The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-02-07
COMPLETE COUNT
OF UNCLE SANS
CASH JUST MADE

Washington, Feb. 5.-A complete
count of the governments cash has
lust been made for the first time in
twelve years. The total approxima-
ted thirteen billion five hundred mil
lion dollars and included all cash
and securities held as reserves
against currency outstanding.
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 in
augurated President and a new
treausry of the United States ap-
pointed in 1909. .
The accountants in entering the
vaults passed grim-visage guards
who day and night "sit on the lid"
to prevent any possible attempts at
an unauthorized raid on the Treas
ury. The vaults themselves are sup
posed to be burglar proof and are OF
massive concrete and steel construc-
ton. The storage 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 treasurer after
President Wilson was first inaugu-
rated 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
those of the large denominations,
such as $1,0OO,' were in sheets of
four each and held as reserve
against currency of smaller denomi-
nations in circulation. Thousand
dollar bills in circulation are few
and each bank in the country is
kept supplied with the Treasury
with a list of them with their num-
bers so that if perchance any are
extracted from the Treasury the
holder will have extreme difficulty
in realizing on them.
Gold coins stored in the vaults
were counted by weight. The gold is
kept in sacks, sealed with the treas
urer's wax seal and containing $5,-
600 each, weighing about 18 pounds
and Z ounces E.,..
First one sack was weighed and
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
broken or the sack torn or were
passed and counted. However, if
there were appreeiable difference in
weight the contents were counted
BY the piece.
Standard silver dollars were
counted in the same way as the gold
coin. They are stored in sacks con-
tanning 1000 and weighing 60
pounds. Work on the silver coin was
lessened officials said, by the gov
ernment's melting 10O,000,00O sill
YER dollars under the Pittman Act
for sale to the British government
To relieve the silver famine in India
during the war.
Paper money is stored in paper
packages making a cube of about
1-2 inches each way and c;ntain-
ing 1000. On each package is
stamped the amount and the de-
nomination Of the notes inclosed. A
wax seal is attached. Except where
a broken seal or package necessita-
ted an actual count Of the contents
the paper. in the vaults was counted
by the package.
Sealed packages of paper money
are accepted from the bureau of en-
craving and printing as correct
when the wrappings are intact be-
cause the issue division of the Trea-
sury maintains an office in the bu-