Evening star., 1932-04-20
SHARP L|M|TSSET
ON TRAVEL CLAIMS
Expenses of U. S. Employees
Examined RigidIy by
MCCarI Office.

Sharp restrictions have been thrown
around the payment of Government
funds to reimburse Federal workers for
use of their own automobiles in public
service, with the result that many
claims for such travel are being disal-
lowed by Controller General McCarl
Interpreting the act of February IA,
1881. McCarl holds generally that pay
ment of mileage for the use Of privately
owned cars can be allowed only when
workers are using their cars in "neces-
sary travel away from their designated
posts of duty, when such travel has
been predetermined by superior off,
Ger in charge to be cheaper than other
transportation and has been duly au-
thorized.
Under the act and Government travel
regulations it Is also held by McCarl
that when an officer or employe travels
on official business away from his des-
ignated post of duty or official station
he may be authorized to use his own
conveyance on an actual-expense basis,
as distinguished from mileage basis,
But many of the disallowances have
come recently from attempts of Federal
employees to collect mileage for travel
which McCarl has held occurred only
at the designated post Of duty, or head
quarters of the employe.
1881 Travel Act Cited.
In a case involving several employees
of the Bureau of Standards, for in
stance. the controller general disallowed
claims for travel expenses from head
quarters of the Bureau of Standards to
Potomac Yards, Va; Kensington, Col
lege Park, Beltsville. Meadows. and
Camp Springs, Md. These claims were
disaliowed "for the reason that the
travel appeared to have been substan-
TALLY travel at headquarters"
The trips upon which the employees
used their personally owned automobiles
were shown upon the vouchers to cover
round trips ranging from 10 to So miles
and that the employees started from
Headquarters here in washington ana
returned to headquarters the same day.
The travel act Of February IA, 1881,
McCarl explained, permits the payment
of mileage for the use of privately
owned automobiles only when engaged
in necessary travel away from deslg-
mated post of duty. When originally
introduced into Congress. the bill in
cluded a provision for mileage at ofn-
cial stations, but this was eliminated
before its passage. 1t has been re-
peatedly held that absences from head
quarters of 10 hours or less between
the hours of am. and 6 pm. do not
constitute travel status. Where trips
from headquarters are made by auto
mobile, leaving shortly before am.
and returning shortly after pm, the
necessity for leaving and returning be-
fore such hours must be shown.
Reimbursement for the use OF pr1-
vately-owned automobile for transporta-
ton within the limits of the employees
headquarters would be in contravention
of the action or July 16, 1914, unless
chargeable under an appropriation
available for the maintenance and OPP
Grafton of passenger-carrying vehicles
Limits Well Defined.
Even when chargeable under an ap-
preparation available for the main
tenance and operation of passenger
carrying vehicles, reimbursement for the
use Of privately-owned automobiles at
employees official headquarters is lin
Ted to reimburs ssment Of actual expen-
ditures. such as the cost of gasoline
and oil actually consumed. and in such
caces it must be established by COM !
petent evidence that no part of such !
expenditures were due to the use OF
the automobile upon private or personal
business or pleasure"
Another requisite for payment for use
of private-owned automobiles under
McCarls Interpretation IS that there
must be prior authority for such a
mode OF travel.
In the case of travel by employees In
the Panama Canal Zone, McCarl dis
allowed several vouchers, declaring ''in
none Of the vouchers. were the EN-
ployes absent from headquarters for
such distances or during such hours as
constitute a travel status, and no show
ing Of the amount actually expended for
the gasoline and oil for the transporta-
ton on question is made"
In a case concerning the Weather
Bureau Office at Houston. Tex, where
further vouchers were disallowed for
such travel. McCarl declared:
"An employe must be travelling on
official business away from his desig-
mated post of duty to entitle him to
reimbursement for use Of his person
ally-owned automobile under the provi-
sions of the act Of February a. 1881.
This office has repeatedly held" said
McCarl, that claims upon a mileage
basis or otherwise incurred in pro-
ceeding from point 10 point within the
confines OF an employees official station
In his personally-owned automobile will
not be allowed regardless Of the number
Of miles-whether within or without
the city limits. ...-..
1TdVca hrcsS Fixeu
'"These rulings have applied TO travel
between all points within the District
of Columbia, 10 miles one way; ST.
Paul and Minneapolis MINI, distance
Of IL miles: Omaha Nebr., and Council
Bluffs. Iowa, 4 miles: ST Louis, Mo,
and East st. Louis. H.. miles"
In another decision. McCarl held that
mileage In a personally automo-
bile was denied claimant for travel in
the city Of Los Angeles, Calf, wherein
the extreme distance is 43 miles from
north to south and 35 miles from east
to west. In another case there was q
disallowance of claim for mileage for
use of personally-owned automobile for
six trips during the period. July 1 to
13. 1881. from Los Angeles to San
Pedro. Calf. alleged distance, Is miles
from headquarters"