Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-19

Uncle Sam has S6,2S9 employees on
his payroll in the District of Column
bia. He pays them on the 10th and
the last day of every month, his an
nual payroll totaling Sal 1888.
Government pay days in Nashlns-
ton are important dates, both to the
EMPLOYEES and to the merchants and
others among whom the pay IS dis
trlbuted.
Uncle Sans paymaster in each de-
partment is known as the dlsbursing
clerk or officer. This person is always
popular. When the discussing clerk
begins preparations TO pay OIL the
first thing he does is to draw cheSh
for the amount needed ana take II
to the treasury department to nave
if cashed The check is honored pc
cause it has been previously arfanseu
for by what is termed an accountable
warrant drawn and signed by tne
head of the department. Such war
rants are issued as they are needed
by the secretary or head of each de-
partment.
If the department is large, and
most of Uncle Sans departments IN
the district are, the disbursing clerk
is usually accompanied by an as
sistant 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-
cnred the money the next thing is 10
pet in readiness for pay day This Is
! the biggest end of the work, Dut
! little machine is now used in most all
| the departments to tighten the task.
| In the getting ready process the IlFst
! thing the disbursing clerk does is to
count the money very careIully'
! This particular counting, by the way,
| is only one of the great NUMBER Oh
countings to which the money USED IN
paying off Uncle Sans district EN-
| ployes is subjected. 1t is estlila i! .eu,
! including the counts from the time
the money issues from the bureau OF
engraving and printing to the tlmS
IT'S circulation broadens into the vast
pay-day channel, that it is gone over
| on an average of 100 times.
| The machine prepares the envelopes,
and after the disbursing clerk has
counted the money he and his as
sistants place the required amount IN
each envelope. No machine has yet
| been perfected that will put money
in the envelopes. Arrangements for
paving off usually requires from three
| to four days, but the actual work OF
handing out the salaries does not take
much time.
In most of the departments the old
custom of having the employees form a
line and sign a ledger has been aban-
doned. In some departments it is still
the rule, but it is understood that il
is not looked upon with favor, except
in cases where there are a grea'
many employees receiving small
/ - nd Gil
ing for the pay envelope expedite
matters.
The approved method of paying of
now is to deputize as many assistan
clerks as may be necessary to TAX
the package of pay envelopes and dis
! tribute them. This, it has been found
is more to the liking of the employees
and, too, it avoids the confusion ant
] the general suspension of work tina
: are unavoidable when a line /
formed and each must wait his turf
and then atfix his name to the payroll
ledger. ,,, ,... #,..s.-,.,...
The custom of having the pay en-
velopes distributed among the EN-
ployes originated, it is stated, in TIL
treasury department.
The bulk of money used by Uncl
Sam in paying off in the district il
usually fresh and crisp from tn
bureau of engraving and printing
Oftentimes every bill in the payroll
of every department has never know
a fold or crease and is as fiat and a
free from wrinkles as it was tn
moment it came from the press. AS
rule the disbursing clerks of each de
partment endeaVor to pay off witt
brand-new bills, but when enough
newly made money is not at hand, o
when it is not convenient to pa.
wholly in new bills, other money i
used. Badly soiled bills are neve
given to Uncle Sans employees.
All the bills come from the "bi
print shops" as the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing is familiarl
known in Washington. From tina
place the money is transferred to tn
United States treasury. 1t is remove
in a closed van and is guarded at tn
rear by from four to six detectives