Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-14
MAKING NEW MONEY
Emergency Notes Printed in
Big Quantities.
ABOUT $4,OOO,OOO DAILY
Total Issue Will Add $500, 900, 900
to National Currency.
READY TO MEET CROP NEEDS
New Design for Reverse of Notes.
Medallions of George Washington
and of the Capitol.
READY TO MEET CROP NEEDS

| Joseph f. Ralph, director of the bureau
of engraving and printing, is preparing
to add to the money of the United States
| at the rate of A,OOO.O0O a day. His con-
tribution to the national prosperity will
be in the shape of emergency bank notes.
provided for by the currency bill that
passed Congress in the recent session.
| When he completes his task the avail
able money at the command of the gov
eminent will have increased by $500, 600
| eco
| Work on the new bank notes is prose-
| cuted day and night. Complete forces,
necessary to man every part of the bu-
reau, are working in eight-hour shifts.
1t is practically impossible to estimate
the length of time necessary to complete
the task set before the bureau, for never
before has such a gigantic undertaking
been thrust upon it.
To Meet Crop Needs.
The first thought of the government in
preparing the currency is to take care of
those banks that will be called upon for
funds with which to move the crops in
the fall. For that reason the plates of
banks in Kansas City, st. Louis, Omaha,
Chicago, New Orleans, Atlanta and such
! AS an evidence that the financial banks
are not being favored at the expense of
the commercial institutions Director
Ralph called attention to the fact that
me me hrst plate changed to accommodate
the new currency was that of the First
National Bank of Beaver City, Utah.
Those who opposed the passage of the
currency bill said discrimination would
be practiced for the benefit of the banks
of Wall street and their connections.
Because of the desire to make ready for
what promises to be a record-breaking
crop movement the plates of the interior
banks that are being prepared now are all
of the smaller denominations-fives and
tens The plates of the twenty, fifty and
one hundred denominations will not be
touched until there is good supply of
the others on hand. Naturally the smaller
bills will far exceed in number those of
the greater values The task of changing
the plates for the individual national
banks of the entire country is big UNI
dertaking. 1t has been found necessary
to replace 1000 of them entirely while
$500 are in process of altering, erasing
and re-engraving.
New Design of Bills.
Sweeping changes have been made in
the issues of 1889, the reverse on the bills
issued under the act of Congress of that
year being of completely new design.
The broad square has been stripped of its
SCIOiI NOTk, ana III tne white space aD-
pears in large figures '1SS2-19OS'' In
the ovals at the sides are pictures of
George Washington and the Capitol. The
faces of these bills will remain the same
except that the words deposited with the
United States Treasurer at Washington
will be cut out and the phrase 'or other
securities will follow the statement that
this note is secured by bonds of the
United States
The issue of later date will not be mate
rally changed. The faces will record the
same changes as the 1882 issue, but the
backs will be about the same, with the
exception that the figures 1S92-190S' will
be stamped prominently thereon.
The promptneSS with which the bureau
got 10 work on the big job is of especial
qualification to the administration. 1t
was feared that under it's new head-Di-
rector Ralph having been appointed only
month or so agO-the system would
break down. The efficiency of this branch
of the governments machinery was
shown when, within five days after the
currency bill had been signed by the
President, work was under way in turning
out the money. and night and day work
has been inaugurated.
Secretary Cortelyou is having a num-
Der of circulars prepared explaining sew
eral mooted points in the new law They
are not yet ready for distribution, and
the Secretary declined today to discuss
the ground they cover.