The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-07
Cash for All the Pension
Checks.
United States Treasury Makes
the Announcement.
MEANS MUCH CASH.
over Four Million Dollars for
Topeka Agency.
All VIII Be Paid as Soon as
Presented.

81. Louis. Nov. I'm answer To
queries from over a score of banks ana
many individuals throughout the mid
oie west and upper south, as to wheth-
er the United States would make good
in currency all pension checks cashed
oy them this month, Thomas J. Atkins
assistant treasurer of the United States
IN charge of the subtreasury in 81
Louis, replied that every pension
check issued from the agency at To-
Peka' Kansas, would be cashed by the
government with currency, gold or sill
yer, as desired.
lhls order will set at rest the minda
or over 100000 Civil war veterans. an
this district who have been eSnecf,nn
some olnculty in getting their war
rants cashed during the financial
hurry. In fact, some of the Veterans
IN IA Kansas nave been turned down bv
from Mr.. Atkins.
Last Monday was the day when the
government began paying on the
guar du;arteriy ~, pensions due the old SOL
charge of Gen. Wilder S. Metcaif. is
the paying off point for the most OF
the middle western and some south
ern states, while the subtreasury at ST.
LOUIS Lou. is the place where the funds for
tnls purpose are kept. When the VET
Grams began approaching the banks in
Iopeka with checks aeererafing
$I5O,OOO the officials realized thar n
tney cashed the warrants they would
pe snort or cash in short time and
no provisions had been made for q re-
turn or currency from the govern
ment Thereupon, the bankers got to-
Sether and agreed to cash none OF the
warrants until the subtreasury either
promised TO send currency to Topeka
In bulk or would bind itself to paw the
vouchers In ST. Louis as soon as they
reached the subtreasury
Banks Ask Information.
Ihe topeka agency pays off $4,000
veterans every three months. involv-
ing an expenditure of $4,150.0O0. For
merry the checks were cashed by all
banks in the country without question
and were redeemed in due course bv
the subtreasury. Some of the letters
received from the banks yesterday
were worded in strong terms and de-
manded to know at once what the
government intended to do. They All
declared that if they cashed the
checks without any assurance of an
Immediate return of currency thew
would be in financial straits in a faI,
days. BY next Saturday over 100 600
OF the pension warrants will be in cir
culation.
In his reply to the banks. Mr.. Atkins
assured them that the government was
ready and willing to convert ali the
pension checks into hard cash. He
ADVISED the banks to cash the warrants
and either forward them to their cor
respondents in st. Louis or direct tn
the subtreasury, where they would be
casned and the currency expressed ThA
more reasonable plan, he believed
would be to use the correspondent sys-
tenn, owing to the smallness of the
force at the subtreasury. Mr.. Atkins is
sued the following statement relative
to the pension checks yesterday after
noon:
During the month of November we paw
az the st. Louis sEntreasury over "a, 600, 900
IN pension checks drawn by the Topeka
agency. Every pension check properly in
insists on having Endorsements Technically
correct. Those holding the warrants
should fndorse them in ink, writing their
name on the back, just as IT is on the face
without variation. They should then pre-
sent them to the handiest bank in the
locality, which will send them to its cor
in St. Louis or direct to the
The bank presenting the checks must
guarantee all the Endorsements. These
are taken to prevent payment
20 any one except the proper parties.
Checks thus presented Will be paid ON
sight in currency, gold or silver, as u
desired in each case"
Mr.. Atkins believes that the currency
'icers would materially assist the finan-
;ial situation, inasmuch the money
would be distributed to every part of the
Four tons of silver coin aggre-
eating nearly $150,000 were shipped out
rom the St. Louis subtreasury to differ
snt parts of the country, from Spokane,
Wash, to Jacksonville. Fla