Show ELECTRICITY IN AUDIT OFFICES Used to Add to to tov v Multiply or to Divide New York Tork Press It will no iio doubt be a matter motter ot In terest and nd Information to persons not I I acquainted with the routine anti and methods of the auditing offices of the government to know that the tho bulk of the tho postmasters accounts especially the offices in largo large clUes cities such as New York Chicago Philadelphia Buffalo San Ban Francisco Boston Kan ICan Kansas an san Bas City Nashville and Dos De Moines are done by machines The office of the auditor au for tor the postoffice treasury department be besides besides besides sides being the largest and best known of the tho auditing offices of the tho govern government government government ment of which there are aro six bj by b breason reason of having to deal with the postmasters throughout tho thu country as well as the largest accounting office not only in the United States but In the world has haa tho the distinction of having baving recently completed the tOM installation of the largest electric adding machine plant In the govern government government government ment at a cost of something between and Some years ago an experiment was made in this office with one or two adding machines of the crank patterns to test t st the adaptability of machines for forthe forthe forthe the work Facility accuracy and dis dh dispatch patch were thoroughly demonstrated to the entire satisfaction of the officials and each year since more machines have been added until with the last purchase entirely replacing crank ma machines machines machines chines with the electric motor notor type the number used has doubled in the past years The auditing of postmaster counts which as the name of or the trie of ul u fice lice would indicate is the work of the offices necessitates the handling of or many money orders which are the vouchers for the credit claimed by the postmasters The machine section Is in of which B A Allon is chief This division is the first to receive the accounts of the postmasters with vouchers both foreign and domestic together with any orders which may have been spoiled in issue or in printing as sometimes happens A few days after the close of the period for which the office accounts which is either eith r weekly or monthly allowance being made for the distance which has to be covered these statements are re received received received by the clerk having charge of the mailing room rooD and by him assorted into sections as assigned to each clerk clerkin in in the case of the large offices for the machine section they are taken directly to this room and there placed upon the shelves provided for that purpose with the smaller offices there are assorted by stats states stat s and divided into see sec sections se tons lions In this division the clerks are known as inspectors Each is required to ex cx examine amine the statement of the time postmaster to see if it contains all the parts necessary necessary necessary sary for audit to see if the require requirements requirements requirements ments of the department as to the preparation and methods of entries are complied with that the name of the postmaster name of the office and state and the date of the period for which it itis ItIs itis is rendered are entered in the heading of each sheet of the statement The f fees es for orders issued Issue domestic and foreign must be examined for er error error error and the amounts of the orders and fees footed and figured entered in blue pencil on the side corrections being made where necessary This brings the inspectors to the paid side of f the each money or order der tier must be examined for the name of the city on which drawn amount in inbody Inbody inbody body of order compared with coupon of same signature of persons receiving the money and dating stamps of paying of office office fice flee any anyone one of which being missing the statement may be held up suspended and the tle postmaster required to supply the missing data or the discrepancy d s noted on the order or allowance made for It Formerly all the statements were audited by hand Jand as are now those of tIo smaller offices and a few large ones not assigned to the ma machine machine machine chine section but with the completed adding machine plant In operation the operator who has become expert by reason of his knowledge of the work ami ald the constant manipulation of the machine has only to place the money orders in a spring clip provided for the purpose which holds them fast and i with one finger of the left hand with a rubber stall to turn the orders he uses t tl right to enter the amounts on the keyboard of the machin machine pressing the thO th electric button on the side as each item is entered and at the end a double stroke strikes the thc total otal while another pressing the but button button button ton at the same time clears the ma machine machine machine chine for another batch of orders A visit to this office which is lo 10 located located in the building occupied by the 1 postoffice department found John B Sleman the chief clerk in his usual cheery mood and upon being informed of a desire to see the machine room gladly consented to be a guide stop stopping stopping ping ring long enough on the floor where his office Is located to introduce Colonel Ernest G the auditor who un until until until til May 1 was the auditor for the state and other departments Colonel is a veteran of civil war in which he lost his arm and has ms rendered conspicuous services both bothon bothon bothon on the field and forum His present post was given him on account of his very eminent services in his former sta station station tion and his undoubted fitness for the place He is thoroughly cordial in his greeting and has a knack of making malting every one feel at home In his presence Milton T Adkins head of the ma machine machine machine chine section and his assistant J E Nichols are thoroughly familiar with the work and show great interest In 1 explaining methods Shelby J 3 David Davidson son Is said to be an expert in the manipulation of the machine He un understands understands Understands the mechanism and construe construction construction tion and has charge under the chief clerk of the repairs adjustment and care of the machines v The machine performs all the funda fundamental f mental operations of arithmetic addi lion ion subtraction multiplication and di division vision with as much ease and facility as that of addition for which It Is commonly used There are twenty machines in the room which are connected from the drop lights with the electric current in Inthe Inthe the he building The operators are said to average daily paid orders en entered ered and added This average has been een broken both by Mr Davidson and Eugene N Brooks the latter having to o his credit a daily dally average of for or more than a month at a time The postoffice money order system was established in 1865 with offices There was a steady increase from year to o year until July 1 I 1905 when there were vere something like offices doing money order business |