The Washington herald., 1912-10-17
CLERKS Mly lose
PART OF SALARY.
Technical OBSTACLE in Way Due 70
Delay in Passing Sup
ply Bill.
HOW UP TO co,nraoILKR

NOW UP TO COMPTROLLER
~ JOSEPH r. ANNIN.
Unless the Comptroller OF the Treasury
10 able to flnd some means OF escape from
the technical application Of the appro-
priation iaw. clerks In the Treasury De-
partment who were unfortunate enough
to be away on authorised leave OF ab-
senes when the last Legislative. execu-
tive. and judicial blu passed. win b
obliged to pocket Losses. aSgreGatins
several Thousands Of dollars. or 70 appeal
to Congress for relief.
The condition arose through the failure
Of the President to approve the big sup
ply measure on schedule. The bill should
have been passed and approved before
the end OF the fiscal year. Juno % In
stead 1t hung ire until August a.
This 10 how large number Of clerks
suffered.
? An promotions from one grade to an.
other and all transfers from one bureau
Of the department to another hinges on
the annual appropriation bill. and are
made to date FROM its approval. Under
. strict Interpretation of the Law, salaries
date from the taking Of the oath Of
ONCE. It 20 happened this year. because
or the uncertainty as to the date on
which the bill would pass and be signed.
that at the time Of its approval . large
number OF clerks were away on annual
leave. Among these were many who by
virtue Of the new law either received
promotions or were Transferred from the
bureau In which they formerly had been.
or whose status was otherwise changed.
and who. consequently. were technically
on the pay roll until they could subscribe
to the oath Of ONCE under their nsw rat
Ing.
Many Of these were unable to return on
the day following the passage. some did
not get back for fifteen or twenty days.
not approaching the situation. and stay
ing away until the leave Of absence
granted under the old rating had expired
When they finally did return and sub
scribed to the oath Of ONCE under the
new rating they learned that they could
not expect to be paid for the interval
time they took the oath Of ONCE. The
Comptroller Of the Treasury was ap-
pealed to for an opinion on the following
specified case:
The legislative bilI dropped nine clerks
1t 8. 900 each from the ONCE Of the Audi
tor for the War Department. In order
to retain these clerks In the service the
department Transferred them to other bu-
rats in the department. specifying that
the new appointments would take effect
on the date Of the approval OF the legis-
lative. executive. and judicial appropria-
tion bill. One clerk who had been trans
ferred to the once Of the general super
intendent Of the Life-saving Service
without change Of grade or salary was
absent on leave Of duty At the time. He
returned September 6 The letter to the
Comptroller from the ONCE Of the Sec
retary put the following question In this
case:
Tn view Of the fact that his letter Of
transfer was made to take effect on a
specified date august ~. il he not enti-
tied to his salary from that date, after
having qualified by taking the oathr"
The decision Of the Comptroller in this
case reads as follows:
The annual leave granted to this clerk
was granted to him IN his ofncial capacity
rs q clerk in the ONCE Of the Auditor for
the War Department. It was granted to
the clerk. not to the individual and neces-
sarily it expired with the termination Of
the clerkship. Unless It was extended or
renewed under his new appointment. he
was not constructively on duty thereun-
der until he reported to the Life-savinS
Service, and he is not entitled to
salary during the interval between August
q and that date (September 81. He was
not in the public service as . clerk in the
Lfe-saving Service until he took the
oath and entered upon his duties as such.
II paid during the period in question. he
would OF necessity have to be paid from
the appropriation, made to support the
latter service, which would result in pay
Ing him from an appropriation and ser
vice he was not serving
Comptroller Traceweil and Appointment
Clerk Lyman. of the department, are
seeking some means out Of the, tangie.
There is no disposition on the part Of the
department to deny the Justice Of these
claims. but a technical application Of the
law makes II extremely difficult to- grant
them. Technically. the connection Of
each clerk with the department ceased
when he left one grading. and was not
resumed until he subscribed to the oath
Of ONCE In his new grading.
In previous years, each clerk has been
able to provide against such q contin-
Eency by being present on the COM
Of the new fiscal year, when
the changes ordinarily would 20 into
effect. the new Appropriation bill having
been passed some time before. This
year. the bill not having been passed
It the commencement Of the new fis-
al year, the clerks affected who were
away on vacation were taken unaware
Comptroller .Tracewell Is himself away
IN leave. and tho question must remain
,pen. pending his return. It is under
,tood that an attempt will be made to
rant each clerk affected leave with nay
under his new grading equivalent to
hat he lost through the enactment Of
he law. In his absence. and then permit
his leave to retract and apply to the
ime which elapsed between the approv-
Il Of the bill and his Qualification for
he once. It IL believed that II this
. asked. the Comptroller will permit 1t
m the grounds Of the decision quoted
Ibove which reads, Unless It (the leave
Il absence) was extended or renewed un-
Ter his new appointment. he was not con-
Itructively on duty"
English Papers |
Laud Colonel
London. Oct 16.-'The Heroic Mold'' is
he title under which the Pail Mall Ga
.etts to-day voiced its comment upon
he attempted assassination Of Theodore
Roosevelt. and high tribute was paid 20 |
he wounded American. It said: mot
'nly the English people. but the civilized
world will rejoice At the escape of Col. l
Roosevelt from the maniacal attack |
which has befalien him. The amazing
nd characteristic coolne0o with which