The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-03
MUST WAIT FOR THEIR PAY.
4 Decision Concerning the Alaskan
Bureau of Education

The Secretary OF the Interior recently
addressed 2 communicate to the Comp
trouer Of the Treasury, requesting his
opinion regarding the payment Of the sal
aries of the officers Of the Bureau of Eslu-
cation in Alaska The Secretary OF the
Interior said in his communication:
The future support of education in
Alaska having been provided for out Of
the receipts from licenses for business
carried on outside Incorporated towns, the
last Congress omitted the usual specific
appropriation for that purpose for the
next fiscal year. For the-present and IN
til the fund from licenses becomes avail
able the members OF the Alaska division
of the Bureau OF Education viii be en-
pIoycd in work connected with the intro
ductIon of reindeer into Alaska for which
the appropriation was made as usual 1t
is desired. therefore, to pay their salaries
from July I from the fund for the intro
duction Of reindeer. 1892. as follows: The
general agent OF education in Alaska. 81
500; assistant agent Of education IN Alas
ka, S1,600; clerk to the general agent, per
month. 50
In passing on the question, Mr. Trace
well said: While it Is difficult TO see any
connection between the appropriation for
education IN Alaska and that for the in
It must be assumed that from the tenor
Of your enquiry you consider your
self authorized to assign the persons en-
pIoyed in the Alaska Division of the Bu-
reau of Education to duties IN connectiol
with the reindeer appropriation Without
questioning your authority to make such
assignment Of duties, it is clear 70 my
mind that Il the General Agent OF Edu-
cation in Alaska and his assistant and
clerk can now be or could ever have
been assigned, as a part of the duties
for which they are employed, to work in
, connection with the introduction OF rein
deer in Alaska. they must look for
their compensation TO the appropriation
by virtue Of which they are employed,
namely, that for education, and not to
the other appropriation.
The fact that the fund provided by
Congress for purposes OF education in
Alaska is not Yet available would not au-
thorize the use Of another appropriation
made for different object in paying the
employees of the Alaska Division of the
Bureau of Education. even though they
may be employed by your direction in
connection with the object OF that appro-
pristion. What ] have written has been
upon the assumption that the former en-
pIoyment Of the persons in question was
by virtue Of the various approximations
made for education in Alaska and that
/ their present employment in the same ca
pacltleS ls by virtue of the new proEis-
ion for education made in the act of
March 3. 1871. and in this view of the case
/ am clearly OF the opinion that they must
/ look for their compensation solely to the
funds that Congress has provided in the
acts under which they are employed
! I co not mean 70 say that if you have
authority TO use the appropriation for
Reindeer IN Alaska. in, the employment
/ of personal services in the District of Co
I lumbia you could not give these persons
independent employ Oyment and pay them
/ from the appropriation under which they
I are employed, hut that as long rs they
\ hold their present employment. they can
be paid only by virtue of the acts author
] iZing that employment, and from the
| funds provided for those acts