B-117603, DECEMBER 23, 1953, 33 COMP. GEN. 278
Highlights
MILEAGE - TRAVEL BY PRIVATE AUTOMOBILE - SPEEDOMETER READING REQUIREMENTS - REPEATED TRIPS BETWEEN SAME POINTS EMPLOYEE WHO PERFORMED DAILY ROUND TRIP TRAVEL FOR A MONTH IS REQUIRED. THERE WAS FORWARDED HERE FOR CONSIDERATION YOUR LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 28. THE QUESTION SUBMITTED IS WHETHER THE DISTANCE SO DETERMINED MAY BE USED FOR THE SUBSEQUENT TRAVEL PERFORMED DURING THE MONTH BETWEEN THOSE POINTS. CONNECTION THEREWITH IT IS STATED: WHEN REGULAR DAILY TRAVEL IS PERFORMED BY PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE BETWEEN THE SAME POINTS. CHECKING METER READINGS IF SUCH READINGS WERE FURNISHED ONLY FOR THE FIRST TRIP REPORTED ON THE MONTHLY VOUCHER. INVOLVING A SITUATION ESSENTIALLY SIMILAR TO THAT HEREIN FOR CONSIDERATION IT WAS STATED: * * * WHILE THE MILEAGE CLAIMED FOR EACH ONE-WAY TRIP IS BASED ON TEST SPEEDOMETER READINGS EVIDENTLY TAKEN ON THE FIRST ONE-WAY TRIP IN EACH OF THE TWO CASES.
B-117603, DECEMBER 23, 1953, 33 COMP. GEN. 278
MILEAGE - TRAVEL BY PRIVATE AUTOMOBILE - SPEEDOMETER READING REQUIREMENTS - REPEATED TRIPS BETWEEN SAME POINTS EMPLOYEE WHO PERFORMED DAILY ROUND TRIP TRAVEL FOR A MONTH IS REQUIRED, FOR MILEAGE PAYMENT PURPOSES, TO FURNISH ONLY THE SPEEDOMETER READINGS OF THE FIRST ROUND TRIP.
COMPTROLLER GENERAL WARREN TO CURTISS F. BARKER, TREASURY DEPARTMENT, DECEMBER 23, 1953:
BY LETTER DATED OCTOBER 23, 1953, OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT SECRETARY, TREASURY DEPARTMENT, THERE WAS FORWARDED HERE FOR CONSIDERATION YOUR LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 28, 1953, REQUESTING AN ADVANCE DECISION UPON THE PROPRIETY OF CERTIFYING FOR PAYMENT AN ENCLOSED VOUCHER IN FAVOR OF SAM M. RUTLEDGE, INTERNAL REVENUE AGENT ( STOREKEEPER-1GAUGER), FOR THE SUM OF $31.18, AS REIMBURSEMENT UPON A MILEAGE BASIS FOR DAILY TRAVEL PERFORMED BY PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE BETWEEN BARDSTOWN, KENTUCKY, POST OF DUTY, AND GETHSEMANE, KENTUCKY, LOCATION OF PLANT ASSIGNMENT, DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST, 1953.
YOU STATE THAT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN BARDSTOWN AND GETHSEMANE CANNOT BE DETERMINED FROM STANDARD HIGHWAY MILEAGE GUIDES AND CONSEQUENTLY THE EXTENT OF THE TRAVEL MUST BE ASCERTAINED FROM SPEEDOMETER READINGS. SEE PARAGRAPH 12A (1) AND 83A, STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS. UPON THE PRESENT VOUCHER THE TRAVELER HAS FURNISHED SPEEDOMETER READINGS ONLY FOR THE FIRST ROUND-TRIP BETWEEN THE POINTS INVOLVED, AND THE QUESTION SUBMITTED IS WHETHER THE DISTANCE SO DETERMINED MAY BE USED FOR THE SUBSEQUENT TRAVEL PERFORMED DURING THE MONTH BETWEEN THOSE POINTS. CONNECTION THEREWITH IT IS STATED:
WHEN REGULAR DAILY TRAVEL IS PERFORMED BY PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE BETWEEN THE SAME POINTS, THERE WOULD BE AN OBVIOUS SAVING OF TIME AND LABOR IN RECORDING, FURNISHING, AND CHECKING METER READINGS IF SUCH READINGS WERE FURNISHED ONLY FOR THE FIRST TRIP REPORTED ON THE MONTHLY VOUCHER, SINCE THE DISTANCE WOULD BE THE SAME FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIPS BETWEEN THE SAME POINTS DURING THE MONTH.
IN A DECISION OF DECEMBER 22, 1949, B-91153, INVOLVING A SITUATION ESSENTIALLY SIMILAR TO THAT HEREIN FOR CONSIDERATION IT WAS STATED:
* * * WHILE THE MILEAGE CLAIMED FOR EACH ONE-WAY TRIP IS BASED ON TEST SPEEDOMETER READINGS EVIDENTLY TAKEN ON THE FIRST ONE-WAY TRIP IN EACH OF THE TWO CASES, THERE IS NO BASIS FOR OBJECTION ON THAT SCORE, NO NECESSITY BEING APPARENT FOR REQUIRING SPEEDOMETER READINGS FOR EACH TRIP WHEN THE DISTANCE TRAVELED WOULD NOT VARY.
THAT VIEW APPEARING EQUALLY VALID IN THE PRESENT SITUATION, YOU ARE ADVISED THAT THE VOUCHER, WHICH IS RETURNED, MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT, IF OTHERWISE CORRECT.