Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-09-25
NATIONAL PAY DAY
It Comes Twice a Month In the
District of Columbia.
CRISP NEW BILLS ARE USED.

Extreme Care IN Jountin9 tne Wone1
and In Safeguarding It In Transit.
Uncle Sam pays his employees In the
District of Columbia on the 18th and
the last day of every month.
Government pay days in Washing
ton are important dates. both to the
employees and to the merchants and
others among whom the pay Is distri-
buted.
Uncle Sans paymaster In each de-
clerk or officer. This person Is always
popular. When the disbursing clerk
begins preparations to pay off, the
first thing be does is to draw a check
for the amount needed and take 1t to
the treasury department to have 1t
cashed. The check is honored because
1t has been previously arranged for by
what is termed an accountable Il war
rant drawn and signed by the head of
the department. Such warrants are
issued as they are needed by the secre-
a or head of each department. .
If the department is large, and most
Of Uncle Sans departments in the
District are. the disbursing clerk is
usually accompanied by an assistant
on his trip for the pay money. Both
are equipped with stout bags to carry
the money and are always well armed.
When the disbursing clerk has pro-
cured the money the next thing is to
get in readiness for pay day. This Is
the biggest end of the work. but a
little machine is now used in most all
the departments to tighten the task.
In the getting ready process the first
thing the disbursing clerk does is to
count the money very carefully. This
particular counting. by the way, IL
only one of the great number of count
ings to which the money used in pay
fhg of Uncle Sans district employees
Is subjected. 1t is estimated. including
the counts from the time the money
issues from the bureau of engraving
and printing to the time its circulation
broadens into the vast pay day chan
mel, that 1t Is gone over on an average
Of a hundred times.
AAC hA[AAAC RAER0AE CD LILO CAfVA1RC0t
and after the disbursing clerk has
counted the money he and his assist
ants place the required amount in each
envelope. In a few departments the
employees form a line and sign a ledg-
err TO receive their pay, but the general
rule Is for the paying clerks to take the
pay envelopes around and distribute
them.
The bulk of money used by Uncle
Sam iezRay1hg on in the District Is
dsuhh5 yand c1asp irom tue nu-
reau OF yFaving and printing. Of
tentimes every bill in the payroll of
every department has never known a
fold or crease and is as fat and as free
from wrinkles as 1t was the moment 1t
came from the press. AS a rule, the
disbursing clerks Of each department
endeavor tt pay off with brand new
bills. Badly soiled bills are nev given
to Uncle Sans employees.
All the bills come from the big print
shop as the bureau of engraving and
printing Is Familiarity known In Wash
ington. From that place the money Is
transferred to the United States treas
ury. 1t is removed In a closed van and
is guarded at the rear by from four to
six detectives. mounted policemen and
secret service men. 1t is received at
the treasury department and receipted
for to those officials when taken away
by the disbursing clerks of the various
departments.
After 1t caves the treasury depart
ment the officials there are nc longer
responsible for 1t. and it becomes the
care of the Aicials Of the departments
to which it ny been consigned.
When the namber of employees Of
a department is so great as to make
the pay roll a rather huge affair, the
money Is not carried away from the
treasury in bags by the disbursing
clerk and his assistant. but Is trans
ferred In a wagon.
These wagons are kept under strict
guard while they are in transit and
are being unloaded. and the money re-
moved to the Office Of the disbursing
clerks. To the casual observer 1t may
possibly seem that those handling the
money are careless with 1t and are
running a dangerous risk by exposing
the packages or bags. as the case may
be. to passersby.
But should the casual observer have
any anxiety about this it would be Just
as well to ailay it at once, for not only
is there a policeman or two close at
hand. but secret service men are there
also. and the misguided ~wrongdoer
who might hope to grab a package and
make his escape is the widest possible
MISUNDERSTANDING Plain Dealer.