The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-04-13
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WASHINGTON LETTER
lSpec,al Correspondence. ]

Thousands or dollars III COuh'eiAei'
notes and plates and dies which have
printed millions Of dollars or govern
ment bonds and greenbacks went up
In a great cloud of smoke at the wash
ington factory a few days ago. From
the tall chimney of the gun foundry
curls of green smoke poured out and
told the 5000 workmen In the yard
that the government was having Its
annual destruction Of property from
the bureau of engraving and printing
These plates are cast Off. aud, instead
of melting them for their metal, they
are allowed to disappear in the great
furnace Of the gunshOp, while the
counterfeit notes Of all denominations
go up the chimney in smoke.
Once every year the treasury OIL.
cials in charge of the departments OF
bonds and notes proceed TO the navy
ward. whittier the dies and plates and
green goods are hauled in wagons
guarded with the greatest care. The
big furnaces are stocked to their fullest
blazing capacity, and then the deslruc-
ton begins. The counterfeit money
is first burned, then the dies and last
the mates. The operations last an
hour or two, and when it Is over pa
pers are signed for the government,
showing that such dies and plates
have been destroyed by fire. Any 9th
er course might lead to the plates be
ing secured and used by INSCRIPTIONS
persons.
High Salaries For Experts.
Mr. Milton whitney, chief Of the
division of soils. department of agri-
culture. was before the Industrial com
mission the other day. Mr.. Whitney
said that there is still tendency
among Young men reared on farms to
leave agricultural pursuits in order to
60 into industrial or commercial pur'
suits. but change is taking place III
that respect, brought about by at
tractiye salaries to be obtained by agri-
cultural experts. 1t is common thing
now. he said. for a tobacco expert 10
be paid $4,000 or $1,000 year. These
EXPERTS are not college bred men and
frequently have deficient general edu-
cation. but have become efficient IN
the practical work of tobacco growing
and allied industries. Such salaries
are now often paid men who are eN-
perts In the manipulation OF soils oil
various kinds aud In the management
of large truck farms. Recently japan
gave salary of $4,000 year to to
bacco expert of the department OF agrl'
culture. and still more recently that
government offered $1,000 year for an
expert of that kind to go TO the island
of Formosa. A large beet growing
concern had paid $1,000 year TO
man who could successfully treat the
alkali soil with which it has been trou-
bled
Increase In Postal Receipts.
The monthly balance sheet for the
80 largest postotiices in the United
States for February. 1901. shows the
total receipts to have been $4.Oll.5S9'
a net increase of $4Gl, l51 over the re-
ceipts for February, 1900. or 49, per
cent. Out Of the 30 offices only one
showed decrease. Syracuse. whose
receipts were $23,l3l, decrease OF
S1.15O, or Al per cent. For all the
other offices the showing was very
favorable, especially when 1t is con-
sidered that February is not one OF
the heavy mail months.
Chicago, as usual. leads the list In
the amount Of increase. its receipts be-
ing $625. 1914. an increase OF $lO4,64d'
or 20 per cent New York remains at
the head In amount Of receipts, $50
III. an increase of $S9,SS0, or 1872 per
cent. Greater New York would OF
course lead Chicago by many thou
sands. as Brooklyn shows receipts Of
s123. SO5. an increase Of $500, or ~
per cent. Dayton. o.. ranks all the
cities 10 percentage Of increase Its
receipts for February Of this year are
500. OO1, an increase of $6.429, or 3S.1
per cent.
Great Graft"
Perhaps the sllckest game that was
ever worked upon members of congress
was that used a short time ago by q
colored employee OF the house who was
assigned TO duty in the members toilet
room. This enterprislng individual OBJ
tanned a roll call which gave the name
of every member entitled TO vote. He
tapped each and every one Of them for
the uniform sum OF 81 and worked his
graft" so successfully that during the
last year of a service In that particular
place he succeeded. according to &C
counts. In securing something like 5000
from 300 representatives.