A-60083 (A), FEBRUARY 27, 1935, 14 COMP. GEN. 656

A-60083 (A), FEBRUARY 27, 1935, 14 COMP. GEN. 656

NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION - PRINTING AND BINDING - FIELD THE AUTHORITY OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING TO AUTHORIZE PRINTING TO BE DONE ELSEWHERE THAN AT THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE IS LIMITED TO SUCH AS SHALL BE DEEMED URGENT AND NECESSARY TO HAVE DONE ELSEWHERE THAN IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF A FIELD SERVICE OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. PRINTING MAY NOT BE DONE OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FOR USE OF A GOVERNMENT SERVICE WITHIN THE DISTRICT.

COMPTROLLER GENERAL MCCARL TO THE CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL RECOVERY BOARD, FEBRUARY 27, 1935:

THERE HAS BEEN RESUBMITTED FOR PREAUDIT VOUCHER NO. 21752 IN FAVOR OF THE POLYGRAPHIC COMPANY OF AMERICA, INC., IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,869.85 FOR PRINTING N.R.A. STICKERS PURSUANT TO CONTRACT CC-2069 EXECUTED IN AUGUST 1934. THIS VOUCHER WAS TWICE RETURNED WITHOUT CERTIFICATION BECAUSE THERE HAD NOT BEEN SUBMITTED THEREWITH A CERTIFICATE BY A RESPONSIBLE OFFICER IN THE FIELD UNDER WHOSE AUTHORITY THE PRINTING WAS PROCURED THAT IN HIS OPINION SUCH WORK WAS URGENT AND NECESSARY TO HAVE DONE ELSEWHERE THAN IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF THAT FIELD SERVICE AS REQUIRED BY LAW AND THE REGULATIONS OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING.

UNDER DATE OF JANUARY 21, 1935, THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, NATIONAL RECOVER ADMINISTRATION, INFORMED THIS OFFICE THAT NO CERTIFICATE OF A RESPONSIBLE OFFICER IN THE FIELD "IS FORTHCOMING, BECAUSE * * * THIS ORDER WAS PLACED BY THE N.R.A., WASHINGTON OFFICE, THRU THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT DIVISION OF PURCHASES AND SALES.'

UNDER DATE OF FEBRUARY 13, 1935, THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT REQUESTED FURTHER CONSIDERATION IN THE LIGHT OF THE DECISION OF JANUARY 3, 1935, A- 52173. THE DECISION REFERRED TO ALLOWED CREDIT FOR PAST EXPENDITURES FOR CERTAIN FIELD PRINTING UPON EVIDENCE THAT THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING HAD EXPRESSLY APPROVED SUCH PRINTING. IN MAKING SUCH APPROVAL, HOWEVER, THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING, BY ITS LETTER OF MARCH 5, 1934, TO THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION, STATED:

INASMUCH AS THE EMERGENCY WHICH AROSE AT THAT TIME NO LONGER EXISTS IT IS OF COURSE UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS AGREEMENT NOW IS VOID AND CEASES, AND IN THE EVENT THE ADMINISTRATION ANTICIPATES ANY FURTHER NEEDS FOR FIELD PRINTING AN ALLOTMENT OF FUNDS FOR THAT PURPOSE SHOULD BE REQUESTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF PARS. 58 AND 60 OF JOINT COMMITTEE REGULATIONS NO. 25.

GENERAL REGULATIONS 25 OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING, WHICH WAS APPLICABLE TO THE FISCAL YEAR 1934, HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED BY GENERAL REGULATIONS 26 COVERING THE FISCAL YEAR 1935, PARAGRAPHS 101 AND 184 OF WHICH PROVIDE:

101. THAT THE DEPARTMENTS HEREINAFTER MENTIONED ARE AUTHORIZED TO PROCURE SUCH FIELD PRINTING, AS DEFINED BY PARAGRAPH 2 OF THESE REGULATIONS (INCLUDING TABULATING-MACHINE CARDS AND BLANK BOOKS), AS MAY BE IMPRACTICABLE TO HAVE DONE AT THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE AND NECESSARY FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF ANY FIELD SERVICE SERVICE OUTSIDE OF SAID DISTRICT, PROVIDED THE SAME IS WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS FOR PRINTING AND THE REGULATIONS OF THIS COMMITTEE, AND THE RESPONSIBLE OFFICER IN THE FIELD UNDER WHOSE AUTHORITY SUCH PRINTING IS PURCHASED OR OBTAINED SHALL CERTIFY, IN SUCH MANNER AS MAY BE PRESCRIBED BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL, WITH RESPECT TO EACH JOB PROCURED FROM COMMERCIAL SOURCES, THAT IN HIS OPINION SUCH WORK WAS URGENT OR NECESSARY TO HAVE DONE ELSEWHERE THAN IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF THAT FIELD SERVICE, AS FOLLOWS:

NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION

184. GENERAL.---FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1935, NOT TO EXCEED $50,000.

PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE REGULATIONS REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH 101, SUPRA, DEFINED "FIELD PRINTING" AS FOLLOWS:

THE TERM "FIELD PRINTING" AS USED IN THESE REGULATIONS SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO MEAN ALL PRINTING, BINDING, AND BLANK-BOOK WORK ACCOMPLISHED OR PROCURED ELSEWHERE THAN AT THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE IN WASHINGTON.

AS THE GENERAL APPROVAL OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF $50,000 FOR FIELD PRINTING DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 1935 IS CONDITIONED UPON THERE BEING FURNISHED A CERTIFICATE SUCH AS PRESENTED IN PARAGRAPH 101 OF THE REGULATIONS, AND SUCH CERTIFICATE HAS NOT BEEN FURNISHED, PAYMENT ON THE VOUCHER IS NOT AUTHORIZED. FURTHERMORE, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THIS WAS NOT SUCH A FIELD-SERVICE PURCHASE AS WAS AUTHORIZED UNDER THE LAW TO BE MADE ELSEWHERE THAN FROM THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE AS THE PURCHASE WAS MADE BY THE WASHINGTON OFFICE AND DELIVERY WAS MADE IN WASHINGTON. HENCE, IT COULD NOT BE CERTIFIED THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO HAVE THE WORK DONE "ELSEWHERE THAN IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.' IT IS TO BE NOTED, ALSO, THAT THIS CONTRACT WAS MADE OVER 5 MONTHS AFTER THE ADMINISTRATION HAD BEEN FULLY AND SPECIFICALLY ADVISED BY THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING AS TO THE REQUIREMENTS IN SUCH MATTERS.