Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-11-27
NATIONAL PAY DAY
1t Comes Twice a Month in the Dis.
trict of Columbia.

trict of Columbia.
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, says the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Uncle Sans paymaster in each de-
partment is known as the disbursing
clerk or officer. This person is always
, popular. When the disbursing clerk
begins preparations to pay off" the
first thing he does is to draw a check
for the amount needed and take it to
the treasury department to have 1t
cashed The check is honored because
it has been previously arranged for by
what is termed an accountable war
rant drawn and signed by the head Of
the department. Such warrants are
issued as they are needed by the secre-
tary or head of each department.
If the department is large. and most
OI OICle IOdIl uSp1l III iiiS
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 we'll 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 lit
tie 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, is
only one Of the great number of count
ings to which the money used in pay
ing off Uncle Sans district employees
is subjected. 1t is estimated including
the counts from the time the money is
sues from the bureau Of engraving
and printing to the time it's circulation
broadens into the vast pay day chan
mel, that 1t is gone over on an average
of hundred times.
The machine prepares the envelopes,
counted the money he and his assist
ants place the required amount in each
envelope. In a few departments the
employees form line and sign ledg
er to receive their pay, but the general
rule is for the paying clerks to take
the pay envelopes around and distri-
butte them.
The bulk OF money used by Uncle
Sam in paying off in the district is
usually fresh and crisp from the bu-
reau of engraving and printing. Of
| tentimes every bill in the payroll Of
every department has never known
| fold or crease and is as fiat and as
| free from wrinkles as it was the mo-
ment it came from the press. AS
rule, the disbursing clerks OF each de-
| partment endeavor to pay off with
brand new bills. Badly soiled bills are
| never given to Uncle Sans employees.
All the bills come from the big
print shop as the bureau of engrav-
ing and printing is familiarly known in
Mashington' IRON from that tb place ,te tae
states treasury. 1t Is removed in a
closed van and is guarded at the rear
by from four to six detectives, mount
ed policemen and secret service men.
| 1t is received at the treasury depart
ment and receipted for to those offi-
| cials when taken away by the disburs-
| ing clerks of the various departments.
After it leaves the treasury depart
| ment the officials there are no longer
| responsible for it, and 1t becomes the
| care Of the officials Of the departments
TO which it has been consigned.
When the number 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
| Ierred 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 it may
possibly seem that those handling the
money are careless with 1t and are
running dangerous risk by exposing
The packages or bags, as the case may
| be, 10 passersby.
| But should the casual observer have
any anxiety about this, it would be just
as well to allay it at once, for not only
| is there a policeman or two close al
nand, and the misguided wrongdoer
who might hope TO grab package
and make his escape is the widest
possible s.onary.-Cleveland Plain
| Dealer.