Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-01
Practiceof Disbursing Officers
Not Uniform.
VARIATION IN DATES
RESULT OF INQUIRY AT THE DE-
PARTMENTS.
Where the Payrolls Are Short EN-
ployes May Receive Their Salaries
Earlier Than in Other Cases.

The employees OF all the executive depart
ments in this city were paid Off yesterday
for the last time under the old system, as
announced in yesterdays Star. Hereafter
the payment Of these salaries will be gov
erned by the recent ruling of the controller
of the treasury requiring certification that
service had actually been rendered for the
entire month before the salaries for that
month can be paid.
Inquiry at the various executive depart
ments discloses the fact that no uniform
plan Of action with regard to future sal
airy payments has been adopted. The vari-
Gus disbursing officers are not entirely clear
as to their powers and duties under the
new regulation. except the single point
that they are prohibited from making the
half-monthly payments before the 10Th and
the last day of the month.
At the State Department. where the
the other departments, Mr.. Morrison. the
disbursing officer, sal dthat the new regu-
lation will not necessitate any special
change in the present system of paying on
in that department and that he Will con-
tinue making the payments on the 10th
and last day of the month as heretofore.
1t was probable, he said, that future pay
ments would be made later in the day
than heretofore and that 1t might happen
some times that payments could not be
made until after 4:30 o'clock.
At the War Department Mr.. smith. the
dsbursing officer, said that he had not yet
made any definite decision as to the dates
of semi-monthly payments except to make
them as as he possibly could In con-
formity with the terms of the new regula-
ton. He said he will continue the present
practice of paying off on the 10th and
last day of the month If he can possibly
do so. but at any rate he Will endeavor
to make the payments not later than the
nth or Cd days of the month He 1ndi-
Gated that he would confere with the Off
Gals of the Treasury Department before
reaching a final decision in the matter.
At the Navy Department Mr.. Stckney,
the disbursng officer, was busily engaged
in pa wing off when approached on the sub
ject, but found time to say that hereafter
the payments for salaries in the Navy De-
partment will be made on the nth and I'd
days of the month, or sooner, If the pay
rolls ready in time.
No official order has been issued by the
Postmaster General affecting the employees
of the Post Office Department. but 1t is
understood that the salaries will be paid on
the 3D. and 17th Of each month. Al! the
employees of this department will be paid on
the same day, and an effort vii be made
to select the same day on which the en-
ployes of other branches of the government
are paid so none will have the advantage.
The Postmaster General is expected to
make a statement in this regard within a
day so.
Under the new order Of things the Interior
Department employees will receive their pay
on the 4th and 10Th of each month. This
order is subject to a change. it is stated. 1t
is announced that If 1t is possible to get the
treasury officials to honor acquisitions for
money day two before the 1st and 10Th
the pay days will be the 1st and 10th. The
disbursing clerks need a day or so between
the day of receiving the money and the pay
day TO put up the money in envelopes. etc.
Controllers Circular.
Following is the circular on the subject,
which was issued by the controller of the
treasury:
Treasury Department
"Office OF Controller of the Treasury
WASHINGTON, September 81, 1905.
Il. In order to secure uniformity in the
rendition of public accounts and to protect
the government from Illegal payments, the
certifcation of all pay rolls for the eXecu-
tive departments in Washington, and for
all bureaus, offices and divisions in or I'M
der them within the District of Columbia
and for the Independent offices and com
missions therein, will be executed by the
proper officer IN each case in the follow
ing form, to-wit:
II certify that the foregoing pay roll Is
correct; that it appears from the records
of my office that the persons named there
on were legally appointed, and that each
has performed the services required by law
and the regulations of the during
the period mentioned; that such services,
except otherwise indicated, have been
performed under my supervision. and that
no person whose name appears on the fore
going pay roll is paid for any period of alb
sence in excess of that allowed by law;
that they are severally entitled to the !
amounts of pay set opposite their respec-
tive names that all details, from my per-
sonal supervision, are indicated in the col
umn of Remarks and that the full period
of service covered by this pay roll has ex-
pired prior to the actual signing hereof
Such certificate must be attached to all |
pay rolls herein above mentioned. after No
Vember ], 1905.
In Gases of Detail.
so Whenever a person whose name ap-
pears Oh the pay roll OF one bureau or |
fice has been detailed to service elsewhere |
q certificate, signed by the proper officer
having knowledge of the service to which |
the detail is made. that the services have |
been actually rendered, will be required. |
The following form is prescribed for such |
certificate:
T certify that whose salary is paid |
on the roll of -, and who is detailed to |
this -, has rendered service in this |
days of the current semi-monthy |
period
When employee is detailed from a !
place outside District of Columbia for such |
duty within the District of Columbia as Is !
authorized by law, the fact of such detail |
should be reported Immediately to the |
proper auditor by the officer authorizing tire |
detail; and the services of such detailed |
employe. while on duty within the District |
of Columbia, must be certified by the |
proper officer the same in cases of reg |
ular details with the executive departments |
in the District of Columbia.
Form of Pay Roll.
49, In order that the requirements con-
corning the proper certifcation of pay rolls
in the several executive departments in
Washington, and all bureaus or offices |
thereupder NAV he committed with nv those