Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-21
BANKS MAY WASH MONEY, TOO
Would BE Cheaper Than Expressing
IL to the Laundry at
Washington.


Uncle Sans money laundry for washing
soiled paper currency has been the subjec
of much comment. The general opinion
seems to be that the government schem,
will be initiated by the banks, which will
find 1t cheaper to do their own washing
than to pay express chal ges on money L
and from the Washington laundry.
The cost OF installing a money washing
plant is not expected to exceed from $50
to 500 in most cases. The government is
planning to give the bankers the benefit
of what 1t learns from its own experiment
The whole process is quite simple. 1t has
been found that the best mediurs ipt
cleansing the bills is soapsuds made 4lnr
almost any grade OF potash soap .4O
Following a vigorous churning Is seaRs
water and bleaching the bills are ripnst
in warm water. One stage where care nutt
be exercised is in the bleaching opnr&tiop
and 1t is not yet determined jusj Wlitst in
gradients in a bleaching powder give srhest
assurance of indicting no injury to the bills
All the bills of lower denomination have
been found to launder satisfactorily, but
the ink employed in the printing of some
of the bills of high value shows a tend
ency to run when washed However there
is little need of laundering these longer
lived bills.
After the washed bills are dried by artl-
fetal heat they are put through Sizing
machine, which by means Of a bath oil
alum and glue restores the finish of this
paper. Finally the bills are packed between
large sheets OF cardboard and run through
press, which In addition to the application
of great weight imparts a peculiar elongat
| ing motion to each package, with the re
suit that the rejuvenated bills emerge will
all the crisp appearance and body of newly
manufactured currency.
1t has been suggested that the launder
| ing include a sterilization of the none,
either in conjunction with or immediatel,
! following the washing of the bills, but tn,
officials have not yet decided whether o.
not there is necessity for such chemica
publication.
Only banker can appreciate what tn,
express charges for the money haulage L
the Treasury department might amount t
in the course of year. or course in tn,
| case of a small bank located near tn,
point OF exchange the expense is nominal
but such is far from being the case with
the large banks. some of which send In
hundreds of pounds Of bills at a time for
redemption.
Inc renovation OF currency which has
thus far been accomplished. and it has
been ample In scope and volume to dem
onstrate the practicabllity and economy
OF the project, has been carried on by
means OF a comparatively small washer
operated by an electric motor of one
eighth horsepower, but ere the summer
OF 1910 has closed there viii be in full
operation at the bureau OF engraving and
printing at Washington a specially de-
signed laundry capable OF cleansing
100000 notes a day.
The cost OF installing this plant will
not greatly exceed $1,000. and the offie-
ials are confident that when experience
has pointed the way 10 its most economl-
cal operation II can be conducted at an
expense not TO exceed $40 a day. This
would mean a cost OF only about one
fifteenth OF a cent a Ill laundered.
In the preliminary work that has been
done the cost has never exceeded one
tenth OF a cent per piece OF currency. and
wnat saving can be effected even at
this maximum figure will be appreciated
when It is explained that Il costs approx
mately one aRd third cents for the man
ufaat"r@ af As4h hank narA ar tn4asnrV