El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-06


among which Is numbered, of course
that OF Mr.. Roosevelt. All of them
from George Washington to the present
! occupant OF the white house, are repre-
sented by prints in 4 large frame in
the corridor OF the bureau. An expert
OF the highest skill makes them, spend
ing from six to eight weeks on each
picture.
With the aid of these portraits, sup
plemented by sections Of "geOmetrieal
lathe" work never used but kept on
hand as stock, it would be easily
possible for the bureau of engraving to
supply notes Of entirely INV designs
within a few hours. If they wire or
dered in the morning, they could be
printed before closing aOIus, at 4:3O
o'clock.
r. II is fact worth mentioning Incl
dentally that. whereas monarchies usual
" have portraits OF their sOyereigns
on their metal money, it has been
deemed best hitherto not to present the
likenesses Of our presidents this being
a repubhcl in 4 similar way. On this
account Washington was the only presi-
dent to whom such an honor was given,
his head appearing on 1-cent piece
which was in circulation only for a short
time. But recently Mr.. Roosevelt upset
the rule by putting Abraham Lincoln on
the copper penny
American Money Is Best.
Our own country Is at present giving
lessons to all the world in the business
OF making paper money. and the IA
lions of Europe are initiating us, rec
ognizing that our currency affords bet
ter security against cOunterfelJers than
any of theirs. Mechanically. they are
far behind us. In Germany, for IN
stance. it costs I 80 cents to put !
dollar in circulation. In the United
States, as already explained, it costs
only 1 cent
Japan, in 1883 got the idea of adopt
ing modern svsteH of printing cur
rencY. and sent several Young mon, one
o. fhem h I-cphew , ,he famous field
marshal. Oyama. to StIlY our method
of operations They serYel j regular
apprenticeship in the bureau of en-
craving at Washington, and, having
learned the business, went back. eStaD-
fishing. IN 1895. a plant at Nokohama,
modelled as closely as possible after the
American outfit
In that country unskilled labor costs
10 cents a day, and 40 cents VIII hire
a skilled artisan. Consequently, the
japanese are now able to turn out post
age stamps for only cents a thousand.
But such is the economical efficiency
of the bureau of engraving in Wash
ingtOn that it furnishes all the STAMPS
to the pOstoffice department at con-
tract rate of cents thousand; and,
even at this rate, it came out last year
$4,000 to the good on the lob.
The Chinese System.
China. in 1909, after making an in
Yestigation OF the subject, decided to in
trOduce a ike system. The imperial gov
eminent hired Il firstclass engraver and
I = he 81
engraving at Washington, and, with
their help, set up a plant at Picking,
under the direction OF Chin a-TaO, who
has since become secretary of the treas
urV of the republic. The work Of the
institution has not been interrupted by
the recent change of political control.
All Of the machinery and other equip
mert was fetched from the United
States, and today the Chinese, who orig
inallv invented and developed the art OF
pdpeT-maklng. are buying the paper Tor
their paper money from American man
ufacturers.
Paul Revere's ride made him famous,
but he deserves celebrity on other
grounds-namely. that he was first to
establish the industry of steel engraY-
ING in this country. From this begin
ming was in the course of time evolved
the American Bank Note company,
up to the year 1876, when John Sher-
man. then secretary of the treasury,
establish the bureau of engraving.
Notwithstanding the perfection to
which note engraving has been brought,
the possibilities of photo-mcchanical
processes are being developed to such
an extent as 10 be regarded as Il seIi-
Gus threat to the safety of the cur
rencv. This Is matter that IS attract
Ill 40
By the 'autOtype' and other processes.
the color and texture OF any printed
matter can be initiated with astOmsh-
inc accuracy. Accordingly, as a pre-
caution against cOunterfeiters, the bu-
reau of engraving may vet lie driven to
the expedient of nsing tints selected for
theft nonphOtOgUapEie quality
Paper Proves a Safeguard.
Up to the present time the most sat
isfactOrv protection against counterfeit
ers has been found to be the distinctive
paper used. with bands of red and blue
fibers running through It. This cannot
be initiated successfully except by the
use of large and pOnderous machinery
such as cannot well be concealed. 1t Is
true that chemical means are known
whereby ink can be entirely removed
from one dollar bills. as 4 preliminary
to printing counterfeits OF large denOmI-
nations on them-an expedient whereby
/ the governments own paper Is secured
! for criminal employment. But it is pro-
/ posed to get over this difficulty by
/ printing each denomination Of the new
notes on a different kind of paper, or {
/ number NAV run through the paper II
| a water mark.
Summing up the whole plan, the in
'tentiOn is TO have paper currency thai
/ will be more convenient. more artistic
safer against cOunterfeiting, and clean
! er. For this last purpose there Is to b.
/ an extension of the money-launderin!
business. which up to the present tim,
( has been carried on exclusively at tn
bureau of engraving at Washington
Light and transportable machines. TO
/ washing and ironing notes. viii be place.
in, the various subtreasuries. and pos
siblv in large financial institutions. s
that dirty bills viii soon come to be
thing of the past.
The washing of money at the burea
/ - h.- 8