B-126097, DEC. 19, 1955

B-126097, DEC. 19, 1955

TO MR. HARRY R. DUCKETT, AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER, PUBLIC HOUSING ADMINISTRATION:

YOUR LETTER RECEIVED HERE NOVEMBER 16, 1955, REQUESTS OUR DECISION AS TO THE PROPER BASIS FOR DETERMINING THE GOVERNMENT'S LIABILITY FOR EXPENSES OF THE HOME LEAVE TRAVEL OF RICHARD A. SHANKEY AND FAMILY FROM SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, TO HAVERSTRAW, NEW YORK, AND RETURN, AS CLAIMED ON THE ENCLOSED VOUCHER. HIS TRAVEL ORDERS AUTHORIZED TRAVEL "BY COMMON CARRIER (TRAIN, PLANE, BUS, OR BOAT).' ON THE TRIP FROM SAN JUAN TO HAVERSTRAW THE TRAVEL WAS BY AIR TO MIAMI ON A ROUND-TRIP TICKET BUT THE RETURN PORTION WAS NOT USED. FROM MIAMI TO NEW YORK TRAVEL WAS BY TRAIN ALSO ON A ROUND-TRIP TICKET, WITH A ONE-WAY PULLMAN, AND THE RETURN PORTION OF THAT TICKET ALSO WAS NOT USED. FROM NEW YORK TO HAVERSTRAW AND RETURN FROM HAVERSTRAW TO IDLEWILD AIRPORT IN NEW YORK CITY THE TRAVEL WAS PERFORMED BY HIRED AUTOMOBILE. RETURN TRAVEL FROM NEW YORK CITY TO SAN JUAN WAS BY A ONE-WAY AIR TICKET.

THE ROUND-TRIP TICKETS BY AIR AND RAIL PROCURED ON GOVERNMENT TRANSPORTATION REQUESTS ARE LISTED ON THE VOUCHER AS COSTING $460.80 AND $403.20, RESPECTIVELY, WHILE THE ONE-WAY AIR TICKET IS LISTED AT $400. REIMBURSEMENT FOR HIRED AUTOMOBILES IS CLAIMED AT $10.50 AND $18.50, RESPECTIVELY, BASED UPON THE COST HAD THE TRAVEL BEEN PERFORMED BY COMMON CARRIER. NO REASONS ARE GIVEN FOR NOT USING THE RETURN PORTIONS OF THE ROUND-TRIP TICKETS. YOU SUGGEST THAT HAD THE TRAVELER PURCHASED A ROUND- TRIP TICKET BY AIR FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP A CONSIDERABLE SAVINGS WOULD HAVE RESULTED.

SECTION 204 (C) OF THE ACT OF JUNE 23, 1938, 52 STAT. 983, AUTHORIZES THE USE OF AIRPLANES FOR OFFICIAL TRAVEL WITHOUT REGARD TO THE COMPARATIVE COST OF THE TRAVEL BY RAIL. THE PURCHASE BY THE TRAVELER OF ROUND-TRIP TICKETS BY AIR AND RAIL WOULD APPEAR IN THE FIRST INSTANCE TO HAVE SATISFIED THE REQUIREMENTS OF PARAGRAPH 16 OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS FOR THE PURCHASE OF ROUND-TRIP TICKETS WHENEVER PRACTICABLE AND ECONOMICAL. B-107998, MARCH 13, 1952; B-95600, JUNE 28, 1950. ALSO SEE, GENERALLY, 23 COMP. GEN. 946. THE TRAVELER, HOWEVER, HAS FAILED TO JUSTIFY HIS FAILURE TO USE THE RETURN PORTIONS OF THE RESPECTIVE TICKETS. THERE IS FOR ALLOWANCE ON THE VOUCHER THE COST OF THE TWO ROUND- TRIP TICKETS PURCHASED BY HIM HAD THEY BEEN USED IN THEIR ENTIRETY, AND THE CONSTRUCTIVE COST OF COMMON CARRIER BETWEEN NEW YORK AND HAVERSTRAW IN LIEU OF THE COST OF THE HIRE OF THE AUTOMOBILES, WITH PROPER PER DIEM IN LIEU OF SUBSISTENCE COMPUTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MODES OF TRAVEL AUTHORIZED HEREIN. FROM THE SUM FOUND DUE THERE SHOULD BE DEDUCTED THE COST OF THE ONE-WAY AIRPLANE TICKET USED ON THE RETURN JOURNEY.

THE VOUCHER IS RETURNED, AND, WHEN PROPERLY COMPUTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOREGOING, THE EXCESS COST SHOULD BE CERTIFIED FOR COLLECTION FROM THE EMPLOYEE.