Evening star., 1914-08-20
MAKE NEW MONEY
ALL HOURS OF DAY
Two and Three Shifts Kept
Busy Turning Out Emer-
gency Currency.
ENGRAVING BUREAU ADDS
$50 TO REGULAR FORCE
New Lunchroom Has Much to Do
With Efficiency and Output
of the Employees.


two hundred and eighty girl assistants
have been put to work in the bureau OF
engraving and printing to aid the regular
employees in the enormous task of getting
out $4OO.O0O,O 900 of emergency currency
demanded by the national banks of the
United States to meet extraordinary
needs for crop movements and business
activities.
Employees of the bureau, nearly all Of
them glad of opportunity to make an
extra dollar and happy at their work. are
putting in about twelve hours a day. in
cluding Sunday.
A record for swift production is being
made The $40O.OOO0O of emergency cur
rency already ordered is to be produced
and delivered in six weeks. The $JOO.OOO,-
900 of emergency currency produced dur
ing the Spanish-American war. by the
aid Of hundreds of temporary employees.
required ten months to complete, the
record up to that time.
The splendid work conditions in the new
building of the bureau and the lunch
room facilities are given credit for the
speed accomplished at this time. In the
opinion Of Director Ralph the work could
not have been done. even in the old
record time. in the old building.
$500 Lunch Daily.
The lunchroom Is easily the largest
eating place outside of New York city,
and it is doubtful if there is place
there where $500 people eat daily, the
present patronage Of the bureau eating
house. These hungry hordes are fed at
five or six meals day. attended by two
shifts of lunchroom employees. The meal
that costs a bureau employe Is cents.
lunchroom prices. would cost half dol
lar or more in the eating houses about
town.
No money is to be made out Of the
restaurant privilege, it is explained by
the manager. L. G. Pratt, who ran the
navy yard restaurant for three years,
and it also to have charge of the new
Post Office Department restaurant, which
is to be modelled and run on the pattern
Of the bureau of engraving and printing
lunch room.
A new idea. to aid employees Of the bu-
reau to fight the high cost of living. is to
Be put into operation by the management
of the lunchroom- The lunchroon, buy
ing food supplies in bulk. obtains the best
materials and the best prices of the
market Employees are to be allowed to
purchase from the lunchroom stock at
the purchase price with one per cent
Sunday Funmaking.
Work at the bureau. last Sunday,
meant hard work: but the workers con-
sidered the situation as an occasion for
funmaking. A good dinner in the middle
Of the day fostered this spirit. The num-
bering division broke out into the fol-
lowing program of imaginary Sunday
services in the bureau.
Organ voluntary, Tune of Presses;
reading. Paper in unison Qf you're not
caughD": hymn 169. Packages. wonder
fg boumtiful ods. paekases collection
work each night until ESQ., Mr.: Parent:
Solo. Il Need You Tin the bureau)": Ser
mon. Director Joseph E. Ralph, subject,
Patriotism in the Service-and Cooper
etion"; address. Save your leave" by
diction Miss Roe.
Mr.. Ferguson is assistant director of
the bureau. Mr.. Parent and Miss Roe
are important officials Of the division.
The employees are now working in
doing about twelve hours work a day.
The matter of physical strength is
considered. and no girl employe who
seems unfit for the extra burden is
allowed to increase her work. There
are many requests from employees who
have not been assigned to extra work
for this chance to make the extra
money to meet some extraordinary
expenses Of living.
Silver Certificate Demand.
Besides the orders for emergency
currency. there is a heavy demand for
silver certificates, as the stock in the
Treasury Is nearly exhausted. This
IL due to the shortage in gold, and
general tendency of business houses,
noted for some time. of changing from
monthly to weekly pay days.
While undoubtedly double work to
some extent lowers the efficiency OF
employees, and the emergency char
acter of the work means that it is to
be made ready with a rapidity that
may modify scrutiny. there is no dis
position to allow the standard Of
workmanship to be lowered. Whatever
tendency existed to take advantage Of
tho emergency to slight the character
OF the production has been promptly
checked. Some minute defects that
q more leisurely inspection might dis
cover may be allowed to get by; but
such are not noticeable to any but the
most efficient experts.
Occasionally the strain Of double
work in hot weather means q casualty
case for the bureau hospital, though
tbere are hardly more than the records
show to be the usual average at this
time of year. few moments rest
with an efficient nurse giving atten-
ton, Is adequate In most cases.