The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1909-10-07
REFORM IN CURRENCY
Macveagh Wants Worlds Ma
tons to Adopt Uniform System.
SAME COLOR FOR SAME VALUE


Design, to Be Tried In United States
Secretary Of Treasury Wants an In
tsrnational Conference to Take w
the Project.
Secretary OF the Treasury Franklin
MacVeagh. now at his summer home
In dublin. n. H.. has big scheme for
reformation of the currency. partlcu-
larly paper money. When he returns
TO Washington lie will make an effort
10 have the representative tinauciers
| aud statesmen Of other nations meet
and discuss for the first time plan
FOR The uniform size. color and denom-
lnation OF the currency.
Money goes everywhere" said Sec
rotary MacNengh. AS he sat at his
work IN his study. "A nation *
known first by It's currency. The
German. the Irenchman. the English
man. the Spanlard even the poor cav
age. may know little OF the United
States bur he may often see and han
die It's money. And he VIII judge by
liz money 10 great extent. Any one
merely looking AT French note would
Immediately conclude that the French
are a highly artistic and civilized ma
ton. CHANGING at a five pound note.
again. the observer may easily see
that the British nation Is not In the
van OF the artistic countries. for the
commonplace design gives her away
Immediately.
II want America to follow the mod
el Of France and give her best work
to her paper money. that the world
may know that we have artists, that
we know art. that we appreciate 1t
and that we value It.
Big Success In Philippines.
Some time ago we got out some
new paper money for use In the Phil
ippine Islands. The size was. as an
experiment. new one. It took about
three-quarters of an Inch of the long
edge and about an inch and three
quarters or the short edge of the pres
ent bills. The success of the bills
was amazing. The natives were great
ly pleased and the treasury depart
ment was unanimously complimented
by Americans. who found the bills SUI
perior IN vast degree 10 those In
present use IN the mother country.
Reducing the size of the paper cur
rency means II saving for the United
States treasury. The present admins
tration Is making an effort at iudicious
and justified economy. Economy Is the
in Washington. and am
determined To see that there Is no
waste In the department with which |
have been intrusted. IN my new
| shall recommend new de-
Is, the designs at present
on our bills are. OF course. too large
aud unwleldy for the more graceful
small bills. That means new designs.
Uniform bill Portraits.
Then | want the portraits to be uni
'orm Every note OF certain denomi-
nation shall have certain portrait on
Il, no matter whether the note is ma
iional or bank currency. Thus when
he portrait OF Grover Cleveland--a
beautiful innovation OF Mr.. Cortelyou
seen every one will instantly know
that the note is ten dollar one, moth
ng else.
"A certain color should also indicate
the denomination OF note Thus
green might always Indicate TO per-
'on unable to read that the note is
iollar note; red. two dollar: blue
i've dollar, and so on. whatever the
,olor might be. Another scheme we
ire now using at Washington is to
nunder the old bills that come In In
tead of destroying them. as hitherto. |
'he laundry system will enable the
government 10 keep infinitely more |
lew bills In circulation aud VIII make I
the green rag thing OF the past /
'his Is an advantage which scientists. I
hysicians. hygienists and thinking I
eople everywhere viii recognize.
Uniform Currency.
above all these changes aud I'm.
royements am dreaming-and II will
OF be long dream--of having the
TX men of the countries of the earth
lcet In an international congress TO
dept for the benefit Of humanity In
encral new aud uniform system OF
loney. This must az present extend
My TO the size and color of the mon
= The various standards OF money
AXE anything more seem merely chi
erical
AT present we viii begin with our
wn country Having shown the 9th
$ what we can do with uniform cur
'ncy. they viii perhaps see the wis.
lm OF our plan and gladly consent to
! International conference"