Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-11-28
Bureau of Engraving and
Printing Has NimbIe
Fingers at Work.
Bv Mary Fisher.

SOUNDS like a riddle. More
4 than three million dollars a
day slip through their Himble fingers,
We they don't spend penny of it.
Nor do they give away this Croesus
fortune, nor hoard it. In fact, they
don't own cent of it.
All they do is count it-for these
women are counters" working in the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
They have one Of the most curious
jobs, one of the least-publicized. in
the great building on Fourteenth
street.
1t is job occasionally misunder-
stood by the public. 1t is sometimes
believed that these women count
banknotes and other bureau products
to see how much goes out daily, but
this not not correct. That amount is
determined beforehand. and just
enough raw material to meet the need
is issued.
The count is made, instead, to in
sure against loss or displacement of
any product during its manufacture.
A double check is made, which is to
say a count before and after each
separate process. It's one of the most
rigid checking systems in the world,
and very efficient.
OFFICIALS say that visitors, watch
ing the counters at work, have
stock reaction-they remark that it
would be only human should the
girls feel little envy and inquire
whether these women, members of the
spending sex, are covetous of the mil
lions just outside and yet just within
their grasp. The top salary OF a
counter is $l,5o2 year. How does
she react, psychologically to the con-
trast?
If a worker is questioned, she'll
probably answer: I'VE couldn't work
here, We couldn't stand it, if we had
that attitude. You see, this is really
a manufacturing plant, although it
turns out pretty glamorous stuff. We
get so accustomed to the latter" she
adds, that to us it is just paper"
Each of these girls counts about
10000 or 10000 sheets of paper
day. IL banknotes to sheet; some
Of them can count around 10000, if
necessary. They are among the most
nimble- fingered people in the world.
It isn't counting as you or I would
do 1t, but work with a sort of flowing
speed that is almost hypnotic Their
fingers move so swiftly-some of them
wear their finger nails short, like
concert pianists-and the motion is
80 smooth that after awhile the fingers,
seem to move very slowly 1t is as
soothing to watch as water falling
Their task, the counters realize, is
necessary one. They are stationed
throughout the bureau, checking any,
thing and everything, from Philippine
pesos to stamps, from sheepskin COM
missions for young Naval Academy
graduates to revenue labels for whisky,
beer. snuff, from $1,000 banknotes to
bonds.
Oft1cially, they are not known as
counters but as printers assistants"-
mostly former clerks and stenog-
raphers and typists from other de-
partments, for there is no civil sery-
ice examination open for this, work.
Like other bureau employees, they
are not bonded. but each feels a per-
sonal responsibility for her work.
PERHAPs the most representative
group of counters is that sta
TONED In the wetting division, where
most bureau operations start. About
81 girls work here, ranging from
youngsters to women of about As. When
the blank paper comes to this di-
vision from the Division of PAPER
Custody of the Treasury Department
incidentally, even at the mill where
this paper is made it is carefully
guarded, for it would delight counter
9eaters-it Is counted first in packages.
then in separate sheets.
Moist paper lends itself better to
printing than does dry paper, SO the
paper is run through q wetting ma
chine, after which it is counted again
to be sure that no sheet has been
mislaid by q worker or caught in the
machinery. This is called a wet
count"
The sheets are then sent out to
another division to have the backs
Of the notes printed, are returned
to this department and counted by
girls on the opposite side of the
room-about 20 of them in cage
like Enclosure. The paper is dry now
and they are checking to see that
the department returning the cur
rency has been right In its count.
After this the sheets are again
moistened and counted once again,
and sent out for the final, or face
printing, Of the notes. On work
where more than two printings are
necessary, as with Philippine cur
rency, the count proportionately in
creases.
The counting Of banknotes has Just
begun, but before detailing other
processes the wetting division chief.
A. G. Radue, explains two interesting
aspects Of the work-the speed at
tached to counting and the technique
used.
There's one odd feature about the
speed angle.