Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-07


money than any other msti-
tuition on earth. AS the ma
tional tax collector. as the supervisor
the national banking system. as the con-
server Of the national credit, and as the
guardian of the financial resources OF the
country, the Treasury Department occu-
pies position of unique importance.
This department collects all taxes levied
by Congress for the support Of the feder-
al government ard expends the money
thus collected under the order Of Con-
gress. The Secretary Of the Treasury,
as the head Of the department, at the
beginning of each regular annual session
Of Congress advises that body what
amount Of money will be needed for the
operation Of the governmental machine
for the next fiscal year. giving his esti-
mates in detail.
The department not only acts as the
fiscal agent of the government, but 1t
has direct control Of the currency OF the
nation. mints its coins. prints its paper
money and its postage and revenue
stamps, and protects the people from
counterfeiters.
Other activities of the department In
clude the maintenance of a fleet OF armed
vessels IOT the Suppression Oh Stuu6S III .
and the enforcement Of the quarantine
laws. the life-saving service. the pubic
health and marine hospital service, the
construction and maintenance OF all pun.
lie buildings. and the audit and control
of the accounts of the other executive
departments Of the government.
The most interesting part OF the work
of this department is that of making
money. For the making Of its paper
money it maintains an establishment
known as the bureau OF engraving ano
printing, in which an average OF fully a
million dollars a day Is printed. The
paper used is Of the toughest linen, made
by secret process. The fax from which
1t comes may once have been the gar
ments Of babes. the confirmation robes
Of children or the graduation gowns of
girls. After it reaches the ragbag 1t goes
to the paper makers. Perhaps 1t comes
back as money and bowers the bride who
wore 1t as a baby.
The plates from which money is print
ed are made with the most exacting care.
The public is not permitted to see the
engravers at work nor does any one en-
graver prepare whole plate. 1t usual
ly takes about a year OF continuous work
to complete one of the original plates.
The money is never printed from these
originals, but by duplicates made from
them by a mechanical process. II this
were not SO It would be practically inn
possible to detect counterfeitirg. The
fine lines on the paper money were maze
upon the original plates by geometrie
machine, which has as many combina-
tons as the best safe lock. each COM
bination producing different design. Tn
til the appearance of the counterfeit
Monroe head hundred-dollar bill in 1897
it was thought that these lines could not
be initiated. The portrait on bill Is
regarded as the best guarantee against
counterfeiting.
One Of the most thorough systems OF
accounting in the world has been installed
to insure the government against loss
during the process Of printing: Out OF
the million or more dollars Of paper cur
rency printed every working day In the
year only one piece Of paper went astray
in fifteen years. The officials OF the
bureau were morally certain that this
was lost, but the workmen in the room
where it disappeared had to pay its print
ed value Each bill contains many sym
bols which tell the initiated what plate
it was printed from. who engraved the
plate who printed the bill and the IKE
It requires about thirty days to complete
the intricate process Of getting piece
of paper money ready for circulation, DUR
ing which time it Is counted more tnan
fifty times It costs the government about
~ cents to issue and redeem each note.
and less than one-fifth OF one per cent
to maintain the paper circulation OF the
country.
One-haif of one per cent OF the money
going out never gets back. Cnc.e San
is the gamer every time a piece OF paper
money is lost, for he will never be undei
the necessity of redeeming 1t with sooe