The Constitution vests the power to coin money in the national government alone.

The director of the bureau of engraving and printing supervises the execution of designs and the engraving and printing of revenue and postage stamps, national bank notes, and the notes, bonds, and other financial paper of the United States.

The supervising architect selects plans for the erection of custom-houses, court-houses, post-offices, mints, and other public buildings of the United States.

The surgeon-general of the public health service has charge of the marine hospitals, and helps to enforce the laws which aim to prevent the introduction of contagious diseases into the country.  He calls conferences of state health boards.

The solicitor of the treasury is the chief lawyer for the department.  He has charge of prosecutions for violations of the customs laws, and other crimes against the financial interests of the United States.  Like similar lawyers for other departments, he is included in the department of justice, under the attorney-general.

WAR DEPARTMENT.—­The secretary of war is the head of the war department.  He has charge of the land forces, under the direction of the President.  He supervises the expenditure of money voted by Congress for the improvement of rivers and harbors, and for the United States Military Academy at West Point, as well as for the support and operations of the army.  In the management of his department he is aided by an assistant secretary of war.

BUREAUS.—­The war department has numerous offices and bureaus, each in the charge of a responsible officer, and all under the supervision of the Chief of Staff, who is the military adviser of the secretary of war.

The adjutant-general issues the military orders of his superiors, conducts the army correspondence, issues commissions, and keeps the army records.

The quartermaster-general provides quarters, food, clothing, and transportation for the army, and has charge of barracks and national cemeteries.  He also supervises the payment of the army and the military academy.

The surgeon-general superintends the army hospitals, and the distribution of medical stores for the army.

The inspector-general attends to inspection of the arms and equipments of the soldiers.

The chief of engineers supervises the construction of forts, the improvement of rivers and harbors, and the surveys relating to them.

The chief of ordnance furnishes guns and ammunition to the army and to forts, and has charge of armories and arsenals.

The judge-advocate-general, who is chief of the bureau of military justice, prosecutes crimes committed in the army, and reviews all sentences passed by military courts and military commissions.