The Portland daily press., 1898-08-04
TREAsURY's WAR WORK.
Financial End of the Government Rushed
w tn Emergency Business.

(Correspondence of the Transcript
Washington, July 20
The war work of the Treasury Depart
ment may fairly be said to rival thao Oh
the military branch of the Government
in complexity. In nearly every division
Of the great financial establishment al
Washington there is rush of extra pusl'
ness arising directly from the confilc5
with Spain. Nor is this strange, mas
much as no fighting can be done without
money, and the most glorious feats OF
American arms would never be performed
without the backing of the national
strongbox.
Secretary Gage sits in bis office, looking
just bit like the Capitoline Jupiter,
18th his fine face and almost snowy
beard. 1t is pleasant room, offering a
view through big windows of the Wash
ington Monument and the White Lot.
Between the windows are tall and wide
mirrors, and along the walls ara arranged
leather-co vered chairs we'll str~od. The
chairs are occupied all day long by per-
sons VIII O want to interview Mr.. Gage
on one matter or another. AS each one
in turn presents his business and gets
through with it, the others move up. He
sits at big fat-topped desk and receives
each visitor in an amiable way that is
character isic.
Most of those who call want places, the
new bond issue having compelled the en-
ployment of several hundred extra people,
Others have come on important financial
business. A pudgy man with a conse-
quential cough swings a gold eyeglass
upon silken cord and awaits with e7i-
dent Impotence his turn to speak to the
secretary. TIME is of importance to him
obviously, and from time to time he takes
out his watch and opens it nervously.
He has the bushy mutton chop side whis'
kers which are an exclusiev appurtenance
of the capitalist, and the most
casual observer would recognize lin as
a bannor. The purpose of his visit IS to
consult Mr.. Gage about some matter that
has to do with the expectation of gold
On the whole, Mr.. Gage is about the
busiest man in the Treasury department..
Every puzzling problem is referred to
him for final settlement and some OF
them are very knotty indeed Many
questio have arisen with reference TO
frauds attempted by people who put IN
dummy; bids for bonds, Some banks
adopted this method for obtaining big
slices of the loan, submitting bogus
names or else the names OF non-lnterested
persons as those of genuine subscribers.
: The first official notice of the war taken
by the treasury was in paying for ships
bought by the navy abroad. They were
settled for in London, and for that pur-
rcse exchange on London had to be OBJ
tanned through the Belmonts @and Sell
gayuans in New York, the secretary ar
ranging matters with the metropolitan
bankers over long distance phone.
Some of the visitors who call on Mr..
Gage bring odd petitions, and he finds it
very hard to refuse anybody. Only the
other day he found on his desk a letter
from three young women out in Wiscon-
sin. They wrote saying that they were
hard working girls, and that they had in
q bank, respecti yely, 500, $500 and 500.
The half-yearly interest on these deposits
was not due until July 10, and If they
drew the money out for investment in
the new bonds,fas they wished to do. they
would ose the increase on Their savings,
inasmuch as the subscriptions to the
NAOoO
Would not the secretary kindly hold the
bonds for them day or twosover the ap-
pointed time?
Why, of course! IT wasn't in Mr.,
Gago's power to keep the bonds in reserve
but he fixed it just as well by giving his
own personal check for $500 as security
for them. So now the three Woodworking
young women are subscribers to the loan
in due form, having paid in their money,
and doubtless they think that the seore-
tary of the treasury Is just the sweetest
man that ever lived.
A month ago the whole country was
bowling for documentary stamps, and the
Bureau of Engraving was running its
presses twenty -four hours day The
weather was fearfully hot and several of
the women employees were overcome; the
whole force was greatly fatigued. Never
theless the pressure was brought to bear
to persuade the secretary to keep things
going July 3, which was Sunday, nd on
the Fourth. Mr.. Gage positively refused.
and the bureau stopped running for forty
eight hours while business waited.
Mir. Gage decided recently to designate
nine cities in which war revenue stamps
might be printed upon bank checks, SO as
to do away with the bother of the small
adhesive plasters This seemed an attrac-
tive idea but no sooner was it hroached
than strong congressional influence was
brought to bear IN behalf OF Other CO nterS
Of population, each town sending dele
CATION to urge its claim to like privi
lege Finally the pressure became so
great that the secretary let down the bars,
declaring that the concession should be
extended to any reputable printing firm
that would giveibond in $25 ,0O0 and pay
$500 a year in salaries to a Governmental
superyisor and counter. The foreseen re-
suit followed, and already the kicking is
The minute that New
York concern acquired the privilege
Philadelphia began to protest, saying that
its field had been invaded.
Opposite Mr.. Gage at his desk sits big
man with strong face and iron-gray
This is assistant secretary
Vanderlip, the secretary,'s right-hand man
In front Of him is pile OF kilograms,
which he is taking from their envelopes
one after another. Most of them relate to
mere matters of detail, such as request
from an officer of the revenue cutter ser
vice for five days leave or complaint
a subscription to the new
loan. There have been great many
of this kind from people who
have began to worry about the safety of
their money from the day they sent in