OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Bcmorable 0. 9. Clark, Ohalnara 

Board of Water SQ@,nwm+ 

Austin, Tex.aa 

WI banI reoelved yvuP 

ing whether suds appmprLatoU 

ne6Ps ?or *atlvam measurmt 

statlstloal o6mplLrtfaas 

mm#rarJbeusedttopa~ 

ohased by the 0. 8. 0001 

m6asur6m6ut vork ia tbls 

you3 lstt6r as follmfst 

: 

"Itkoarrying on atreua mmfmr6m6nt work it 

is n6cesaary Top the Bosrd of Water BrrgLneers 

end the U. 8. Oeolo$ha~ Survey to cwn and 

operate a number of automobiles. some OS tbeee 
Honorable 0. 9. Olark, Obalrmsn, Page 2 

automobiles are purobaretl vith Fedex%1 SuMs 

ma some vlth State Suads, but all awe assipaed 

to, and used exaluslvely in oooperrtlve stream 

measurement work &I Texae streams. Heretofore 

It baa been the praotloe OS the Board OS Water 

Eggine8l’B to SppPOVe for payment aocounts eovering repairs and parts for automobiles used ln 

stream measumnent~out ot state Smds amdo available for that purpose, by the Is@sleture, regardless of whether the automobile was purchased tlth 

Federal or vfth State Suads. At other timss the 

U. S. C+eological Survey bar paid suoh aooomta 

without regard to tbe funds out OS which the automobilewas pumhased. The onlgrequlremimtbelng 

that the autcmobfle Is used In stream meaeursPtsnt 

work io T8z(LS.’ 

Wehsvebbeninionaedbfyorurde~trPlmtthstths 

autamobiler purebasedwltbSed.ral Sunds allotted to the 

Taxas Division of the U. S. Oeologiaal Survey play be used 

OnlyinTexse. M have also bean Momsed that all the data 

obtalned by the employees, whethec federal or state employees, 

who um these ooss, is used by, and is ap file 9n, your 

offloe. 

The item o? appropMatlon w%th VU& you are oopoerped scads 0s ?ollws: 

'STATR BOARD OF WATER IBIGllJEXRS 

“3 . stream nl8asurem8?lt, topographio surveys and statlstical oompilatlcms in cooperation with U. 8. Oovernment- - - - - - .$20,000.00 ~20,000.00 

It+ c l 

(y; 1 39, 46th Leg., R. S., SP. L., Ch. 6. 

. . &?7r P. 64) 
Honorable 0. S. Clark, Ohalmsn, Page 3 

Ye are of the opinim that the ?3md11 mentioneul in 

above quoted appropriation rvry be used for the payment of 

the repairs to the automobiles used in suoh vork. 

It Is msraifest that autasobllea are neaessary to 

aooompltih effeotlvely stream measurment and topographio 

surveyvork. Employees andeqtipmsntmustbetransported. 

It ia lHtC88~ that these automoblles must be kept ln repair so that the stream measurement vork aan be satlsSaotorlly 

oarried out; it follows, therefore, that repaim to the oars 

may be paid Sroa the above mentlamd appoprlatlan. .we 

Term11 v. Sparks, 104 Tex. 191, 135 8. W. 519. 

Hwt these oars be ovmdbythfs StatebeSore payment for repairs nny be mada with S*te Sunds? Ve thiak not. 

You state that the Board of Water R@neers has a written 

agroammat vlth the SurSacie Water Divlslon of the U. 8. Oeologleal Survey vherebbg the Pederal govezmmmt at&es dollar 

for dollar in orrrging GUI atram MB trorkinfexan. 

The appropriotlan to the Board of Water Ea&n*bra in asde 

for "Streammeasurement. . . 

erxuwnt ." 

ia ooopmatlan with D. 8. Qov- 

(Bnrphasls ours). 1% is appamat that funds 

ior repalra on these cars vould be "in oooperatim ,iths8%. 

Oovernaent 2 The instant sltuatlaa msy vell be campwed to 

an autorwbZle lease oontraot vhe;ricby the lessee agrees to 

keep the automobile in repair. 

You state in your letter that in the past the 

Board of Water Ibglneers has approved folr paymsnt aaooumts 

covering repair8 to automobiles used in stmam measureme& 

vork re@wdless of vhether suoh automobiles vera purchased 

vlth federal funds or vlth 8tate funds. We deem it proper 

to quote Srm Oorpus Ja Volume 59, pages-263-264, as OollOVl5: 

î l l 4 &%mn the meaning of aa appropriation aot is doubtful the constrwtlon 

placed upon It by the offloera aharged vith 

@he admlnistratlaa thereof is entitled to considerable might, but is no: controlUng when 

it ia clearly wxong. 4 4 4 

I 
Honorable 0. 8. Clark, -, Pa@ 4 

In viev o? the foregoing, it 18 the oansldemd 

opinion OS this departaumt that the Board of Water IBglneers 

may legally approve for payment, snd the account&g offlalals 

of this State may legally pay, vowhera covering repairs to 

the l utcuuoblles purohaaed vith Federal Smds allotted to the 

Texas Dlvlslon of the U. 9. Oeological Survey for stream 

meaaumment when suah automobiles are assigned to and used 

exoluslvely in swh work. 

Very truly yours 

AT- GENERAL OF TEXAB 

2%4.-.+ 

JsmsP.Eart 

Assistant