The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-14
Government Industry That Is Ac-
curate Barometer OF the Country's
Business Conditions.
FACTS OF POPULAR INTEREST
Over Twenty Millions Turned Out
Each Working Day-The Stamp
Book Well Liked.


WASHINGTON, June 13.-More than six
billion postage stamps will be printed by
Uncle Sam during the present calendar
year. The exact figures, as estimated by
the officials. win be 6.S64. 10000. or this
number i,ssl0O0,OO0 will be made up Of l.
cent stamps. 3.427. 20O. 600 Of twos, and the
remainder of the higher denominations.
The Bureau Of Engraving and Printing
strikes of about 2O,Soo.00e stamps every
day This average is kept up for the 300
working days in the year. The daily ship
ment OF stamps 20 the 10000 or more post
Offices throughout the United States run
from 100000 to 7o.ooo.oOo. the latter being
the highest number ever sent out In a sin
gle day. About one hundred million stamps
are always on hand ready for any emer-
geney. The stamps are turned out by the
million every day, and with the exception
OF the set stock OF 100 OO0. 900 the supply just
about equals the demand.
why. SIR" said the man in charge OF
the stamp division, I'VE count In millions
and billions here. We can tell without
difficulty whether the country Is prospecting
or noundering in the slough OF adversely.
In fact. the order sheet for stamps il an
accurate barometer OF Industrial conditions
IN the United States. AS political argu-
ment nothing better be advanced than
the unusually heavy demand for stamps
during the past years. The calls upon Us
necessitate constant activity. The sale of
stamps has jumped with leaps and bounds
since 1900. In that year We shipped 1885,
oo00oo In 1901. %Z7o 100000 In 1907 5.1S5 800 900,
and In the present year We hope to pass the
10000 mark Our best month Ii Janu-
airy. Business picks up in December as
result OF the holiday season. but we reach
the flood in January. August is the slack
month. and February Is counted among the
duh periods The demand in the first twen-
ty days Of every quarter is unusually
heavy. and at such times daily ship
ments foot up to 100000"
A TREMENDOUS TASK.
The task OF printing and distributing the
little certificate that appears on the letters
In the United States mails IL a tremendous
one. Great skin is required in every branch
OF the work. The best plate printers that
can be obtained in this country are en-
ployed, and the women who examine and
count the stamps are among the most ex-
s7aN OF the small army employed in the
Bureau OF Engraving and Printing. While
billions OF stamps are printed In a year,
every. detail OF the big job is done by a
force OF about 1900 men and women
Each OF them is an expert in his or her
particular line OF business. Only one mis-
take has been made in counting the stamps
during the past three years. When Ii is
considered that millions are counted in a
day. hundreds OF millions in a month, and
billions In year, the proficiency of the
counters. all OF whom are women, is readily
appreciated. There Is another fact that
may be OF interest to those who are not
advised OF the rules governing the national
money factory. where the postage stamps
are printed. In the past three years only
one sheet OF stamp paper has been lost.
Four hundred stamps are printed on a
sheet OF a specially prepared paper. Each
sheet goes through the hands OF a couple
OF hundred employees. But il Is almost inn
possible for e sheet OF paper or a single
stamp to be lost or mislaid. Every scrap
must be accounted for and checked up be-
fore the employees leave the building. II a
sheet IL reported missing a search is made
for IL. II It is not found the loss must be
made good. Sometimes the foreman of
the room in which the sheet or stamp has
disappeared pays for 1t, or collection is
taken Up among the employees. But, as
they do occur. they are small, only one In
the past three years. and only three or four
since 1893.
The process OF turning out a postage
stamp Il similar TO that OF printing a bank
note. There Is. however. more detail in the
printing OF the stamp. The engraving re-
Quirss as much skill, and some OF the best
men IN the bureau are employed in this
<~Ia - n 49,
some wise official in the Pcstoffice Depart
ment- It takes three months to turn it out,
and then. IL IL does not suit the fancy of
the department official. II must be done
over again. The drying process of the stamp
Is iaborious and requires great skill Most
OF the defects that appear in the stamp
paper after 1t is printed and ready for per-
foration are due to shrinkage. Every sheet
OF stamp paper has the water mark. ~.
s. p" running through every square inch
OF IT. The water mark is responsible for
the shrinkase. which spoils many OF the
stamp sheets. The sheets which do not pass
the eagle eye of the examiner are run
through a press and Cancelled and then de-
stroyed-
HOW STAMPS ARE GUMMED.
The cumming of the stamp is one of the
most important processes. 1t is done in ac-
rordance with strictly scientific principles
The room Ia which the process Is worked
put Is kept as nearly as possible at the
same temperature summer and winter This
f. accomplished by means OF steam coils in
winter and by. perhaps. the most elaborate
system of ventilation in the United States
with the possible exception of roorns in
the government Bureau OF Standards. Ex-
perfments covering a period OF years were
made with different gums. and it was a
long time before the chemists were success
full They finally evolved composition
which fills the bin, and since 1t has beer
used very little complaint has been heard
as 20 the adhesive quality OF postage
stamps. The basic constituent OF this gum
which the government manufactures. is
cassava starch. 1t contains nothing that
Is deieterious to health. and. in fact. is pro-
nounced almost good enough to eat" II
Is manufactured with great care and clean.
illness.
The method OF applying the gum 20 the
stamp sheets is entirely mechanical except
IN the counting. The sheets are fed into
. hopper where they pass between rollers
the lower set OF which revolve in vat OF
melted gum This vat is directly over a
heater which is regulated automatically
With scientific accuracy Over these gum