The San Francisco call., 1899-07-02
TH|RTY-F|VE
MINT WORKERS
ARE WA|L|NC
T hey Lost T heir Jobs
Yesterday.
UNCLE SANS CLEARING OUT
TWENTY-FIVE WOMEN ADJUST
ERS IN THE COLD.
Reduced Appropriations for the New
Fiscal Year and Lessened
Work Create a Revo-
luton.
UNCLE SANS CLEARING OUT
TWENTY-FIVE WOMEN ADJUST
ERS IN THE COLD.

A cyclone has struck the Mint and there
is much wailing. Thirty-five employees,
who have been working regularly and
happily for months or longer and who
are on the civil service list, have been
discharged
twenty-five Of them were women
maidens, widows and wives, who had.
with much worry, influence and demon
stTaJion of ability, reached that much
sought-for political haven for women, a
job as ''adjuster' in the coiner's depart
ment. Adjusters in the Mint service are
women who make everything just right.
They expertly scrutiniZe, weigh, count,
etc, the pieces of money that roll out by
the millions and they get $2 80 day. The
rest were men who get from So 5V TO "a
day for doing all sorts of things. Two OF
them were ClaSSed as CupeuerS IN Ihe
assayer'S department.
Not one suspected that it was coming.
Each received his pay as usual on FRI
day without a look of intelligence from
the face of the cashier. On that day
thirty-fiVe notes had been mailed TO as
many residences notifying the recipients
that their services would not he required
until further notice. Many received lhelI
notices yesterday. That IS the way ana
the proper way in which those tnnSS are
done by Uncle Sam. 1t IS wen known
that there are enough tears and why's
around a government office on Such oc-
casions without brutally breaking the
news TO the victims along with thelr
money when they leave the office.
The reason of the cleaning out IS eX-
planned by Mint authorities to be que,
first. to the lessened approprlaton on
which the San Francisco Mint Will run
from July l. and, second, to the decreased
demand for small gold and subsidiary sill
YER which lessons the amount OF work
For the last fiscal year the regular ap-
propriations for the United States MINT
at San Francisco were: Forty-one thou-
sand dollars for statutory officers ana
ole
$3.50 900 for wages of general employees.
But the revival of business and the needS
of the paymaSterS of the army created
great demand for small gold and suDsl-
diary silver, and for months last year
the mints were rushed TO supply TINS de-
mand. 1t takes as many people ana coStS
about as much in an operative way to
make a So piece as it does double eagle,
and larger mint forces were required. ON
account of this extra work congress
made an extra appropriation OF SZoO,
for all the mints, and about $33,OOO OF TINS
went to the San Francisco Mint, giving
it $1S5 900 for wages OF operatives Inc
San Francisco Mint made a great record
last year in small gold and small silver,
besides breaking all annual mint records
with a total coinage of sos, 900 900 for the
calendar year of 1898, and $b3,OOO.0OO for the
fiscal year just closed. Its greatest pre-
Vious record was $5O, ,lS6,OUU tor the caIen-
dar year of 1878.
This record was largely due to the enor-
NOUS shipments of British coin from Aus
Now the demand for small coin has been
pretty well supplied and receipts of for
eign gold are less. Then for the fiscal
year Just begun the wages appropriation
is $175 000 with no extras, or $4,000 less
than last year. 1t is explained that it was
to get down to the scale of appropriation
for the new fiscal year and to a lessened
scale of work that the force was so re
duced at the close of the fiscal year It
should be explained that the coinage OF
silver dollars last year resulted in an eX
ira allowance of $50. 900, which will prop
ably be less this year.
The discharged employees are under civil
service and are really suspended without
pay When another increase of force re-
quires filing some or all OF the vacancies
it will rest with Superintendent Leach to
say who shall be selected from the wait
ing civil service list. 1t is likely that Mr..
Leach will reappoint from the discharged
men, but that is for the future.