The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-02-10
COMPLETE COUNT
GOVERNMENT CASH
ACCOMPLISHED In REMARKA.
BLY, SHORT TIME OF THEEE
WEEKS.


The total approximated thirteen
billion, five hundred million dollar:
and included all cash and securities
held as reserves against currency out
standing.
The count was made by a special
committee of three, assisted by eight
accountants and by fifteen laborers
who were used to move around the
heavy sacks of gold and silver. The
men delved into great vaults in the
treasury building and took stock OF
gold, silver and paper money and Sc
curities, many Of which had not seen
the light of day since shortly after
William Howard Taft was inaugural
ed president and new treasurer OF
the United States appointed in 1909.
The accountants in entering the
vaults passed, grimvisaged guards who
day and night "sit on the lid" to pre-
vent any possible attempts at an un-
authorized raid on the treasury. The
vaults themselves are supposed to be
burglar proof and are of massive con-
crete and steel construction. The stor-
age sections are kept under seal and
this was the first time that some OF
them had been opened in twelve years,
for when John Burke became treasur-
er after President Wilson was first in
augurated he accepted the count OF
cash in the storage sections which had
not been opened since the previous
count in 1909.
The accountants handled money of
every possible denomination from the
lowly copper to $4,000 bills. Many Of
the bills particularly those Of the
large denominations, such as $1,000,
were in sheets of four each and held
as reserve against currency of smaller
denominations in circulation. Thou
sand dollar bills in circulation are few
and each bank in the country is kept
spplied by the treasury with a list
of them with their numbers, so that
if perchance any are extracted from
the treasury illegally the holder will
have extreme difficulty in realizing
on them.
The count just finished was made
necessary by the retirement of John
Burke as treasurer and was completed
in the remarkably short time OF three
weeks through the use of electric
counting machines. Loose coins pass
ed through these machines instead Of
being counted BY hand as was necess-
sary in the olden days. Paper cur
rency was counted by the piece, but
stored coins and currency were count
ed by the sack or package in cases
where the wrappings were unbroken
and the seal on each intact.
The main supply of the govern
ment's money is stored in two large
vaults but there are number OF
smaller ones in the various divisions
of the department as well as IN te7
cash rooms where cash payments arr
made by the government.
Gold coins stored in the vaults were
counted by weight. The gold is kept
in sacks, sealed with the treasurer S
wax seal and containing $4,000 EACH
weighing about 1S pounds and 7 once :,
First one sack was weighed ard
then the others were examined. If
both the seal and covering were found
intact they were weighed against the
first or test sack and if the result was
the same, were passed and counted.
However, if a seal was broken or the
sack torn or there was appreclaole
difference in weight the contents were
counted by the piece.
Standard silver dollars were count
ed in the same way as the gold CONS
They were stored in sacks containing
1 900 and weighing about 60 pounds
Work on the silver coin was lessened'
officials said, by the governments
melting 1OO,0OO,OOO silver dollars un-
der the Pitman act for sale to the Br1t-
ish government to relieve the silver
famine in India during the war.
Paper money is stored in paper
packages making a cube of about -:
inches each way and containing 4,oOO
notes. On each package is stampef.
the amount and the denomination OF
the notes inclosed. A wax seal is at-
tached. Except where broken seal
or package necssitated an actual
count of the contents the paper IN the
vaults was counted by the package.
Sealed packages of paper money ar=
accepted from the bureau of engraV-
ing and printing as correct when the
wrapping are intact because the Is
sue division of the treasury maintain
a> office in the bureau and IN reality