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B-107562, FEBRUARY 8, 1952, 31 COMP. GEN. 364

B-107562 Feb 08, 1952
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OCCUPIED SOLELY BY THE AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION'S EUROPEAN OFFICE MAY BE CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE "NECESSARY EXPENSES" ESSENTIAL TO EFFECT THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH THE COMMISSIONER'S 1952 APPROPRIATION FOR SALARIES AND EXPENSES WAS MADE. 1952: REFERENCE IS MADE TO LETTER DATED JANUARY 17. OF WHICH THE COMMISSION IS THE SOLE OCCUPANT. WAS PURCHASED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE IN 1949 AND MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE COMMISSION SUBJECT TO PAYMENT BY IT OF ALL COSTS OF MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION. IT IS STATED THAT. SINCE THE BUILDING IS OLD AND ORIGINALLY WAS A PRIVATE RESIDENCE. THE LIGHTING SYSTEM IS ENTIRELY INADEQUATE FOR THE PRESENT PURPOSES OF THE COMMISSION. THAT MODERNIZATION THEREOF IS ESSENTIAL.

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B-107562, FEBRUARY 8, 1952, 31 COMP. GEN. 364

PUBLIC BUILDINGS - MODERNIZATION OF LIGHTING SYSTEM - APPROPRIATION AVAILABILITY THE MODERNIZATION OF THE LIGHTING SYSTEM IN A BUILDING ACQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE IN PARIS, FRANCE, AND OCCUPIED SOLELY BY THE AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION'S EUROPEAN OFFICE MAY BE CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE "NECESSARY EXPENSES" ESSENTIAL TO EFFECT THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH THE COMMISSIONER'S 1952 APPROPRIATION FOR SALARIES AND EXPENSES WAS MADE.

COMPTROLLER GENERAL WARREN TO THE CHAIRMAN, AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION, FEBRUARY 8, 1952:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO LETTER DATED JANUARY 17, 1952, FROM THE SECRETARY, AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION, REQUESTING TO BE ADVISED AS TO WHETHER THE APPROPRIATION FOR SALARIES AND EXPENSES OF THE COMMISSION MAY BE EXPENDED TO MODERNIZE THE LIGHTING SYSTEM OF THE BUILDING OCCUPIED BY THE COMMISSION'S EUROPEAN OFFICES AT PARIS, FRANCE.

THE LETTER OF JANUARY 17 STATES THAT THE BUILDING IN QUESTION, OF WHICH THE COMMISSION IS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS PURCHASED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE IN 1949 AND MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE COMMISSION SUBJECT TO PAYMENT BY IT OF ALL COSTS OF MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION. ALSO, IT IS STATED THAT, SINCE THE BUILDING IS OLD AND ORIGINALLY WAS A PRIVATE RESIDENCE, THE LIGHTING SYSTEM IS ENTIRELY INADEQUATE FOR THE PRESENT PURPOSES OF THE COMMISSION, DETRIMENTAL TO THE EFFICIENCY OF ITS WORK, AND HARMFUL TO THE EYESIGHT OF ITS OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES, AND THAT MODERNIZATION THEREOF IS ESSENTIAL.

THE APPROPRIATION FOR SALARIES AND EXPENSES OF THE AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION CONTAINED IN THE INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION ACT, 1952, PUBLIC LAW 137, APPROVED AUGUST 31, 1951, 65 STAT. 269, PROVIDES FOR "NECESSARY EXPENSES" FOR CARRYING OUT THE ACT OF JUNE 26, 1946, 60 STAT. 317, SPECIFYING THE AUTHORITY AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMISSION AND, THEREFORE, IS AVAILABLE FOR THE EXPENSES REASONABLY AND NECESSARILY INCIDENT TO THE CONDUCT OF THE COMMISSION'S ACTIVITIES.

IT APPEARS THAT THE ELECTRICAL IMPROVEMENTS HERE PROPOSED ARE NOT NECESSARY TO THE USE AND OPERATION OF A BUILDING OCCUPIED BY THE FOREIGN SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES BUT HAVE BEEN ADMINISTRATIVELY DETERMINED AS REQUIRED FOR THE USE OF A BUILDING OCCUPIED SOLELY BY THE AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION. IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES, THE REQUIRED ELECTRICAL WORK REASONABLY MAY BE CONSIDERED AS ESSENTIAL TO EFFECT THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH THE APPROPRIATION IN QUESTION WAS MADE, AND, THEREFORE, THIS OFFICE WILL NOT OBJECT TO THE USE THEREOF FOR THAT PURPOSE. SEE 16 COMP. GEN. 816.

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