if($smerit+$source < $merits && $ID_MEMBER!=35)
fatal_error("You do not have enough sendable merit.", false);
Won't this be much more efficient until you are finished with the merit spree?

if( $ID_MEMBER!=35 && $smerit+$source < $merits )
fatal_error("You do not have enough sendable merit.", false);
Don't do that tho, it will be less efficient for the rest of us, the fact that your if statement is well put means you are a decent programmer, which means you could really be Satoshi after all.