B-104155, SEPTEMBER 4, 1951, 31 COMP. GEN. 65

B-104155, SEPTEMBER 4, 1951, 31 COMP. GEN. 65

ADVERTISING - NEWSPAPERS - SPACE MEASUREMENT BASIS FOR PAYMENT PURPOSES WHEN LINE RATES FOR ADVERTISING ARE QUOTED AND SPECIFIED AS SPACE LINES ON STANDARD FORM NO. 1144, REVISED, PUBLIC VOUCHER FOR ADVERTISING, THEY ARE INTERPRETED AS THE STANDARD OF 14 AGATE SPACE LINES TO AN INCH WITHOUT REGARD TO THE SIZE OF TYPE ACTUALLY USED OR THE NAME OF TYPE INSERTED IN THE SPACE DESIGNATED THEREFOR ON THE VOUCHER, SO THAT FOR EACH INCH OF SPACE REQUIRED IN NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING PAYMENT MAY BE MADE FOR 14 LINES; ALSO, SPACE IN CLASSIFIED ADS IS TO BE MEASURED FROM RULE TO RULE, THAT IS, FROM ONE BLACK MEASURING LINE TO THE OTHER BLACK MEASURING LINE WITH FRACTIONS OF A QUARTER OF AN INCH BEING CONSIDERED AS THE NEXT HIGHER QUARTER INCH.

COMPTROLLER GENERAL WARREN TO THE ADMINISTRATOR, GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, SEPTEMBER 4, 1951:

THE CHIEF, CLAIMS AND CLEARANCE SECTION, GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, BY LETTER OF APRIL 6, 1951 ( CAR ECL), PRESENTED TO THIS OFFICE FOR DIRECT SETTLEMENT, SUPPLEMENTAL VOUCHER NO. 43686 IN FAVOR OF THE TIMES-NEWS PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC., BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, FOR $1.33 PREVIOUSLY DEDUCTED BY THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION FROM VOUCHER NO. 37482, JANUARY 1951, ACCOUNTS OF PAUL D. BANNING, SYMBOL 300, FOR THE FURNISHING OF NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING ON DECEMBER 22 AND 23, 1950.

THE AFORESAID VOUCHER COVERS ONE AND THREE-FOURTHS INCHES OF ADVERTISING IN 5 1/2 POINT TYPE AT $1.12 PER INCH, OF $1.96 FOR THE FIRST INSERTION AND $1.96 FOR THE SECOND INSERTION, MAKING A TOTAL OF $3.92, LESS $0.08 DISCOUNT, OR $3.84. THE DEDUCTION OF $1.33 WAS MADE BEFORE PAYMENT THE REASON AS STATED ON THE VOUCHER:

5 1/2 TYPE MUST HAVE 14 LINES PER INCH OF TYPE. ADD MEASURES 1 1/7 INCHES.

THE CLAIMANT PROTESTED SUCH DISALLOWANCE BY LETTER DATED JANUARY 26, 1951, WHEREIN IT WAS STATED THAT 5 1/2 POINT TYPE DOES NOT MAKE 14 LINES TO AN INCH, BUT THAT 5 POINT TYPE ON A 5 POINT SLUG WOULD COUNT 14 LINES TO THE INCH. ALSO, IT WAS STATED THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TYPE THAT SMALL ON THEIR MACHINE AND THAT THEIR 5 1/2 POINT TYPE IS ON A 6 POINT BASE.

ALSO, BY ANOTHER LETTER DATED APRIL 6, 1951 ( CAR/ECL), THE CHIEF, CLAIMS AND CLEARANCE SECTION, GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, FORWARDED TO THIS OFFICE FOR DIRECT SETTLEMENTS, SUPPLEMENTAL VOUCHER NO. 40465, IN FAVOR OF THE FREE LANCE-STAR, FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA, FOR $1.50 PREVIOUSLY DEDUCTED BY THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION FROM VOUCHER NO. 37598, JANUARY 1951, ACCOUNTS OF PAUL D. BANNING, SYMBOL 300, FOR $3.75 FOR FURNISHING NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING ON DECEMBER 5, 6, AND 7, 1950.

THE CLAIMANT'S ORIGINAL VOUCHER COVERS 25 SPACE LINES OF AGATE AT $0.05 PER LINE FOR EACH OF THE THREE INSERTIONS, OR A TOTAL OF $3.75. THE DEDUCTION OF $1.50 WAS MADE BEFORE PAYMENT FOR THE REASON AS STATED ON THE VOUCHER:

AGATE TYPE MUST HAVE 14 LINES PER INCH OR SPACE MEASUREMENT IS NOT ALLOWED.

THE CLAIMANT PROTESTED SUCH DISALLOWANCE BY LETTER DATED JANUARY 25, 1951, WHEREIN IT IS STATED THAT THEIR ADVERTISING RATES HAD BEEN MISINTERPRETED; THAT A BILLING ON THE "AGATE LINE" BASIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT ALL ADVERTISEMENTS ARE SET IN AGATE TYPE--- LEGAL NOTICES BEING SET IN 7 POINT TYPE--- BUT THAT THE SPACE IS CHARGED ON THE BASIS OF $0.05 PER AGATE LINE. SUCH METHOD WAS VERIFIED AGAIN BY THE CLAIMANT'S LETTER OF FEBRUARY 5, 1951, WHEREIN IT IS STATED THAT THE CHARGE IS BASED ON $0.05 PER AGATE LINE MEASUREMENT OR $0.70 PER INCH ($0.05 X 14).

IN THE CASE OF THE TIMES-NEWS PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC., REFERRED TO ABOVE, THE CLAIMANT WAS ADVISED BY THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION THAT, WHEN RATES ARE GIVEN ON THE SPACE BASIS, THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE REQUIRES THAT THERE MUST BE 14 LINES OF 5 1/2 POINT TYPE TO AN INCH OF TYPE, OR SPACE MEASUREMENT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED. IN THE CASE THE FREE LANCE-STAR, THE CLAIMANT WAS ADVISED BY THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION THAT THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE REQUIRES THAT THERE MUST BE 14 LINES OF AGATE TYPE TO AN INCH OF SPACE OR SPACE MEASUREMENT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED. IN BOTH INSTANCES THE CLAIMANTS WERE ADVISED FURTHER THAT THE DEDUCTIONS WERE MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE REQUIREMENTS.

STANDARD FORM NO. 1144, REVISED," PUBLIC VOUCHER FOR ADVERTISING," PERMITS A PUBLISHER TO QUOTE ON THE BASIS OF " LINE RATES" OR " OTHER RATES.' WHEN LINE RATES ARE QUOTED AND SPECIFIED AS ,SPACE LINES," AS PERMITTED ON THE VOUCHER, IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT, ORDINARILY, THE PUBLISHER REFERS TO THE STANDARD OF 14 AGATE SPACE LINES TO AN INCH, WITHOUT REGARD TO THE SIZE OF TYPE ACTUALLY USED, OR TO THE NAME OF TYPE HE MAY INSERT IN THE SPACE DESIGNATED THEREFOR ON THE VOUCHER. THAT IS TO SAY, FOR EACH INCH OF SPACE, THE CHARGE WILL BE FOR 14 LINES. ALSO, IN MEASURING THE SPACE IN CLASSIFIED ADS, IT IS UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE STANDARD NEWSPAPER PRACTICE TO MEASURE FROM RULE TO RULE, THAT IS, FROM ONE BLACK MEASURING LINE TO THE OTHER BLACK MEASURING LINE, AND TO CONSIDER FRACTIONS OF A QUARTER OF AN INCH AS BEING THE NEXT HIGHER QUARTER INCH. THUS, SPACE MEASURING ONE SIXTEENTH OF AN INCH OVER ONE INCH WOULD BE BILLED AS ONE AND ONE FOURTH INCHES AND SPACE MEASURING ONE-SIXTEENTH OF AN INCH OVER ONE AND ONE-FOURTH INCHES WOULD BE BILLED AS ONE AND ONE-HALF INCHES, ETC.

FOR EXAMPLE, VOUCHER NO. 35468 IN THE JANUARY 1951, ACCOUNTS OF PAUL D. BANNING, SYMBOL 300, IN FAVOR OF PINE BLUFF COMMERCIAL WAS SUBMITTED ON THE BASIS OF " LINE RATES," 21 SPACE LINES AT 9 CENTS PER LINE AND 6 POINT WAS INSERTED IN THE SPACE FOR THE NAME OF TYPE. THE VOUCHER WAS PAID UPON THE BASIS OF 15 LINES, THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF LINES IN THE AD. HOWEVER, UPON THE SPACE BASIS, THE AD MEASURES ONE AND ONE-HALF INCHES FROM RULE TO RULE OR THE EQUIVALENT OF 21 AGATE SPACE LINES, THE NUMBER OF LINES CHARGED BY THE PUBLISHER. HENCE, THE VOUCHER SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAID IN THE AMOUNT CLAIMED UPON THE BASIS OF 21 AGATE SPACE LINE--- THE SIZE OF TYPE BEING IMMATERIAL.

IN THE CASE OF THE TIMES-NEWS PUBLISHING COMPANY, INCORPORATED, SUPRA, THE ORIGINAL VOUCHER ABOVE WAS PRESENTED FOR PAYMENT UPON A SPACE BASIS OF ONE AND THREE-QUARTER INCHES OF 5 1/2-POINT TYPE AT $1.12 PER INCH. THE AD ACTUALLY MEASURES ONE-SIXTEENTH OF AN INCH IN EXCESS OF ONE AND ONE- HALF INCHES FROM RULE TO RULE. HENCE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PROPER TO PAY THE VOUCHER UPON THE BASIS OF THE NEXT HIGHER QUARTER INCH OF MEASUREMENT OF ONE AND THREE-FOURTHS INCHES AS CLAIMED. ACCORDINGLY, THERE IS STILL DUE THE CLAIMANT $1.33 REPRESENTING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN $2.51 PREVIOUSLY PAID AND $3.84 COMPUTED UPON A BASIS OF TWO INSERTIONS ONE AND THREE-FOURTHS INCHES AT $1.12 PER INCH.

THE VOUCHER OF THE FREE LANCE-STAR WAS SUBMITTED FOR 25 AGATE SPACE LINES AT 5 CENTS PER LINE. WHILE THE TERM "AGATE" WAS INSERTED IN THE SPACE DESIGNATED ON THE VOUCHER FOR THE NAME OF TYPE, THE CLAIMANT BY LETTERS OF JANUARY 25, 1951, AND FEBRUARY 5, 1951, ABOVE, HAS CONFIRMED THE ABOVE STATED INTERPRETATION OF SUCH RATES BY EXPLAINING THAT THEIR RATES ARE BASED ON 5 CENTS PER AGATE LINE FOR THE SPACE USED BY THEIR 7 POINT TYPE. ACCORDINGLY, THE AMOUNT DUE PROPERLY IS FOR COMPUTATION UPON THE BASIS OF 14 LINES TO A VERTICAL INCH REGARDLESS OF THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF LINES OF PRINT. THE AD MEASURES ONE-SIXTEENTH OF AN INCH IN EXCESS OF ONE AND ONE- HALF INCHES FROM RULE TO RULE WHICH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULE ABOVE, WOULD BE INCREASED TO ONE AND THREE FOURTHS INCHES OR APPROXIMATELY 25 AGATE SPACE LINES AS CLAIMED. THUS, THERE IS STILL DUE THE CLAIMANT $1.50 REPRESENTING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN $2.25 PREVIOUSLY PAID AND $3.75 COMPUTED UPON THE BASIS OF THREE INSERTIONS, 25 AGATE SPACE LINES AT 5 CENTS PER LINE.

INSTRUCTIONS HAVE BEEN ISSUED TODAY FOR THE ALLOWANCE BY THE CLAIMS DIVISION, GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE, OF THE CLAIMS OF THE TIMES-NEWS PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC., AND OF THE FREE LANCE-STAR IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ABOVE. ENCLOSED HEREWITH IS MEMORANDUM D.O. VOUCHER NO. 737064," VOUCHER AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS," WITH THE ATTACHED ORIGINAL VOUCHERS, IN THE JANUARY 1951, ACCOUNTS OF PAUL D. BANNING, SYMBOL 300, WHICH WAS FORWARDED INFORMALLY FROM THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION TO THIS OFFICE FOR USE IN THIS CASE.