The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1921-05-04

A complete count Of the govern
ment's cash has just been made FOR
the first time In twelve years. Inc
total Appropriated ,5OOOO0'OOO, ana
included all cash and securities held
as reserves against currency outstand-
Ing :.
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. Inc
men delged into great vaults In the
treasury building and took stock OF
gold, silver and paper money ana Sc
curlties. many of which had not seen
the light of day since shortly AFTER
William Howard Taft was inaugurated
President and new treasurer of the
United States appointed in 1909.
Guards "Sit on Lid"
The accountants In entering inc
vaults passed grim-visaged guards VINO
day and night, "slt on the lid to pre-
vent any possible attempts ut an UNI
authorized raid on the treasury. the
vaults themselves are supposed 10 De
burglar proof and are of massive con-
crete and steel construction. Inc
storage sections are kept under seal,
and this was the first time that some
Of them had been opened in twelve
wears. for when John Burke became
treasurer. after President Wilson was
first inaugurated, 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 denomina'
tons In circulation. Thousand-dollar
bills in circulation are few, and each
bank in the country is kept supplied
by the treasury, with a list of them
with their numbers, so that If per-
chance any are extracted from the
treasury Illegally, the holder will have
extreme difficulty in realizing on them.
Counted by Machinery.
The count Just finished was made
necessary by the retirement OF John
Burke as treasurer, and was complet-
ed in the remarkably short time of
three weeks through the use of electric
counting machines. Loose coins passed
through these machines instead OF be
ing counted by hand as was necessary
IN the olden days. Paper currency was
counted by the piece, but stored coins
and currency were counted by the sack
or package In cases where the wrap
pings were unbroken and the seal on
each intact.
The main supply Of the governments
money is stored in two large vaults
but there are a number of smaller
ones in the various divisions of the
department as well as in the cash
rooms where cash payments are 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 $1,000 each, weigh
ing about eighteen pounds and seven
ounces. First one sack was weighed,
and then the others were examined. II
both the seal and covering were found
intact, they were weighed against the
first or test sack, and II the result was
the same were passed and counted.
However. II a seal was broken or the
sack torn, or there was appreciate
difference in weight, the contents were
counted by the piece.
Dollars Counted by Weight.
Standard silver dollars were counted
in the same way as the gold coin.
They are stored in sacks containing
1000 and weighed about sixty pounds.
Work on the silver coin was lessened,
officials said, by the governments
melting 100000 silver 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 sew
en- and a half inches each way and
containing 1000 notes. On each pack
age is stamped the amount and the
denomination OF the notes inclosed. A
wax seal Is attached. Except where a
broken seal or package necessltated an
actual count Of the contents. the paper
In the vaults was counted by the pack
age.
Sealed packages OF paper money are
accepted from the bureau Of engraving
and printing as correct when the wrap
pings are intact, because the issue d.
vision Of the treasury maintains an
Office IN the bureau and In reality
counts all the paper money before Il
leaves the bureau.
Coins OF smaller dissemination \
quarters, dimes. nlckels and coppers- .
stored 10 sacks were counted In the
same manner as the silver and gold By
taking the weight Of a test sack for
each denomination and weighing the F.
other sacks against 81.
Receipt Exonerstes Treasurer.
Upon completion Of the count. the 1
storage compartments n the vaults
.
High Class Job Printing-Dispsteh.