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may be forwarded with the account to which it relates. But the contract should in all instances be forwarded to the auditor either with or in advance of the account to which it relates.

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It is the further duty of the administrative department to forward to the auditor any other information relating to an account which may be useful or necessary in determining the correct amount to be allowed thereon. * ** This is not an isolated case. Other cases have come to my attention where important information affecting the settlement of an account that was in the possession of the War Department was not forwarded to or made known to the auditor until after his action thereon.

3. Paragraph 564, Army Regulations, provides that the number of the contract for the Auditor for the War Department shall be sent to him by the head of the bureau to which the contract pertains, and the attention of all officers concerned is called to the necessity of their cooperating with the War Department, in order to insure prompt filing with the auditor of all contracts and such supporting papers as may be essential to a proper audit of the accounts. who are charged with the preparation and execution of contracts of any kind will exercise every effort to forward the same to the War Department, correct in every detail without unnecessary delay.

Officers

4. When payments are based on proposal and acceptance agreements or open market purchases, or purchases are made in any way other than by formal contract, the papers, or certified copies thereof, containing full information as to the account, prices, and quantities, should be attached to the voucher and accompany the same to the auditor. If more than one voucher is based on a single set of papers relating to a transaction, the papers should be filed with the first voucher, and subsequent vouchers should refer to the fact that the papers, showing details of the transactions, have been filed with the former voucher, stating its number, date, and the officer's account concerned. (Par. III, G. O. 67, 1914-2189141, A. G. O.)

151. Record on account current of payments from available balances.-In order to show on the account current all transactions of disbursing officers who are permitted by statute to make payments from their available balances to meet pressing obligations under appropriations where they have not sufficient funds, it will be necessary to write in on 40062°-16 -24

the face of the account current, on the third line from the bottom, on the debit side, "Charge appropriation

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under the provisions of and, on the credit side, "Credit letter of apportion

under the provisions of the act (G. O. 21, 1913–2018345, A. G. O.) 152. Retained money accounts, property accounts, etc.1. Papers and record books, constituting the retained money accounts, property accounts, property returns and vouchers thereto, of officers of the Army will not be shipped from place to place at public expense, but will be maintained and disposed of as follows:

(a) When an officer accountable for money or property is relieved from such accountability, he will assemble in proper order his retained money and property papers and records, arranging those pertaining to money separately from those relating to property, put them in packages or boxes, and plainly mark on the outside of each package or box the nature of the papers, the station or stations to which they pertain, and the bureau involved. For example: "Retained (money or property papers or both, as the case may be) of Capt. John Doe, Quartermaster Corps, pertaining to Fort Myer, Va., July 1, 1914, to June 30, 1915." He will then transfer these papers, with such other transferable retained money and property papers as may have come into his possession, to his successor, who will give his receipt therefor and will store the papers for future reference until authority is given for the destruction or other disposition thereof.

(b) All correspondence affecting the settlement of accounts or any other correspondence which necessitates reference to the retained papers will be forwarded by the officer concerned directly to the commanding officer of the post or station where such papers are stored for the papers or information required.

(c) Retained papers should not be held in storage for a period in excess of two years from the date of the final settlement of the account to which they pertain. In order that the papers may be destroyed within this period or as soon thereafter as practicable, it shall be the duty of every officer, active or retired, receiving notice that his money or property accounts have been settled, to notify immediately the commanding officer of the post where the papers are stored of the

date of settlement. If the officer desires the papers destroyed at a date earlier than two years from the date of settlement, he will so specify in his notification; otherwise the commanding officer of the post will cause the papers to be labeled for destruction at a date two years from the date of final settlement. It shall be the duty of commanding officers at posts to see that the papers are destroyed on the date specified so as to avoid accumulation of such papers at posts.

(d) Commanding officers of posts or stations will ascertain from time to time whether any retained papers left at their posts or stations under the operation of this order pertain to the accounts of officers who have been separated from the service, by death or otherwise, and to report all such cases to the head of the bureau concerned in order that proper action may be taken toward the disposition of such papers.

(e) In the event that a post or station where such retained papers are stored is discontinued before the final disposition of the papers, the officer concerned will be notified by the proper commanding officer as to the place to which the papers are to be shipped.

2. Lists of outstanding checks will be kept by the officer to whom they pertain and not packed with the retained money or property papers. (Par. III, G. O. 71, 1914–2183408, A. G. O.)

ARTICLE XVI.

DAMAGE TO PRIVATE PROPERTY FROM MILITARY OPERATIONS.

153. Claims for damages.-1. There are received in the War Department many claims for damages to private property resulting from military operations, including heavy gun practice at the seacoast defense forts. When it is clearly established that the damages claimed in any case have been caused by such operations, and the circumstances are such as to make it equitable for the United States to assume responsibility therefor, the amount of the damages having been determined and the claimant having filed a statement that he will accept the amount so determined in full of his claim, the amount of the damages so determined will be included in an estimate submitted to Congress for an appropriation to cover such claims. In the absence of such appropriation, the department is without authority to pay or settle such claims.

2. The action of the department upon such claims is based upon the evidence submitted by the claimant as to the nature of the damages; how they were incurred, and the cost of restoring the damaged property to its previous condition, supported by the findings of a board of officers that has investigated the claim, or by a surveying officer when the appointment of a board of officers is not practicable.

3. To enable intelligent action to be taken upon claims of this nature it is requisite that the claimant submit a statement over his own signature setting forth all the facts and circumstances under which the damages charged for accrued ; the nature and extent of the damages; the date they were incurred, and the cost for repairs of the same, to be accompanied by such evidence as is available, and by a receipt for the payment of the repairs, if they have been made, or an estimate of the cost thereof. The post-office address of the

claimant will also be stated.

4. The report of the board of officers or surveying officer investigating the claim should recite the circumstances under which the claim accrued; the date thereof; the nature and extent of the damages, and whether or not they were due to pure accident, or to the fault of any officer or agent of the United States or any other person, or were the necessary result of military operations. The report should also cover the cost of restoring the property to the condition in which it was before it was damaged, deduction being made for any improvement in such restoration, and should conclude with a recommendation as to the amount which should be allowed and paid to the claimant for the restoration.

5. Should the investigating board or the surveying officer require expert assistance to determine the nature of the damages and the cost for repairs, application will be made to The Adjutant General of the Army for the services of an expert competent to advise the board or the surveying officer as to the matters under consideration.

6. Officers to whom claims for damages to private property are submitted will explain to claimants the method of determining the award to be recommended, and that there is no appropriation or authority of law for the payment of such claims by the War Department, but that they can be paid only after appropriations have been made by Congress for that purpose. All action taken toward determining the amount of damage to any property is for the purpose of obtaining information to enable the Secretary of War to make proper recommendation to Congress, by which body only can be taken final action authorizing payment.

7. No charges or estimates for improvements, changes, or additions to property should be included in any claim for damages, and if included will not be allowed in the award recommended, but will be deducted from the amount claimed.

8. The claimant will be advised in writing of any deductions made from his claim, and the reasons therefor, and of the award to be recommended, and will be requested to state in writing whether or not he will accept the award, and if he will not accept the award to submit his reasons. His answer will be forwarded with the recommendations as to the award. (Cir. 22, 1910-1635729, A. G. O.)

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