The Auditors.—It is very important that the accounts of the government should be carefully scrutinized, and one of the six auditors connected with the Treasury Department must pass upon the accounts of every public officer who pays out money. Thus, the Auditor for the Treasury Department examines all accounts of salaries and incidental expenses of the office of the Secretary of the Treasury and all other offices under his immediate direction, such as the Treasurer and Directors of the Mints.
The Treasurer.—All the money of the United States is under the care of the Treasurer. He receives and pays it out upon the warrant of the Secretary of the Treasury or a designated assistant, redeems the notes of the National banks, and manages the Independent Treasury System. This system renders the Treasury Department practically independent of the banks of the country. It includes the Treasury at Washington and sub-treasuries, each in charge of an assistant treasurer at Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans, and San Francisco. While the greater part of the money belonging to the government is found in these places, about two hundred National banks have also been designated as public depositories.
The Chief of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.—The Bureau[[51]] of Engraving and Printing is one of the largest in the department and employs about 1600 people. It has been said that the products of this bureau, in the course of a single year, represent a sum equal in value to all the money in circulation in the United States; for here the engraving of the plates and the printing of all the United States circulating notes, bonds, revenue stamps, and postage stamps are done.
Other Officers of the Treasury Department.—Among the other leading officials of the Treasury Department are: Comptroller of the Currency, Commissioner of Internal Revenue, General Superintendent of the Life-saving Service, Solicitor of the Treasury, Supervising Surgeon-General, and Supervising Architect.
The Life-Saving Service.—This is one of the most important offices in the Treasury Department. More than 2000 men are employed in the 273 stations, located generally at danger points on the oceans and the Great Lakes. Out of the 6000 lives imperiled in the year 1910 in the disasters on water, only 53 were lost. Of the 1463 vessels of all kinds in distress, 1407 were rendered assistance by life-savers. It has been estimated that over 230,000 lives have been saved through this service since it was founded in 1848.
The Solicitor of the Treasury.—The Solicitor of the Treasury is the law officer of the department, and has charge of all prosecutions by the government arising out of the counterfeiting of the government securities, or of the infringement of customs revenue, and of all suits for the collection of moneys due the United States, except those due under the internal revenue laws.
The Supervising Surgeon-General.—The Supervising Surgeon-General superintends the twenty-two marine hospitals where our sick sailors are cared for; conducts the quarantine service of the United States, and directs the laboratories for the investigation of the causes of contagious diseases.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
The Secretary of War.—The Secretary of War, under the direction of the President, has charge of the military affairs of the government. He supervises all estimates of appropriations for the expenses of the department.[[52]] He has under his supervision also the military academy at West Point, all National cemeteries, and river and harbor improvement. The chiefs of the eleven bureaus are regular army officers.
The Adjutant-General.—The Adjutant-General issues orders for the muster of troops and for their movement, conducts the correspondence of the department, and keeps the records.