New-York tribune., 1905-07-31
ITRoM THE TRIBUNE BUREAU.I


Washington. July 3O.-Counting over $1,000
OO0.OO0, piece by piece is no joke as Charles r.
Treat, who came over from New-YOrk four
weeks ago 10 be Treasurer OF the United States.
has discovered. Before giving a receipt in fun
to Ellis H. Roberts. his predecessor In office, for
moneys delivered into his keeping. Mr.. Treat is
anxious TO know first whether ii is all there.
The count is required by law. Mr.. Treats bond
is not assented to until he can report officially
TO the Secretary of the Treasury how much
money is in the vaults and Mr.. Roberts, even
though he has left Washington. is not relieved OF
accountability until the count shows that the
amount of money he reported to be on hand at
the close of business on June 30 is actually in
the big vaults The accounts must tally 10 the
fraction OF a cent.
Thus far good progress has been made in the
count It began on July l. and already the
paper currency reserve fund OF 1888 3525 500 has
been checked up by the expert counters OF the
department, most Of whom are women
But the worst is still to come. There remain
s16s.050.Oo0 actual cash in gold and silver. $685.
474,s2o 62 2-3 in securities and bonds held in
trust and more than million certificates Of de-
posit to be counted
TONS OF GOLD AND SILVER
The counting OF the gold and silver coin is. OF
the work of staIwart men TO lift about tho
heavy bags Of coin. and score or more OF them
will be toiling at this task for many weeks down
in the dingy lower passageways of the Treas
ury Building where Uncle Sam keeps his
wealth stored away. It is a thankless job for
them. and one requiring great physical exertion.
The money is tied up in canvas bags each about
the size OF ordinary meal sack and each
weighing about sixty pounds These bags have
to be lifted from their places in the vaults and
placed on scales. There they are weighed
against standard test TO discover IL even the
fraction OF coin is missing. II they balance
properly on the scale, ali well and good, but II
not the bag has 20 be opened and the coin
poured out and counted. A dollar missing would
mean SO much checked up as loss against the
account turned IN by the retiring Treasurer
There are three standards OF test in this weigh
ing process Each bag must contain $1,000.
First bag of brard new silver dollars is
counted out as a standard OF weight, then one
of partially worn coin. and still third OF well
worn coin. As the degree Of newness counts In
the weight Of the coin, it is necessary to have
these varying standards. All the bags are put
I'D with $1,000. There should be IN the cash
vaults Of the Treasury. according to the figures
given by Mr.. Roberts. 153,400,000 standard sill
yer dollars. 100000 of subsidiary silver.
IS, 4OO. 900 gold coin and $4,000 minor coins
EIGHT YEARS GROWTH
Eight years ago. when ex-Treasurer Roberts
gave to D. N. Morgan, his predecessor. receipt
for the money taken over by him, the total
amount as shown by the receipt. the original OF
which has been framed and adorns the outer wall
of the treasurer's Office. was ST96.925.4S9 IT 2S.
That the wealth OF the United States has
grown enormously since then viii have no more
striking Illustration than when the new treas
ureris receipt II turn goes UP alongside that Of
NJ Roberts His total will be S1.26S. .27s,
This increase OF almost half a billion IS due
entirely 70 the larger amount OF securities and
bonds for national banks now held il trust and
to the larger reserve fund Of paper currency.
When Mr.. Roberts took charge. July l, 1881, the
amount Of bonds and securities held in trust was
S26g. .3O9. 45I 50 2-13. This has climbed up TO
S5G3. .4T4. .92O s. %. Two thousand more na-
tiolaJ banks are now IN existence than at that
time. The currency fund has cOrresp Ondingiy
grown. It is 1888. 352, 800 as against $301, ,9J2,
J00 eight years ago. The cash fund makes a
remarkable showing, lnasnuch as it is approx
Euately 81. 10000 below the amount in the
vaults at the end OF D. y. Morgan's term. This
IS due to The deficit and the paying out of funds
Tor the purchase Of the Panama Canal property.
one entirely new feature of Mr.. Treats receipt
is the cash fund OF which the United States
is custodian for the Philippines.
TREAsCRER's BIG RECEIPT
Here is fac-simile of the receipt OF eight years
ago which 4Ir. Roberts gave to D. n. Morgan:
5 Treasurer OF the United States
Washington, D. .. July l. 1897.
Received from D. n. Morgan, retiring Treas
urer OF the United States. seven hundred and
ninety-six million nine hundred and twenty-five
thousand four hundred and twenty-nine dollars
and seventeen and two-thirds cents. for which
receipts have been given in detail
IO7 40
Trs-surers transfer account
. United States paper currency in reserve
vault 30I. .952 900
incomplete certificates OF deposit (Act
B. 1872 Vault No. g. 6........... 1902 Geo 90
Bonds other securities held in 269 3O9
Total .S786 925 4ss Il u
ELLIS II. ROBERTS.
Treasurer United States.
The operation of counting Uncle Sans cash in
the national depository, though required by law