Evening star., 1909-05-16
Congratulates Men Upon Achieve
ment and Lauds Their Art.
ASSURES EMPLOYEES FAIR DEAL
Louis A. Coolidge Applauds Record
of Bureau-Music, Stereopticon
Views and Other Amusements.

| retary of the Treasury Louis A Coolidge
as special guests Of the occasion. as
sembled at a banquet at Rauscher's last
night to celebrate the extraordinary feat
recently achieved in the bureau In sue
cessfully completing the $5O0.OOO.OOC
emergency currency issue in the remark
ably short period OF ten months.
| The hall was decorated with palms
and cut flowers. Throughout the course
of the dinner an orchestra. under the d.
rection Of Louis E. Bradford OF the en-
craving division. played.
| George A. Mason, the toastmaster.
aroused enthusiastic applause when ne
/ introduced Director Ralph as Our Cap
tain Coura ageous." After making appropri-
| ate acknowledgment of the compil-
ing those in charge Of the function. Mr..
Ralph directed his remarks principally
10 the splendid record made by the dl-
| vision in its ten months work. and to
the loyalty and efficiency OF those who
had helped to make 1t.
Director Lauds Feat.
Mr.. Ralph said in part:
When Congress passed the emergency
currency act May 80. 1908. which made
| it mandatory upon the bureau Of engrav-
| ing and printing to do that which at
| the time appeared impossible-the altera-
| ton Of over 10000 national bank plates
and the printing therefrom Of over $780,
OyUOOO OF currency-notwithstan that
at the time your division was taxed to its
fullest capacity to keep abreast with the
| current demands, you responded nobly
and cheerfully toiled twelve to fourteen
hours day, under high pressure, too.
each day manifesting more zeal and In
| terest than on the preceding day.
''Fhe engraving division is the corner
stone of the bureau and the bulwark OF
| our securities. In this division every form
of security issued by the government
| notes, bonds, checks, drafts, postage
| stamps, internal revenue stamps and COM
missions-have their origin, and the most
artistic and skilled engravers and artisans
| that the world produces are employed In
| this division.
| steel engraving is the perfection Of art
| as applied to securities: 1t differs from
painting and sculpture inasmuch as the
engraver who carves his work on steel
plates must deliberately study the effect
of each infinitesimal line. Free hand. with
| diamond-pointed tool, known as a grav-
er. aided by a powerful magnifying glass.
| he carves away conscious that one false
cut or slip of his instrument or mtscal-
culation of depth or width OF line will
destroy the artistic merit of his creation
and weeks or months Of labor viii have
| been in vain.
I'm no other form Of printing can the
beautiful soft and yet strong effects In
black and white be obtained as in steel
engraving. To perpetuate and preserve
| this art is an important duty devo!vine
upon you. This can best be done by the
continuance of the zeal and interest which
you have manifested in completing the
emergency currency, and by the applica-
4 tim n thought and Stndv and work
| work on and on, ever striving to perfect
and improve the art and the business for
which the bureau was organized.
Motto to Go By.
Il remember when I first entered the
bureau as an employe in the engraving
division. your present chief had q motto
which he drilled into me as being one OF
the requisite qualifications Of success.
shall give it to you: Perfection is nc
trife, but trihes make perfection
1T is good logic. Accept 1t, men, and
let it ever be guide in your ambitions.
What we want in the bureau Of en-
craving and printing are men who know
what they know and know that they
| know it, We want artisans who can put
as much energy and thought in the re-
suit of their labOrs as the artist and
sculptor who paints and carveS the crea-
tions of his own heart and soul. and
| who is content with the self-satisfaction
and consciousness that comes from duty
| well done. If we are to perpetuate our
bureau we must do SO along these lines
| You must show progress In that you
| have increased your efficiency and ele-
waited the standard Of your labor. l must
| show increased results in the products
at reduced cost. hence, employees Of the
engraving division, there are certain re-
ciprocal relations existing ebtween en-
ployer and employe that all do not un-
derstand or comprehend. I only ask that
you do your full duty as employees and
l shall endeavor to do mine.
| "When 1 obligated mself to support the
Constitution Of the United States as di-
rector Of the bureau Of engraving and
printing l obligated myself to do more
than that. I obligated myself to give
every employe a square DEAL. All pro-
motions are to be made on seniority and
efficiency. but efficiency comes first.
| 1.-The principles Of our government as
prescribed by the civil service are to be
economical and businesslike admin1stra-
ton Of the governments affairs. I ask
| continuance Of your loyalty and CO.
operation in the carrying out of that
policy"
Coolidge Praises Bureau.
| Mr.. Coolidge. who followed Director
Ralph. was assistant secretary OF the
Treasury. who had the bureau Of engrav-
ing and printing under his supervision at
the time the work on the emergency cur
rency issue was performed. Mr.. Coolidge
dwelt upon the importance of the work
of the bureau and congratulated Director
Ralph and his chiefs and employees upon
| the splendid record made during the rush
attending the issue. He was accorded an
| ovation at the conclusion of his remarks
| Other speakers Of the evening were AS
| sistant Director Frank L. Fergerson,
Louis K. Siggons, John Prender. George
Jacobs John c. Gladfelter and Joseph
1 F. Mulhare.
| Letters of regret were read from As
| sistant Secretary Charles d. Norton and
| Lawrence 0. Murray, controller of the
| currency who were unable to attend.
| A feature of the evening was in the
| form of a series of lantern slides humor-
| ously depicting the various persons con-
nected with the engraving division Frank
| Lamasure aroused shouts of laughter
| with a monOlogue delivered In droll fash
1 ion. and received prolonged applause.
The Elks Quartet, individually and col
| lectively sang a number of selections and
original parodies appropriate to the occa-
| sion and were heartily applauded. John
| Salb, affectionately dubbed Our Pader-
| ewski'' by the toastmaster and those
| present who had occasion to speak of
| him. played several selections on the