East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-04-12
COUNT MONEY
ALL THE Time
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
GROW TIRED OF IT
\ Good Occupation for the Chap Who
the Fingers of His Two Hands But
TO Treasury Employes,-WeIl, it
Proves a Bore,
CBy Burton X. Standish.) }

Washington, April 12.-Nothing to
do but count money. Weigh great
sacks of gold, paw over great bundles
of bonds, check up on notes. This
may appeal to the chap who can fig
ure out his whole fortune on the fin
gers of his left hand, but it is proving
a bore to the employees of the United
States treasury department who are
Shaving to give Carmi Thompson
clean bill and let John Burke assume
the treasurership of the United States
with every penny of Uncle Sans
funds accounted for.
The quadrennial count, which be-
gan several days ago, is a task which
would take a single man, counting
dollar by dollar, some 900 years to fin
ism. For there is billion and a half
in the vaults, the biggest surplus
known in the history of the nation.
During the count not a cent of the
money will leave the vaults. Secre-
tary Of the Treasury McAdoo appoint
ed a committee of employees to seal
up the strong rooms, saving out
enough money to meet current eXpens-
es, and until the counters officially
began, the seals were unbroken.
Armed guards stand over the work.
men to see that they are not molested
and TO guard against mistakes" ="
Some twenty years ago a workman
made a mistake" putting slugs of
lead in several sacks of silver. II
took months to figure out the short
age, the count having practically to
be done over.
AS it would be impossible for the
count to be made dollar for dollar
inside of many years, the counters are
working on the weight basis. Sacks
of gold and silver containing $1,000
are carefully weighed and used as a
standard. BY these, the rest of the
money, similarly sacked, is weighed
on scales that register almost to a
hair. Thus. it is expected that the
task will be completed in about ten
months. After all is verified, Mr..
Thompson will turn over the cash Of
ficially to Mr.. Burke, take a receipt for
it and heave one grand sigh-for he
no longer will be responsible.
Washingtonians who are fond of
making observations and comparisons
just now are finishing their "sizing
up" of President Wilson's new cabi-
net. Classification according to whis-
kers is impossible, because only one
member wears them. Classification
according to age is difficult, because
all are young. So the classification is
being made by noses and chins.
The average age of the cabinet is
fifty years and five months. Secretary
of Commerce Redfield-he with the
roseate whiskers-is the patriarch
having attained the ripe age of fifty.
five. Secretary Bryan-once styled
the boy orator of the Platte"-is next
i'm seniority at fifty-three. Secretaries
Houston. Lane. McAdoo and Garrison
/ and Postmaster General Burleson are
still romping youths under fifty.
Anyone unkind enough to remember
the ages of Taft cabinet members
know that only two members of that
body were less than fifty-Secretary
! of War Stimson and Postmaster Gen
eral Hitchcock.
An awful secret of state has just
leaked out of Secretary Bryan's de-
partment. And when one realizes
what a catch-all of secrets that de-
partment is, the more awful this Sc
cret becomes. It was just day OF
two before President Wilson spurnej
dollar diplomacy" into oblivion with
reference to the Chinese loan, ant
there had been many whispered con
ference-many a light burning lat
in the department of state. And so
when an insistent inquirer wanted tC
know where Assistant Secretar!
Huntington Wilson was-for Wilson
was still on the job-an under secre
tary kept out all intruders.
rs he in the building?"
Really, l cannot tell you. 1t woul,
never do for me to tell"
But a few minutes later, messen
ger slid out of the double doors OF tn
assistant secretary's privatest office
He was bearing tray and some cup
and a nankin