graph 3 of said circular, which says: "Assistant treasurers shall pay all such warrants and checks." It must be recognized, however, that this office will have, after February 1, no absolutely accurate method of ascertaining balances to the credit of disbursing officers, and the ultimate financial responsibility for any overdraft on balances not maintained at the Boston Subtreasury properly rests with the Treasury Department. Due care will be taken and responsibility assumed by the assistant treasurer for the proper identification of authentic and authorized signatures and indorsements on all checks presented for payment, but the danger and financial responsibility of overdrafts by disbursing officers on their Washington balances, the amounts of which the assistant treasurer will have no knowledge, can not justly nor legally be placed upon him. This letter is written so the official record may show that the assistant treasurer at Boston can not assume, nor is it right to expect him to assume, for himself or his bondsmen, this new and additional personal financial responsibility for errors which may occur in carrying out orders from his superior, the honorable Secretary of the Treasury, which require implicit obedience. Respect fully, G. H. DOTY, Assistant Treasurer United States. JANUARY 30, 1913. Hon. GEORGE H. DOTY, Assistant Treasurer United States, Boston, Mass. DEAR SIR: Replying to your communication of the 24th instant relative to payment of warrants and checks, you are advised that within a day or two you will receive a circular containing facsimile signatures of clerks designated to sign pension checks. Each disbursing officer has been requested by circular letter of January 23 (copy inclosed) to furnish each active designated depository bank, or the assistant treasurer in his locality, with his signature, verified in such manner as the bank or assistant treasurer may desire. By this means you will be enabled to provide yourself with signatures of those officers whose checks you frequently pay. With reference to checks being drawn in excess of an officer's balance, the department expects to adopt the plan suggested in your letter, namely, that whenever a disbursing officer presents his check to a bank or an assistant treasurer with a request for cash the bank or assistant treasurer may wire the Treasurer of the United States if in doubt as to the amount of the officer's balance. Very truly, yours, Hon. R. O. BAILEY, R. O. BAILEY, Assistant Secretary. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, UNITED STATES SUBTREASURY, Boston, Mass., January 24, 1913. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Washington, D. C. SIR: Referring to your letter of the 22d instant, in which you state that if a warrant or check is paid by me upon presentation in due course of business, after "observing due precautions as at present," and the same is rejected later by the Treasury office at Washington, I will have ample recourse against the indorsers, I beg to say that the words "ample recourse" do not seem to apply in the following case: A disbursing officer, say of the Army or Navy, presents at the counter his check, indorsed by himself, for $50,000 or $75,000 and for which he desires cash. This officer's bond and private fortune, against which I am supposed to have "ample recourse," may amount to $40,000, or perhaps a great deal less. After February 1 there will be no possible way of ascertaining the balance on hand to this officer's credit, as at present, except by prompt communication to the Treasurer, holding payment until reply and due authorization. In order to fully protect the interests of the Government and to cover the individual responsibility of the assistant treasurer, this appears to be the only course to pursue, and in this connection I suggest code words be employed embodying sentences somewhat similar to this: (1) Wire to-day's balance to credit of (2) cient to meet this draft? Answer. presents check for -; or― dollars. Is his balance suffi I am informed by the Treasurer, in a letter dated January 23, of a new code word embodying the sentence "Balance to credit of disbursing officer referred to in your letter or telegram," which shows that some such protective action as I have outlined is contemplated by the department. Respectfully, G. H. DOTY, Assistant Treasurer United States. JANUARY 22, 1913. Hon. GEORGE H. DOTY, Assistant Treasurer United States, Boston, Mass. DEAR SIR: Replying to your communication of the 21st instant addressed to the Secretary of the Treasury relative to Treasury Department Circular No. 5, dated January 9, 1913, you are advised that it is contemplated that assistant treasurers paying warrants and checks "observing the same precautions as at present," shall pay the same only when presented in due course of business by a responsible holder. If a warrant or check is paid by you under these conditions and on examination in the treasurer's office is rejected, you will have ample recourse against the indorsers. Very truly, yours, R. O. BAILEY, Assistant Secretary. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, UNITED STATES SUBTREASURY, Boston, Mass., January 21, 1913. The honorable the SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, Washington, D. C. SIR: Under paragraph 3, department Circular No. 5, January 9, 1913, the following clause occurs: "Assistant treasurers * * * shall pay all such warrants and checks, observing the same precautions as at present." I desire to ask specific instructions under said clause, as one of the important precautions now observed at this office in the payment of disbursing officers' checks is to keep accurate account of all balances, and not to permit the overdraft of any such credit. With the balances to the credit of disbursing officers carried at Washington, how is the assistant treasurer to assure himself of the right of a disbursing agent to cash checks for indeterminate amounts over the counter or when presented in due course of business through the clearing house? Will the Treasurer of the United States assume the financial responsibility of such transactions, provided the identification, the signature, and the indorsements are all in proper form, or will the final responsibility rest on the disbursing officer whose signature is properly attached to said check? SIR: Herewith are returned requisitions for disbursing funds to be placed to your official credit with the Treasurer of the United States, with the information that the amounts thereof have been placed to your official credit here in accordance with the schedule furnished by you of the balances standing to the official credit of disbursing officers and deposited in the Treasurer's general account, as instructed by department Circular No. 5, dated January 9, 1913, and circular letter of January 18, 1913. Your checks on this account will hereafter be drawn on the Treasurer at Washington against the funds transferred. Respectfully, The ASSISTANT TREASURER UNITED STATES, R. O. BAILEY, Assistant Secretary. JANUARY 28, 1913. Baltimore, Md. SIR: Replying to your letter of the 27th instant, you are advised that balances of the accounts of postmasters and those of the United States courts will remain with your office as formerly, but you will forward checks of the United States pension agent that are paid by you after February 1, 1913, with the checks of other disbursing officers as provided in paragraph 7 of department circular dated January 18, 1913. The designation of your office to be placed on checks paid by you is No. 7-26, and you are authorized to purchase the stamps necessary for the purpose, charging the amount thereof in your account of contingent expenses, Independent Treasury, 1913, for current quarter. Respectfully, R. O. BAILEY, Assistant Secretary. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Baltimore, Md., January 27, 1913. The honorable the SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, Washington, D. C. SIR: Department circular dated January 18, 1913, containing instructions supplementary to department circular No. 5, dated January 9, 1913, is received. In order that this office may carry out the instructions correctly, the following is submitted: At the close of paragraph 2, the circular instructs that "Balances of accounts," the paid checks for which are not at present sent to the Division of Public Moneys, will not be transferred without further instructions. This is understood to apply to disbursing account of the postmaster at Baltimore and to moneys in the registry of the United States district court, and not to the canceled pension checks, which are forwarded, under present instructions, to the Auditor for the Interior Department. Paragraph 5 instructs an indorsement to be stamped on the face of the warrants or checks paid under provisions of paragraphs 3 and 4 of circular No. 5. At each end of the line for "Name of assistant treasurer United States or bank," is designated "bank number." Is it intended for the number of this office in the Baltimore clearing house? Will the department furnish the stamp or shall it be procured here? The office will need a supply of certificates of deposit referred to in paragraph 9 and paragraph 11 of the circular of January 18, 1913, and has the honor to call attention to letter of January 24, 1913, asking for new check books for salary and contingent-expense ac counts. Respectfully, C. C. PUSEY, Assistant Treasurer United States. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, Memorandum for Mr. Bailey from Mr. Jacobs: I have submitted the matter to Judge Tracewell and Mr. Daskam, and both of them have initialed the carbon copies of the letters. Mr. KEELEY: Mr. Bailey wishes these expedited. W. JACOBS. O. W. B. JANUARY 30, 1913. The TREASURER OF THE UNITED STATES. SIR: The following instructions are issued in connection with Treasury Department Circular No. 5, dated January 9, 1913: On and after February 1, 1913, the Treasurer of the United States shall keep but one account of all moneys on deposit to the official credit of a particular disbursing officer, without regard to the bond under which the officer is chargeable with said moneys, except that when an officer is serving under two or more departments or in two or more capacities, involving the rendition of separate accountscurrent, a separate account shall be kept by the Treasurer under each department or for each official capacity. Beginning with accounts for the month of February, 1913, the Treasurer of the United States shall forward a copy of the statement of each disbursing officer's account, with the paid checks listed therein, direct to the Auditor for the Treasury Department, by whom that officer's accounts are settled, instead of sending them to the Division of Public Moneys for distribution. Lists of balances standing to the official credit of disbursing and other officers of the United States will not be furnished the Division of Public Moneys by the Treasurer of the United States after January 31, 1913. Respectfully, FRANKLIN MACVEAGH, Secretary. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, The CHIEF OF THE DIVISION OF PUBLIC MONEYS. On and after February 1, 1913, the Treasurer of the United States shall keep but one account of all moneys on deposit to the official credit of a particular disbursing officer, without regard to the bond under which the officer is chargeable with said moneys, except that when an officer is serving under two or more departments, or in two or more capacities, involving the rendition of separate accountscurrent, a separate account shall be kept by the Treasurer under each department or for each official capacity. Beginning with accounts for the month of February, 1913, the Treasurer of the United States shall forward a copy of the statement of each disbursing officer's account, with the paid checks listed therein, direct to the Auditor for the Treasury Department, by whom that officer's accounts are settled, instead of sending them to the Division of Public Moneys for distribution. Lists of balances standing to the official credit of disbursing and other officers of the United States will not be furnished the Division of Public Moneys by the Treasurer of the United States after January 31, 1913. Respectfully, FRANKLIN MACVEAGH, Secretary. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE TREASURER OF THE UNITED STATES, Hon. FRANKLIN MACVEAGH, Washington, February 25, 1913. Secretary of the Treasury, Washington, D. C. SIR: In reply to your letter of the 15th instant, requesting my written indorsement of the new plan of handling postal funds, I have |