The Washington times., 1901-08-17
A TOTAL sToPPAGE OF PAY.
No Salary for a NavnI Officer Until
Account Is balanced.

In deciding the question as to whether
Paymaster Reah Frazer, United States
Navy. was authorized to check monthly
the sum of $50 against the account or
Lieutenant Commander X. @. Denig. for
salary overdrawn, Robert J. Tracewen,
Comptroller OF the Treasury, cited section
1866 of the Revised Statutes, which says:
No money shall be paid to any person
for his compensation who is in arrears
to the United States, until he has ac-
counted Tor, and paid into the Treasury,
all sums for which he may be liable. In
all cases where the pay or salary of any
person is withheld in pursuance of this
section, the accounting officers of the
Treasury, IL required to do so by the
party. his agent. or attorney, shall re-
port forthwith, to the Solicitor of the
Treasury the balance due. and the Solicit
tor shall, within sixty days thereafter.
order suit to be commenced against such
delinquents and his sureties.
In stating his case, Lieutenant Com
nander Denig said:
I'm June, 1893. the Second Comptroller
of the Treasury decided that ! was en-
titled to pay as feet engineer, to wit, 81. 400
per annum. In October, 1899. | received
notice that my pay was checked for the
difference between fleet engineers pay
and that of lieutenant commander. 1
end OF October. Thus nearly a year was
allowed to elapse before this checkage
reached me. and moreover. the previous
quarters, comprising six months, had pass
ed the Auditor, owing TO Comptrollers de-
cision OF June. 1873
Mr.. Denig further stated that on De-
cember 10. 1900, the Second Comptroller
reversed his former decision, reaudited
his accounts and checked against the
former Denig) the sum Of sl.y039l This
information. Denig states, did nj reach
him until March, 1901.
Since April Is, 1901, Lieutenant Com
mander Denig says he has received no
pay. and has been Obliged to borrow at n
high rate OF interest to meet necessary
expenses of himself and family. He
claims that this condition of his accounts
is entirely due to the Second Comptrol-
lcr's reversal OF his own decision. and to
the slowness with which accounts are
audited.
This hardship was further intensified
by the stopping or a3y allotment, con-
tinues Lieutenant Comma nder Denig
and / consider my appeal in every way
a lust one. 1 do not see how IL Will be
possible for me to live among strangers.
nor how ] can properly perform my du-
ties as inspector OF engineering material
of a considera bic district. for 1 must adj
vance my official expenses for six or
seven weeks y greater checkage than
$50 / cannot stand, as obligations are
coming due, and must be met
las | was overpaid at the rate or $75
per month, il seems but just that /
should return it at about the same rate.
This checkage will reduce my pay lower
than it has been for many years, yet
my expenses are greater"
Concluding his opinion In the matter.
MIR. Tracewell said:
II think that 1t may be considered as
settled thHt whore an officer is indebted
to the United States, payment of his
salary is prohiDiteu until such indebted
ness is discharged.
81 have therefore. to inform you that
nm .4F he nf hG tot
utes. no part Of the compensation of
Lieutenant Commander Denig should be
paid while he Is in arrears to the United
States.