Evening star., 1914-12-27
THE BUREAU OF ENGRAY.
ing AND PRINTING.
IA MODEL FACTORY.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

When last summer the issuance Of
500.00O.000 of emergency currency was
ordered to meet the financial crisis
brought about by the European war,
there was but little discussion of how
the currency was to be made-for the
making of money Is a manufacturing
process. The production OF SO much
actual physical currency on short no.
| tice was one Of the most tremendous
tasks In manufacturing ever performed.
| Five hundred million dollars is such
an immense amount that when stated
numerically 1t cannot be realized. Its
weight in bills of assorted denomina-
tions, as they are issued by the govern
fnent, would be more than 1000 tons;
and if spread out fiat 1t would be suffi-
cient to carpet about four square miles
with greenbacks.
The task which was faced by the
bureau of engraving and printing in
| Washington was to Manufacture this
! titanic "wad' in the least possible
| time. so that the business of the nation
might go forward. The situation was
complicated by the fact that the notes
had to be printed for many national
banks; and many of the engraved
plates for these We're worn out, and had
to be made all over again.
But the national money factory was
equal to the situation; for it Is a fac
tory where human and mechanical efH-
cheney have been brought to the high
est standards Of perfection. The aver
age daily production of money by the
bureau is from $4,000 to 4O.0vO sheets,
moment, this production was increased
to 100000 sheets per day, and this rate
OF output was maintained for six
weeks. 1t was only possible to in
crease the working force of the bureau
about 10 per cent. while the product
w~s increased about 400 per cent. This
was made possible only by working
every empioye of the bureau from
twelve to sixteen hours a day.
The employees of the bureau re-
sponded to this severe demand. and
performed the
Bureau Employees herculean task,
Respond to Demand. tbey g y are eeeae essen
TALLY different from other men and
women, but because they work under
ideal conditions. which make possible
the utilization of every ounce OF energy
and naturally inspire feeling of pride
and loyalty. Some really heroic tasks
were performed in providing the coun-
try with the currency which 1t needed
One engraver worked for thirty hours.
without stopping. upon plate which
had to be hnlshed before The work OF
printing a certain bill could begin.
There was no compulSion about this
emergency work. Most of the en-
ployes were glad to do it, because their
earnings were increased just as much
as the product of the bureau, and their
health was safeguarded In every pos
sible way. There were rest rooms to
which the exhausted might go at any
time until they felt able to resume
work. In case of serious injury or
breakdown, there Is an emergency hos
pital with male and female physicians.
And above all. there are abundant light
and air throughout the bureau.
In outlining his plans for the new
bureau of engraving and printing,
which has been completed less than
year. Director Joseph E. Ralph stated
that 1t should not only be an efficient
example to manufacturers of scientific
structure and management, and that he
has made it. In appearance, the build
ing is monumental, with high pill
Jared front fifty feet long. finished in
bun stone. In the four wings where
most of the work Is done, however.
artistic appearance is subordinated to
the practical.
x Il
Light and air might be called the
basic principles upon which this fac
tory is built
Light and Air Given and conducted.