B-43114, AUGUST 24, 1944, 24 COMP. GEN. 153

B-43114, AUGUST 24, 1944, 24 COMP. GEN. 153

TRANSPORTATION - NAVY ENLISTED MAN - CIRCUITOUS ROUTE TRAVEL WHERE A NAVY ENLISTED MAN IS FURNISHED TRANSPORTATION OVER A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE UNDER CHANGE OF STATION ORDERS, THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION AND PULLMAN ACCOMMODATIONS AS PROVIDED BY REGULATIONS FOR TRAVEL OVER THE MOST DIRECT USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE MAY BE CREDITED AGAINST THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION ACTUALLY FURNISHED AND THE EXCESS CHECKED AGAINST THE MAN'S ACCOUNT, REGARDLESS OF THE KIND OR CLASS OF TRANSPORTATION FURNISHED; HOWEVER, WHERE TRANSPORTATION OVER A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE IS FURNISHED AT A COST LESS THAN THAT OF THE AUTHORIZED TRANSPORTATION AND PULLMAN ACCOMMODATIONS OVER THE DIRECT ROUTE, NO COMMUTATION FOR THE DIFFERENCE MAY BE ALLOWED.

COMPTROLLER GENERAL WARREN TO THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, AUGUST 24, 1944:

THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERED YOUR LETTER OF JULY 3, 1944, REQUESTING DECISION ON A QUESTION AS TO THE PROPER BASIS FOR CHECK AGE OF THE ACCOUNTS OF ENLISTED MEN OF THE NAVY FOR EXCESS COSTS OF TRANSPORTATION FURNISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT OVER CIRCUITOUS ROUTES OF TRAVEL, PRESENTED BY THE CHIEF OF NAVAL PERSONNEL IN LETTER DATED JUNE 27, 1944, IN PERTINENT PART, AS FOLLOWS:

IT HAS BEEN THE POLICY OF THE BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL, IN CONSIDERING EXCESS COSTS ON TRANSPORTATION FURNISHED FOR TRAVEL BY CIRCUITOUS ROUTES, TO ALLOW THE NET COST OF TRANSPORTATION TO WHICH ENTITLED, INCLUDING AUTHORIZED PULLMAN ACCOMMODATION, FROM STARTING POINT TO DESTINATION, WHEN THE TRAVELER USES ANY PULLMAN ACCOMMODATION OVER THE CIRCUITOUS ROUTE. THE BASIS FOR DETERMINING EXCESS COSTS WHEN NO PULLMAN ACCOMMODATION IS USED OVER THE ROUTE OF TRAVEL IS UNCERTAIN.

IT IS THEREFORE REQUESTED THAT A DECISION BE OBTAINED FROM THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE VALUE OF AUTHORIZED TRANSPORTATION AND PULLMAN ACCOMMODATION MAY BE ALLOWED OVER DIRECT ROUTES IN COMPUTING EXCESS COSTS, WHEN THE TRAVELER USES ONLY COACH TRANSPORTATION OVER THE ACTUAL ROUTE OF TRAVEL, OR WHETHER IT IS NECESSARY THAT SOME PULLMAN ACCOMMODATION BE USED OVER THE ROUTE OF TRAVEL BEFORE THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION AND AUTHORIZED PULLMAN ACCOMMODATIONS MAY BE ALLOWED OVER THE DIRECT ROUTE.

ORDINARILY AN ENLISTED MAN ORDERED TO CHANGE STATIONS NOT AS A PART OF AN ORGANIZATION IS ENTITLED TO TRANSPORTATION AND TO THE USE OF PULLMAN ACCOMMODATIONS, UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE SUCH ACCOMMODATIONS ARE DEEMED NECESSARY AND THEIR USE IS AUTHORIZED BY ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS, OVER THE MOST DIRECT USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE BETWEEN THE OLD AND THE NEW STATIONS, THE USUAL PRACTICE IN SUCH INSTANCES BEING TO ISSUE GOVERNMENT TRANSPORTATION REQUESTS TO COVER THE TRAVEL REQUIRED UNDER THE ORDERS.

IN THE CONSIDERATION OF CASES WHERE ENLISTED MEN HAVE BEEN PERMITTED TO PERFORM THE TRAVEL DIRECTED IN THEIR ORDERS AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE--- NOT ON A MONEY ALLOWANCE BASIS AS NOW AUTHORIZED BY LAW--- OVER ROUTES OTHER THAN THE SHORTEST USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE, IT HAS BEEN HELD THAT THE RIGHT TO CREDIT FOR THE COSTS OF TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING PULLMAN ACCOMMODATIONS WHERE AUTHORIZED, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN FURNISHED OVER THE DIRECT ROUTE IS NOT AFFECTED BECAUSE OF THE PERMISSIVE VARIATION FROM THE DIRECT ROUTE OF TRAVEL AND THAT SUCH ENLISTED MEN WERE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE EXPENSE ACTUALLY INCURRED OVER THE CHOSEN ROUTE NOT TO EXCEED SUCH COSTS. 10 COMP. GEN. 10. THE QUESTION NOW PRESENTED INVOLVES THE FURNISHING OF TRANSPORTATION BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR TRAVEL OVER A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE; AND, AS A CONSEQUENCE THEREOF, CHECK AGE OF THE ACCOUNTS OF THE ENLISTED MEN CONCERNED FOR ANY EXCESS COSTS INVOLVED OVER AND ABOVE THE COST TO THE GOVERNMENT HAD THE TRAVEL BEEN PERFORMED BY THE MOST DIRECT USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE.

THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION AND PULLMAN ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ENLISTED MEN ON CHANGE OF STATION, WHEN TRAVELING SINGLY OR IN DRAFTS OF LESS THAN FIVE MEN, IS GOVERNED BY REGULATIONS SET FORTH IN NAVY TRAVEL INSTRUCTIONS, ARTICLE 2509, PARAGRAPH 6 (B). WHERE AN ENLISTED MAN IS AUTHORIZED TO TRAVEL OVER A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE UNDER CHANGE OF STATION ORDERS AND TRANSPORTATION OVER SUCH ROUTE IS FURNISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT, THE AMOUNT ALLOWABLE AS CONSTRUCTIVE COST OF HIS TRAVEL FROM THE OLD TO THE NEW STATION WOULD APPEAR TO BE FOR CONSIDERATION UNDER THE SAME PRINCIPLES AS IF HE HAD PERFORMED THE TRAVEL AT HIS OWN EXPENSE. THAT IS, THE AMOUNT OF THE COST OF THE REGULATIONS FOR TRAVEL OVER THE MOST DIRECT USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE MAY BE CREDITED AGAINST THE COST OF THE TRANSPORTATION ACTUALLY FURNISHED AND THE EXCESS WILL BE FOR CHECK AGE AGAINST THE MAN'S ACCOUNT, IT BEING UNDERSTOOD, OF COURSE, THAT IF THE MAN IS FURNISHED TRANSPORTATION OVER A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE AT A COST LESS THAN THE COST OF THE AUTHORIZED TRANSPORTATION AND PULLMAN ACCOMMODATIONS OVER THE DIRECT ROUTE NO COMMUTATION FOR THE DIFFERENCE MAY BE ALLOWED, REGARDLESS OF THE KIND OR CLASS OF TRANSPORTATION ACTUALLY FURNISHED OVER THE CIRCUITOUS ROUTE.