The evening times., 1899-08-30
OFFICERS MUST PAY Fare
Comptroller Tracewell SuStains the
Auditor Of the Treasury.
I'm n Decision Made Public Today, Ii
Is Held Thnt Members Of the Light
house Board Are Not Entitled TO
Mileage When Travelling From
Home 10 Their Session Chamber.

r. ]. Tracewell, Comptroller Of the Treas
ury, at the request of the naval secretary
of the Lighthouse Board, has made re-
vision Of that officials accounts for expenses
of buoyage and supplies of lighthouses for
the fourth grade of 1893. The Auditor for
the Treasuy Department in his settlement.
dated July 26 1899. Of these accounts, dis
allowed certain items for mileage paid to
the chairman, the naval secretary. and
member of the Lighthouse Board. In an ex
haustive review of the case covering twen-
ty-fiYe pages of typewriter matter the
Comptroller says:
Il does not appear from the evidence submitted
with these accounts that the travel performed
for which mileage is charged authorized by
the Secretary OF the Treasury, and II Is under
stood that the travel performed without or
ders For this reason but not for the reason stat
ed bys the Auditor. his action in dlsailo~ing the
expenditures tor mileage Is approved Ihe Auoi-
tor stating that actual travelling expenses WOULD
he allowed TO these officers. upon the presenta-
lion of proper vouchers therefor, vas ALSO prob
ably misled Iy the language of the decision quot
ed by him. Tie words actual expenses used
therein were intended mean merely the actual
cost ci transportation, which probably may be
properly allowed in the exceptional cases meil-
iioned above But in the now under consid-
GRAFTON do think even the Gust OF transpOrta-
ti0n could be properly allowed. The mileage al
lowancc TO officers of the navy authorized by the
act of June 80. ls16, expressly provided in
lieu of their actual expenses" l think this pro-
vision must therefore, he construed as prohibiting
the payment Of actual travelling expenses At
least a state Of facts which would authorize the
payment OF actual travelling expenses eSould en-
title these officers 10 mileage. Moreover, the
sumo objection exists 10 the allowance OF travel
ing expenses in these cases that Is made 10 the
allowance Of mileage. namely, that the travel was
T. .at ~ aF
the Treasury
In addition 10 the expenditures for mileage
which were disallowed by the Auditor, there are
two other items in these accounts which require
consideration. Voucher No 3, Supplies of Light
houses is for 4 payment To Capt. Yates Sterling,
United States Navy for mileage for six trips from
Baltimore TO Washington and return. And Nouch-
er Ne. g. Expenses OF Buoyage, is for a payment
10 Mr. Walter \ Franklin, a civilian member OF
the board for actual travelling expenses incurred
by him in travelling from Baltimore TO Washing
ton and return on five separate occasions. Both
of these officers members of the Lighthouse
Board who reside in Baltimore, and the Journeys
specified were made by them 10 attend meetings
OF the board in the Treasury building at Wash
ington and TO return TO their homes. II Is un-
derstood that Captain Sterling was not assigned
10 any public duty in Baltimore. and that Mr.
Franklin held no Government Office employ
ment in Baltimore elsewhere, at the time
these Journeys were made.
These officers can become entitled TO mileage
travelling expenses oaly for travel upon pub
he business duty, irrespective OF orders. Al
order TO q public officer 10 perform travel i0i
any other purpose cannot operate 10 authoriz,
payment 10 him Of either mileage travelling
expenses for such travel. Travel by ofhcei
from his personal residence 10 his eficial sta
tiOn is not travel upon public business or duty
Il is the duty of a public oficer to be at hi
Office or offcial station whenever his duties re
auire his presence there. And if for his owl
convenience or pleasure ne resides at distaEc
tlierefrom, j. temporarily absent, he is NO
entitled TO either mileage or travelling expense
for going returning thereto, ! am therefor'
nf the opinion that officers Of the Lighthouse
Board, who tor their own convenience reside n
a dist ance from Washington, not entitled
10 mileage or travelling expenses for travel Z
attend meetings Of the hoard.
II may seem inEquirable that Congress shoul
not make any provision for the actual travelling
expenses Of civilian members OF the board VIII
reside at a distance from Nsshingt and VIII
serve without compensation, while travelin
from their homes to attend meetings of tn
board But ! not authorized to bend tn
construction OF the law make il con
form 10 considerations of equity. TO suppl
supposed Deficiencies in its provisions My dut.
Is TO declare what the law is, without preiu
dice or favor. The OF the Naval Secre
tarv of the Board viii be revised in accordance
with this decision.
r. J. TRACEwELL,
-- Comptroller.