East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-10-05
UNCLE SANS WASHING
HIS PAPER MONEY

The realization of the dream of clean
currency has come about through the
recent perfection by the inventors in
the United States treasury depart
ment of machines that will wash and
iron paper money on a large scale
at low cost. In the end these will
probably save the government a mil
lion dollars year, and will likewise
prove an economy for bankers in all
parts of the country.
The essential feature of the new
machine consists of tiers of copper
rollers set in an oblong framework
weight about eight hundred pounds
which may be raised or lowered in
three seconds and which, when in
position for the washing operation.
fits snugiy into a one hundred gallon
tank. filled almost to overflowing
with solution in which is dissolved
a special soap, the formula of which
was discovered by the federal Off
cials.
Passing pack and forth over the
rollers is what appears to the ordi-
nary observer to be a web of cotton
duck. but is in reality two of these
endless bands fitting snugly one on
top of the other. Between these two
duck belts, each sixty feet in length,
travel the bills to be cleansed and
the washing or scrubbing is accom-
plished by the passage over the sue
cessive rollers, all Of which are so
shaped as to impart peculiar rub
blng motion to the soiled currency.
This action is repeated several times
and serves to wash all surface dirt out
of the bills.
To Reduce Size of Paper Money.
When the washing is completed the
blll is in similar manner swished
back and forth through the clear wa
ter OF sixty gallon rinsing tank;
then Jet of air whisks it to another
endless band Of duck which leads
over gas heated drums that dry the
paper and in a total elapsed inter-
val of less than two and a half min
utes the rejuvenated banknote is au-
tomatically delivered to a tray. a
supplementary machine irons the
.lanndered bills by passing them on
then subjeCting each bill in turn to
the pressure Of compressed paper
drums
The machine reuires two girls to
operate il and has a capacity of 1000
bills an hour. X takes a pound Of
soap to wash 1000 bills and about one
horse power to operate it. The total
cost OF operation, including asserting
and counting, Is estimated to be with
IN SO cents thousand. and with i'm
prOvements contemplated will be fur
ther reduced.
Another innovation soon to be in
troduced b. the treasury department
is reduction in the size of the dol
lar bill Il will be only two thirds
its present size: likewise all other
notes and certificates.
1t has been decided that the paper
money is too big. a dollar bill to-
day is more than three inches wide
and little more than eight and a
quarter inches long. 1t Is to be cut
down TO six by two and one-half
inches. The treasury department
thinks that this reduced currency
VIII DC Vastly iilOit iOHN cIlGll 10
handle.
In addition. it will save a good deal
of expense. The saving on paper alone
(for 240, 900, 900 notes issued yearly
will amount to $4,000. There will
be an increased output of at least 25
per cent for a given amount of labor
at the bureau of engraving. where
ALI the naper money IL printed. This
gain, carried through all the process
es of printing, examining, counting.
drying and numbering In Itself Will
represent more than 100000 year.
Will BE Easier to Handle.
The notes being smaller, less en-
craving will be required for the
plates from which they are printed.
Less ink will be used-an Item much