Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-23
War ON Paper
BIZ Frederic J. HaSkln

Washington, June 20.-One place that teels
the shock Of war pretty hard these days is the
Bureau OF Engraving and Printing. This is the
governments model bill and stamp factory, IA
nous for the efficient and original way in which
it is run by its director, Joseph H. Ralph.
Mr. Ralph and his army OF FIVE thousand are
putting up the fight of their lives; for up to date
we are making the world safe for democracy
mainly OH psper-Liberty bonds by the million,
interim certificates to be issued until the Liberty
bonds are finished, forty-seven new kinds OF
revenue stamps, tremendous issue OF national
reserve bank notes. commissions for brand new
officers; disbursers' checks and transportation
vouchers, and the mighty threat Of a Scent
stamp to take the place of the two as the nations
letter carrier looming large and gummy in the
background.
it never knows exactly what is going TO be re-
quired OF it. Take this revenue bill One day
some congressman rises in his place, points OUT
that the cigarette is poisoning the youth OF the
nation and induces the house to include tax of
quarter of a cent on cigarette paper. Whereupon
the bureau has design made of cigarette paper
stamp with head of Andrew Jackson on it, and
puts an etcher to work and orders the paper and
ink, The next week some tobacco-belt senator
rises up and proves by sheer eloquence that the
cigarette is not only nutritious but also anti
septic, and induces the senate to strike out that
cigarette paper tax. So the men down at the
bureau put away the picture Of Andy, counter
mand the order for paper and wait to see what
the conference will do.
All this work is being done with paper costing
just about twice what it did before the war broke
out, and labor scarce. They economzing in
every possible way. Commissions for generals
and colonels are being printed on paper instead
OF parchment, for example
The amount of paper which is necessary to start
us fighting is almost incredible. One Of the first
effects of declaration of war is that large num-
Der of patriotic citizens grab ahold of the govern
ment pay roll hang on, stretching that precious
document to almost unbelievable lengths. Gov
ernment checks and vouchers have to be made
by the million to pay all these new soldiers and
civil service people.
1t has been impossible to get the skilled labor
which the bureau needs. 1t has increased its
force about rs per cent from four thousand to
five thousand), but its production has been in
creased almost Is per cent. This has been done
almost entirely by overtime work. From ten to
sixteen hours is now days work at the Bureau
OF Engraving and Printing. The day and piece
workers get the same rate for overtime as for
regular time, and the Office people who are on
salary get nothing extra except the work. But
the morale of the establishment seems to be good.
No one is absolutely compelled to work overtime,
and women and girls who manifesty cannot
stand the strain are always permitted to go home
at the usual time. On the other hand, if some
able-boded man is found habitually ducking out
at the usual time, certain amount of unofficial
work little longer. There are some operations
which require full sixteen hours, and certain
women employees must stay in their places for
the full length of time. Volunteers are called for
this work, and every day there are some girls
who voluntarily stick to the job from in the
morning until II at night But they are let
off the next day.
OF course, the Liberty bonds are big item.
Just at present the bureau is bending its energies
e al, Hs.,kAe
which will be given to the buyers of the bonds to
hold until the bonds themselves are printed. The
estimates which the treasury has turned in OF
the numbers of each denomination it expects to
need are an interesting index to the class of peo-
pie that are doing the buying. These estimates
seem to show that neither the very rich nor the
poor are doing the work. 1t is the man who has
thousand, or at most few thousand, to invest
that is making the loan a popular one For only
100000 of the $50 certificates have been ordered
and only 250000 of the $l00, but $4,000 of the
$1,000 denomination are being printed. OF the
$4,000 size the treasury only wants 5000, while
the 500 $l00000000 certificates that have been or
dered will doubtless prove sufficient.
A million and half OF these certihcates are
for bonds paid for in full The other million are
for payments of 20, 40 and 20 per cent SO most
people are paying cash.
The printing of the bonds is designed to make
it very difficult to counterfeit them. or to alter
would seem to be impossible, for each denomna-
| ton bears the head of a different president and
is a certain color. Thus blue Thomas Jefferson
is worth just $50, neither more nor less while
bright orange George Washington is worth $500
a pea-green Monroe $4,000 and carmine Mckin-
ley $4,000. Only the very wealthy can afford to
own the portrait Of Mr.. Grant in orange, for they
cost 100000 apiece.
The Liberty idea is to be abundantly repre-
sented. On the face will appear vignette of the
Statute of Liberty lighting the world, escorted
by presidential physiognomy. On the back
there is to be vignette of the statute of Amer
lea which tops the capitol dome, on one side
and on the other an eagle, The bonds will be
labeled Liberty Loan of 1917" and the .denoml-
nation will be printed in five places,
The total number OF bonds which It is est-
mated will be made is a little over 100000 II
is interesting to note that 4S0O,00O OF these Will
be coupon bonds, and only 632 500 registered bonds
1t costs the government about $l2S a thousand
to turn out the coupon bonds, and about $50
| thousand for the registered