B-127095, APR. 18, 1956
Highlights
BUREAU OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF FEBRUARY 20. MARTIN TO THE EFFECT THAT THE FORMS IN QUESTION WERE USED IN THE RECRUITING OF MEXICAN WORKERS AND PURCHASE OF THE FORMS FROM A COMMERCIAL CONCERN WAS BELIEVED NECESSARY BECAUSE EXTREMELY HEAVY RECRUITING HAD REDUCED THE SUPPLY OF FORMS ON HAND TO A POINT WHERE PROCUREMENT OF ADDITIONAL FORMS THROUGH REGULAR CHANNELS WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A TEMPORARY DISCONTINUANCE OF THE RECRUITING PROGRAM. YOUR LETTER AND CORRESPONDENCE ATTACHED TO THE VOUCHER INDICATE THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WAS REQUESTED TO WAIVE THE NECESSITY FOR PROCURING SUCH FORMS FROM THAT OFFICE BUT THAT OFFICE ADVISED THAT SUCH ACTION MAY ONLY BE TAKEN PRIOR TO ACTUAL PROCUREMENT OF THE MATERIAL INVOLVED.
B-127095, APR. 18, 1956
TO JEANETTE E. EDWARDS, AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER, BUREAU OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF FEBRUARY 20, 1956, REQUESTING OUR DECISION ON THE PROPRIETY OF CERTIFYING A VOUCHER SUBMITTED BY CHARLES M. MARTIN, ACTING MANAGER, IRAPUATO MIGRATORY STATION, IRAPUATO, GUANAJUATO, MEXICO, FOR PAYMENT FROM THE FARM LABOR SUPPLY REVOLVING FUND.
THE VOUCHER AND ITS ATTACHMENTS CONSTITUTE A CLAIM BY MR. MARTIN FOR REIMBURSEMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $320.76, REPRESENTING THE COST ON A COMPETITIVE BID BASIS, OF PROCURING THE PRINTING OF 20,000 FORMS ES 345, CONDITIONAL PERMIT FOR MEXICAN AGRICULTURAL WORKER, FROM A COMMERCIAL PRINTER IN IRAPUATO. THE VOUCHER CONTAINS AN EXPLANATION BY MR. MARTIN TO THE EFFECT THAT THE FORMS IN QUESTION WERE USED IN THE RECRUITING OF MEXICAN WORKERS AND PURCHASE OF THE FORMS FROM A COMMERCIAL CONCERN WAS BELIEVED NECESSARY BECAUSE EXTREMELY HEAVY RECRUITING HAD REDUCED THE SUPPLY OF FORMS ON HAND TO A POINT WHERE PROCUREMENT OF ADDITIONAL FORMS THROUGH REGULAR CHANNELS WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A TEMPORARY DISCONTINUANCE OF THE RECRUITING PROGRAM. ADDITIONALLY, YOUR LETTER AND CORRESPONDENCE ATTACHED TO THE VOUCHER INDICATE THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WAS REQUESTED TO WAIVE THE NECESSITY FOR PROCURING SUCH FORMS FROM THAT OFFICE BUT THAT OFFICE ADVISED THAT SUCH ACTION MAY ONLY BE TAKEN PRIOR TO ACTUAL PROCUREMENT OF THE MATERIAL INVOLVED.
THE ISSUANCE OF FORM ES-345 TO EACH AGRICULTURAL WORKER ADMITTED TO THE UNITED STATES UNDER THE MEXICAN FARM LABOR PROGRAM IS NECESSARY TO AND DIRECTLY CONNECTED WITH THE TRANSPORTATION OF SUCH WORKERS INTO THIS COUNTRY, AND EXPENSES PROPERLY INCURRED IN PROCURING SUCH FORMS IS THEREFOR CHARGEABLE TO THE FARM LABOR SUPPLY REVOLVING FUND. 33 COMP. GEN. 425.
UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH 49 OF THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING AND BINDING REGULATIONS, PUBLISHED BY THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING ON JULY 1, 1955, THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR IS AUTHORIZED TO PROCURE CONTRACT FIELD PRINTING DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 1956 TO THE EXTENT OF $1,600, IF THE RESPONSIBLE OFFICER IN THE FIELD UNDER WHOSE AUTHORITY SUCH MATERIAL IS PURCHASED OR OBTAINED SHALL CERTIFY IN THE MANNER PRESCRIBED BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL THAT IN HIS OPINION SUCH WORK WAS URGENT OR NECESSARY TO HAVE DONE FOR THE PRIMARY USE OF THAT FIELD SERVICE. THE TERM "CONTRACT FIELD PRINTING" IS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPHS 1 AND 4 OF SUCH REGULATIONS AS FOLLOWS:
"1. CONTRACT FIELD PRINTING.--- THE TERM "CONTRACT FIELD PRINTING," AS USED IN THESE REGULATIONS, SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO MEAN ALL FIELD PRINTING, BINDING, AND BLANK BOOK WORK AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH 4 OF THESE REGULATIONS PROCURED FROM (A) COMMERCIAL SOURCES; (B) GPO FIELD SERVICE OFFICES; (C) PLANTS OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO WHICH REIMBURSEMENT IS MADE, EXCEPT THE FOLLOWING:
"DUPLICATING (DIRECT-IMAGE OFFSET, STENCIL OR SPIRIT PROCESSING, OZALID, B/W, BLUEPRINT, ETC.).
"PHOTO REPRODUCTION BY PHOTOSTAT OR SIMILAR EQUIPMENT.
"4. FIELD PRINTING.--- THE TERM "FIELD PRINTING," AS USED IN THESE REGULATIONS, SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO MEAN ALL PRINTING, BINDING, AND BLANK- BOOK WORK AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH 6 OF THESE REGULATIONS, THE NEED FOR WHICH ORIGINATES AND IS FOR USE PRIMARILY IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OF ORIGIN. SUCH PRINTING MAY BE PRODUCED IN AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT PLANTS IN SAID AREA OF ORIGIN WITHIN THE LIMITS AS RECOMMENDED IN PARAGRAPH 21, OR PROCURED OUT OF CONTRACT FIELD PRINTING ALLOTMENTS. AUTHORIZATION FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PRINTING IN FIELD PRINTING PLANTS OR THE PROCUREMENT OF PRINTING FROM ALLOTMENTS FOR CONTRACT FIELD PRINTING OTHER THAN HERE SPECIFIED MUST BE OBTAINED FROM THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING. FIELD PRINTING DOES NOT INCLUDE WORK PROCURED COMMERCIALLY ON A WAIVER FROM THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON, D.C.'
THE EXPLANATION FURNISHED BY MR. MARTIN ESTABLISHES THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE PROCUREMENT OF FORMS ES-345 FROM A COMMERCIAL PRINTER IN THE INSTANT CASE PLACES SUCH PROCUREMENT WITHIN THE PROVISIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING AND BINDING REGULATIONS QUOTED ABOVE. ACCORDINGLY, UPON CERTIFICATION BY A PROPER OFFICIAL THAT THE AMOUNT CLAIMED BY MR. MARTIN IS WITHIN THE AMOUNT ALLOCATED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FOR CONTRACT FIELD PRINTING DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 1956 BY PARAGRAPH 49 OF THE ABOVE REGULATIONS, OR SUCH SUPPLEMENTAL ALLOCATIONS AS MAY HAVE BEEN REQUESTED AND APPROVED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH 15 (B) THEREOF, THE VOUCHER MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT. 32 COMP. GEN. 600; 14 ID. 451.
THE VOUCHER AND ATTACHMENTS SUBMITTED WITH YOUR REQUEST ARE RETURNED HEREWITH AND, UPON PAYMENT, A COPY OF THIS DECISION SHOULD BE ATTACHED THERETO.