Evening star., 1925-08-25
STOPS EXTRA FEES
OF i. S. N0TAR|ES
McCarI Orders Return of
Charges Collected for
Government Work.

Controller General McCarl has put a
stop to notaries public in the Govern
ment service collecting extra pay
from the Government for work which
McCarl says should be done without
charge.
The matter came out of the Navy
Department, where McCarl not only
Put his foot down on any future at
tempts to double up on Government
salary by fees, but disallowed all
vouchers for such charges, and or
dered all mispaid money brought back
into Uncle Sans Golfers.
The ruling was interpreted as hav-
ing far-reachinE significance, as there
are notaries public throughout all the
Government departments and eStab-
lishments, who were said thus to de-
rive additional income. McCarl did
not attack such notaries' right to do
private business after office hours, but
he did severely censure naval officers
or employees who have been inSreas-
ing their salary from the Government
unlawfully.
Extra Pay Plan Seen.
In most Government departments,
1t was explained, it has been the
practice for certain employees to be
recommended by the department for
commissions as notaries public. The
President of the United States signs
their commissions, and there is no
charge for such commissions except
the seal, which is paid for by the
notaries themselves.
The Government having assisted In
obtaining the commissions should
have the right to free notary service
from such persons, except where
specifically provided otherwise by law,
according to McCarl's office. But the
work had not been done during Office
hours, the dicision reveals.
An examination of a number of
the vouchers suspended or diSal-
lowed on account of payments for
notarial acts alleged to have been
performed after office hours" said
McCarrs decision, suggests the eX-
istence of a plan or system of allow
ing a number of employees of the de-
partment additional compensation in
the form of such notariaf fees-dis-
trtbuted about equally among them.
Officers Still i'm Service.
Moreover, some of the oaths ad-
miniStered concern matters which
would indicate improper charges
l.
derstood that in most cases the en-
ployeS to whom these erroneous pay
ments were made are now in the serv-
Ice with salaries ranging from $4,000
to $4,000 per annum: therefore, there
would appear to be no reason why the
amount due from each should not be
collected. thus relieving the disburs-
ing officers"
The Secretary of the Navy had is
sued an order, it was revealed, direct
ing that oaths of disinterestedness in
connection with Navy contracts will
be administered by a naval officer
authorized to administer oaths under
the provisions of the act of March 4,
1917, and that when there is avail
able no officers of the Navy author
lied to administer such oaths, the
services of notaries public, who are
not employees of the United States,
will be obtained"
Prior to this order, which was based
on a previous controllers decision,
there had been a number of payments
made to naval officers and the Secre-
tary of the Navy asked that these pay
ments be allowed. This the controller
denied today.
For the future the controller said
that lit will be necessary hereafter.
when a voucher is presented for audit
bearing a charge for notarial fee on
account of oaths of disinterestedness,
TO show, not only that it was imprac-
ticable to have the oath administered
by a naval officer pursuant to the pro-
visions of the act of March 4, 1917, SO
Stat, I'LL, but also that there was no
notary public in the service at the
place where the oath was required to
be administered, and that none was
available by obtaining a notarial COM
mission, by courtesy of an employe of
another branch of the service, or 9TH
erwise.''