled the
clerks to compute readily the interest ac-
crued on each deposit. Schedules of ac-
crued interest were prepared and typevrit-
ten and furnished to the treasurer of the
United States whose duty It was to draw
the 100000 checks which Were to be sent to
the successful subscribers. The ordinary
custom in the treasurer's Office is to cut
the amounts in checks, but this had to be
dispensed with in so large Job and as the
smallest check for interest was s cents and
the largest S196, it was found to be prac-
tfcable to print in red ink across the face
of each interest check the words Less
than 81 and Less than ST." as circum-
stances required.
A Mammoth Task.
All the undertaking from the time the
mail was received in the opening division
until 100000 envelopes had been prepared
by the registers office and addressed can
not be set forth within the limits of this
article. Perhaps some-idea of the macni-
tude of the work may be obtained from an
understanding of the mere work Of de-
hvering the bonds. Sixty people are en-