B-159907, OCT. 5, 1966

B-159907, OCT. 5, 1966

TO AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER, BUREAU OF RECLAMATION:

YOUR LETTER OF AUGUST 12, 1966, REQUESTS OUR DECISION AS TO WHETHER MR. HAROLD E. MCCULLOUGH, AN EMPLOYEE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, MAY BE PAID $338.50 IN CONNECTION WITH MOVEMENT OF HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS FROM STORAGE IN HANFORD, CALIFORNIA, TO HIS RESIDENCE IN KERMAN, CALIFORNIA.

THE ORIGINAL TRAVEL ORDERS PROVIDED FOR MR. MCCULLOUGH'S TRANSFER FROM OTHELLO, WASHINGTON, TO FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, ON OCTOBER 11, 1965. HIS HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS WERE MOVED BY COMMON CARRIER ON OCTOBER 11, 1965, FROM OTHELLO AND PLACED IN TEMPORARY STORAGE IN HANFORD, CALIFORNIA, NEAR FRESNO. MR. MCCULLOUGH SAYS THAT HE PLACED HIS GOODS IN STORAGE AND PROCURED FURNISHED QUARTERS IN FRESNO BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN ADVISED THAT HIS INITIAL DUTY STATION WOULD BE IN FRESNO BUT THAT HE WAS SCHEDULED FOR LATER TRANSFER TO TRANQUILITY, CALIFORNIA, ANOTHER NEARBY TOWN.

ON DECEMBER 9 HIS HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS WERE TAKEN FROM STORAGE IN HANFORD AND DELIVERED TO KERMAN, CALIFORNIA, A CITY 16 MILES DISTANT FROM FRESNO. MR. MCCULLOUGH HAD LIVED IN FURNISHED QUARTERS IN FRESNO FROM OCTOBER 12, 1965, UNTIL DECEMBER 9 WHEN HE MOVED HIS FAMILY TO A HOUSE IN KERMAN. COMMUTED FROM KERMAN TO FRESNO UNTIL MARCH 13, 1966, WHEN HE WAS TRANSFERRED OFFICIALLY TO A FIELD OFFICE IN TRANQUILITY TO WHICH HE CONTINUED TO COMMUTE FROM HIS HOME IN KERMAN.

IN THE ATTACHED VOUCHER MR. MCCULLOUGH IS MAKING CLAIM FOR A SECOND SHIPMENT OF HIS HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS FROM FRESNO TO HIS HOME IN KERMAN (A LESSER DISTANCE THAN THAT BETWEEN HANFORD AND KERMAN) ON THE THEORY THAT THERE WAS AN ORIGINAL MOVE FROM OTHELLO TO FRESNO, AND A SECOND ONE FROM FRESNO TO HIS HOME IN KERMAN WHEN HIS DUTY STATION WAS AGAIN CHANGED FROM FRESNO TO TRANQUILITY.

YOU ADVISE THAT MR. MCCULLOUGH HAS BEEN PAID AT THE COMMUTED RATE ON THE BASIS OF ONE MOVE FROM HIS DUTY STATION IN OTHELLO TO HIS HOME IN KERMAN AND PAID ACTUAL STORAGE CHARGES FOR THE TEMPORARY STORAGE AND HANDLING IN HANFORD. PAYMENT OF $2.12 FOR CARTAGE FROM HANFORD TO KERMAN WAS DISALLOWED BY YOU AS INCIDENT TO TRANSPORTATION-LINE-HAUL. YOU ASK WHETHER A VOUCHER FOR $338.50 REPRESENTING TRANSPORTATION OF 6,770 POUNDS AT $5 PER HUNDREDWEIGHT FOR THE DISTANCE OF 16 MILES FROM FRESNO TO KERMAN AS A SEPARATE MOVE MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT.

WHEN THE CLAIMANT'S HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS WERE PLACED IN STORAGE IN HANFORD THAT WAS THE TERMINATION POINT OF THE TRANSPORTATION UNDER HIS ORIGINAL ORDERS FROM OTHELLO TO FRESNO. THE LATER MOVEMENT OF HIS HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS ON DECEMBER 9, 1965, TO KERMAN WAS, AS POINTED OUT IN YOUR LETTER, IN ANTICIPATION OF THE CHANGE OF HIS DUTY STATION FROM FRESNO TO TRANQUILITY. THE ISSUANCE OF ORDERS ON MARCH 13, 1966, AUTHORIZING THE PAYMENT OF EXPENSES IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSPORTATION OF HIS HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS FROM FRESNO TO TRANQUILITY WOULD EXTEND TO PAYMENT OF EXPENSES OF TRANSPORTATION INCURRED PRIOR TO, BUT IN ANTICIPATION OF, SUCH ORDERS. COMP. GEN. 97.

ACCORDINGLY, THE ATTACHED VOUCHER MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT IF OTHERWISE CORRECT.