The Washington herald., 1916-10-15
THE OPEN FORUM.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE SIX.

that the notes should carry large Wig
nettes like the portraits Of George and
Martha Washington, which once adorned
the one and two-dollar notes.
II is better by far that the manufac-
ture OF the money be of such excellence
and everything in connection herewith
he too expensive for the counterfeiter to
attempt imitation.
To get an idea Of the high and the low
standard of printing our money. you have
but to compare the IS United States note,
with the portrait OF Andrew jackson
upon its face-aud the 81 silver certificate
with the portraits Of Lincoln and Grant
or. II you please, the faces of the new
Federal reserve notes-and you will quick
ly decide that the IS United States note
Is by far the best in point Of engraving
and printing. The fact is that the
counterfeiter has not, very frequently.
attempted to counterfeit the $ United
States note, because 1t is almost impos-
Sible to get a perfect photograph Of this
note
The money expended in running down
counterfeiters might very well be used
in perfecting and raising the standard Of
our printing and engraving. Some months
ago the authorities OF the Treasury De-
partment were alarmed at the wholesale
counterfeiting Of our money, and here
to investigate the motter and see what
could be done to avoid counterfeiting.
The Plate Printer proposed that il a COM
mittee were appointed, that a highly
skilled engraver, and equally competent
plate printer, should be placed on II, for
the reason that there is no one who knows
more about the printing Of our govern
nent securities than the practical en-
graver and plate printer, who have de-
voted their lives to the art
Long a % it was decided that there was
no economy in shaving the expense OF
printing our money, and after disposing
Of the question Of the power press, the
Senate Committee Of the Ffftieth Con-
gress used the following language:
there remains the increased expense
Of maintaining the secret service d.
vision Of the Treasury Department, which
must be incurred 90 long as the oblIga-
tions and securities OF the government
can be readily and successfully initiated,
an expenditure which can be reduced so
soon as the government shall be able 10
print its securities in so perfect a manner
as to make it impossible to counterfeit
them. And when this degree Of excel
lence in printing our notes and securi-
ties shall be reached there will be the
further saving OF the expense attending
the prosecution Of captured counterfeit
ers."
The Upshot Of the whole matter is that
it is essential to have practical and COM
netent engravers and plate printers when
you come to decide upon the question Of
printing the securities Of our government
Hence the reason for our suggestion in
regard to the appointment Of a practical
engraver and plate printer on the con-
templated committee to devise ways and
means for the prevention Of counterfeit
ing. Our position Is borne out by the
following language Of the Senate Com
u1ittee hereinbefore quoted: This ability
Canont be acquired without preliminary
experience as a practical printer or en-
sraver. and no amount Of general intor-
nation. no degree Of intelligence, can Cup