Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-11-28
Complete Search Is Made if
Sheet Is Missed in
Manufacture.

count, for instance, a girl takes the
sheets of paper from the Wetting ma
chine and shakes them up into even
piles-some of the girls play cards
and are shutters par excellence-on a
smooth board something like an old
fashioned bread board. Dozens OF
these boards are worn out in a month
and are replaced by new, smoother
ones.
The counter takes the pile over and
spreads the top sheets, a dozen or
two at a time, into a sort of open
fan, without removing from the pile.
She counts them, not by turning them
over, but by running her fingers
through them in sort of def sliding
motion, four sheets between each
finger. The count by four" this is
called. Long ago a sheet of paper
was misplaced by an employee using
the five count Now the latter is
taboo.
When hundred sheets are counted.
a paper strap with the operators
name marks the place; a thousand
sheets make complete pile
New girls are trained by expert
enced ones; it takes about a week to
become fairly proficient One of the
faster counters. asked to count slowly
so that visitor could get the tech
nique, could scarcely do it. She's not
lady of languor. She can count
about 10000 sheets a day, but it's
hard, she says, to slow down TO 5000
without fumbling
And what if, despite all these pre-
cautions, a sheet of paper is lost?
Uncle Sam is never the loser. for if a
worker misplaces even a blank sheet
of paper ne or she must reimburse the
Government to the full value of the
notes which would have been print
ed thereon. In the memory of Mr..
Radue, a few sheets have been mis-
laid but only one lost in the entire
bureau. 1t wasn't counter, however,
who was guilty, but luckless printer
who had to pay out s240 His CO.
workers passed the hat for him and
| collected most of it.
If sheet of paper is missing, here's
what happens:
! Should counter find that an in
| correct amount of paper has been
| sent in by another department she
calls her foreman. and he in turn calls
| the foreman of the department pre-
surnably at fault, who brings along
two of his own expert counters for re-
! checking purposes. II quick search
does not reveal the missing paper
| 1t sounds like a mystery NOVELETTE,
| superintendent of the building Is in
| formed, and he gives orders for the
| trash which that division has al
| ready sent downstairs to be "bagged."
which is to say collected in bags,
which are tagged with the divisions
name, SO that the contents may be
searched.
Nobody can go home until the paper
is founo-unless, of course, the
search takes too long.
A ND now says Mr.. Radue, after
explaining this, back to the
| counting process.
His division has a branch in each
| plate printing section, with workers
who issue the paper for printers as
required. A counter receives the
paper. counting it at the press. An
other count is made in the Examining
Division by workers stationed in the
printing sections to count freshly
printed sheets in lots of 200 during
the day. Examiners, the next day
after the money has been thoroughly
dried, count it again and examine it
for imperfections.
If only the backs of the notes are
printed, they go back to the Wetting
Division, as before explained. If both
backs and faces are complete, they 90
to the sizing room and are counted
and checked again, and in due time
go through the ''platering' process
subjected to 5000 pounds pressure per
square inch for smoothness-are
counted again, trimmed, put in boxes
and counted once more. They then 60
to the vault in 1,000-sheet packages,
the final operation in the Examining
| Division.
The Numbering Division now takes
over, and the only mechanical count
of banknotes is done here, when the
sheets are cut and collated into pack
ages. Then more manual counting
takes place.
There are lot of queer little Quirks
p, - W,e me of counter. If she likes
newspapers, she may read them out
side, but not in her department; bank
notes may get misplaced between the
pages. A good many of the girls like
to play bridge, because it helps their
concentration. One girl declares that
she can put herself to sleep at nights
by counting banknotes, instead of
sheep.
Another girl, when new to the work,
tried a little mathematical game.
Handling about 10000 sheets of cur
rency day, she tried to figure out
about how many fur coats and autos
and tickets to the opera it would buy.
She grew whimsical and asked herself:
How many cream puffs, how many
| Christmas tree ornaments?"
It seemed good way to go quietly
mad, so she gave it up and thankfully
returned to the plain. garden variety
Of counting.