B-88258 September 19, 1949
Highlights
Authorized Certifying Officer National Labor Relations Board My dear Miss Fesmire: Reference is made to your letter of July 29. It is not apparent from the record whether Mr. Jafee was specifically directed to attend the luncheon. Therefore it has been held that where a registration fee includes and is indivisible from the cost of "conference meals" and the appropriation otherwise is available for payment of expenses of attendance at meetings. The record shows that the registration fee was severable from the fee for the luncheon. Which is returned herewith.
B-88258 September 19, 1949
Miss Ethelreda C. Fesmire, Authorized Certifying Officer National Labor Relations Board
My dear Miss Fesmire:
Reference is made to your letter of July 29, 1949, transmitting reimbursement voucher for &6.50 I favor of James A. Jafee, representing the expense incurred by him for registration fee ($2.50) and luncheon ($4) incident to his attendance at the Fourth National Conference on Citizenship, as an employee of the National Labor Relations Board, and requesting a decision whether the item of expense for the luncheon properly may be certified for payment.
The appropriation involved provides for the payment of expenses of attendance at meetings concerned with the work of the Board when specifically authorized by the General Counsel.
Purmeant to the statutory provision, the General Counsel requested the Regional Director to designate one of his staff to represent the agency at the conference and authorized the Director to determine which of the sessions the agency's delegate should attend. It is not apparent from the record whether Mr. Jafee was specifically directed to attend the luncheon.
Therefore it has been held that where a registration fee includes and is indivisible from the cost of "conference meals" and the appropriation otherwise is available for payment of expenses of attendance at meetings, such fee may be considered as a necessary and proper expense incident to the full participation in the conference functions, the meals being a mere incident to the meeting.
In the instant case, the record shows that the registration fee was severable from the fee for the luncheon, and in the absence of evidence supporting such a course, it may not be assumed that Mr. Jaffee did not voluntarily attend the luncheon.
Accordingly, the voucher, which is returned herewith, properly may not be certified for payment in the amount shown thereon but only in the amount of $2.50, representing the fee for registration.
Sincerely yours,
Acting Comptroller General of the United States