Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-04-02
MUST RECOUNT ALL MONEY
In The U. S. TREASURY
New Treasurer Takes His
Position Today

I " NNSAAAE CSAA' - ~ AARi - l.. oCAANA
Burke, former governor Of North Da-
kota, took the oath of office as Treas
urer of the United States today ami
entered upon the duties of his office
succeeding Carmi A Thompson of
Ohio, who had succeeded United States
Treasurer Lee McClung in December OF
1912. AS the law requires that the re-
firing treasurer's record of the trans
fer of funds be verified by an actual
count of the notes, coin and securities
in the Treasury whenever there is any
change of Treasures, the tremendous
task of counting the hoard of approx
imately $15OO,OOO,OOO contained in
the vaults of the National Treasury
was begun today. The gigantic task
which. it is estimated would take one
person about 300 years, will be com
pIeted by a small army of trusted en-
plOyes under the direction and super,
vision of the special committee which
Secretary McAdoo has appointed foe
that purpose, in from two to four
months. The work is carried on dur
ing office hours only, beginning at
$50 in the morning and closing at
4:30 in the afternoon
All of the paper money is counted
piece by piece, but the gold and silver
coin, usually stored in canvass bags
is counted by weight, unless some e.
ror is detected which makes it neces-
sary to open every one of the bags ana
to count its contents. A test bag, the
contents of which have been counted
and found correct, is placed upon the
scales and balanced against the other
bags for verification. Each bag is
checked and re-checked before it IS
returned to the vaults and great pre-
cautions are taken to prevent theft
Armed guards stand over the counters
and workmen to protect them from
interference.
The handling of the heavy coin bags
in removing them from the stacks,
passing them from hand to hand to the
weighing counters and back again TO
the vaults to be re-stacked is stren-
uous work requiring considerable
physical strength. The counting Of
the paper money and securities, while
not as strenuous, requires great skill
and accuracy.
In the course of time the contents VI
the United States Treasury have been
counted many times, but nearly in
every case the actual contents of the
vaults correspondent exactly with the
amounts listed in the books and ac-
counts of the treasury. In 1885, when
the Administration passed into the
hands Of the Democratic party and q
Democratic treasurer succeeded the
former Republican incumbent, a de-
fcit of 2 cents was found at the count
but the missing coppers were found
behind one of the desks a few days
later. Several years ago it was found
at one of these counts that one $1,000
bill was missing. The Treasurer
made good the amount and was later
reimbursed by Congress.
Upon another occasion, few years
go, one of the colored men employed
at the count to carry coin bags from
the vault to the weighing counter au1
back, stole about 500 silver dollars
from the bags, substituting for them
lead pieces of the same weight as the
silver dollars. He was detected, how
ever, arrested and punished, The de-
lection of the mans dishonesty made
it necessary to open every single coir
bag in the vaults and to verify theil
contents by actual count.
The committee entrusted with the
task of count consists of the chief =.
the public moneys division, the chic
of the loans and currency division anS
personal representatives of the retir
inc and Of tho incoming Trnocurar