TRANSPORTATION OF SUPPLIES PURCHASED FROM HOSPITAL

FUNDS.

3671. The cost of transportation of supplies purchased from the hospital fund of any military hospital, should be paid for from such hospital fund, and not from the appropriation for Army transportation. (22 Comp., 72.)

TRANSPORTATION OF SUPPLIES FOR MILITIA.

3672. Supplies issued to the several States and Territories under the laws for arming and equipping the militia will be turned over to the Quartermaster Corps for transportation and delivery at the railroad depot or steamboat dock nearest to the point within the State or Territory designated by the Government thereof. Separate bills of lading will be used in shipping this property. (A. R. 1143, 1913.)

3673. The cost of transportation of unserviceable and unsuitable property turned into a United States arsenal or depot is a proper charge against the appropriation "Supplies, services, and transportation." (Par. 109, Militia Reg.)

"

3674. Government bill of lading will be issued to cover transportation of condemned Army horses issued to the militia, but the bill of lading will be indorsed: "Payable from militia funds, State of.. TRANSPORTATION OF SUPPLIES FOR OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND BUREAUS.

3675. Hereafter the Quartermaster General and his officers under his instructions, wherever stationed, shall receive, transport, and be responsible for all property turned over to them, or any one of them, by the officers or agents of any Government survey, for the National Museum, or for the civil or naval departments of the Government, in Washington or elsewhere, under the regulations governing the transportation of Army supplies, the amount paid for such transportation to be refunded or paid by the bureau to which such property or stores pertain. (Act July 5, 1885; 23 Stat., 111.)

3676. Under authority shown in paragraph 3675 hereof, the Quartermaster Corps will ship all property that may be delivered to it by any department or bureau of the Government, but the property must be securely packed and marked with consignee and destination before delivery to the Quartermaster Corps. Government bills of lading will be issued as provided in paragraph 3423.

3677. The personal effects of officers of the United States Coast Guard, where shipment is to be made through the Quartermaster Corps of the Army, are to be properly packed and crated prior to delivery to that corps. (Cir. letter, Treasury Dept., Feb. 20, 1912.)

DEMURRAGE AND STORAGE.

3678. The tariffs of all railroads provide that carload shipments must be unloaded promptly and that cars placed for loading must be loaded within areasonable time. The time usually allowed is 48 hours after cars are placed for unloading or loading, and, if not released within this time, an additional charge (demurrage) is assessed. The "free time" given is ordinarily ample for loading or unloading, and demurrage should not be incurred except under extraordinary conditions. In such cases the quartermaster will furnish a statement to the agent of the carrier showing the actual time each car was held and an explanation as to the cause of delay. The explanation should be full and complete, as it will be attached by the agent to his bill as authority for payment.

3679. Where less than carload shipments are not removed from the freight house within a reasonable time (usually 48 hours), a storage charge is assessed by the carriers for each day the property is left in the freight house. Quartermasters will see that shipments are removed from freight houses promptly in order that additional expense may not be incurred for storage.

3680. The relations between the local quartermaster's office and the local office of the carriers should be such as to insure prompt notification of the arrival of any freight.

TRANSPORTATION OF REMAINS.

3681. For regulations governing the shipment of the remains of a deceased officer or enlisted man, see paragraphs 87 and 167, A. R. 1913.

Corpses must be placed in such coffins or cases as will prevent the escape of offensive odors. A certificate of a physician or health officer, stating cause of death, and that it was not from infectious or contagious disease, must be attached to way bill and duplicate pasted on top of case.

The outside case or box should be provided with at least four handles. (Official express rules.)

STREET CAR AND FERRY TICKETS.

3682. For the transportation of officers, enlisted men, applicants or rejected applicants for enlistment, and employees of the United States in the transaction of public business, street car, electric railway, or ferry tickets will be supplied by the Quartermaster Corps when this form of transportation is preferable in convenience and cost to other forms of transportation. This will not apply to an officer traveling under orders covering mileage. Travel between place of residence and office or place of employment is not travel in the transaction of public business within the meaning of this paragraph. The tickets, when purchased, will be taken up on the property account and expended solely in the performance of public duty. (A. R. 1127, 1913, as changed by C. A. R. 5, 1914.)

3683. Street car and ferry tickets will be furnished to persons, except officers traveling under orders covering mileage, where necessary to travel to and from posts or stations to depots where transportation requests are obtained for the journey; also from such posts, stations, and depots to railway stations or to docks when this form of transportation is preferable in convenience and cost to other forms of transportation. 3684. Street car and ferry tickets will be purchased from the allotment made for Class "A" supplies.

TOLL BRIDGES, FERRIES, AND TURNPIKES.

3685. Whenever it shall be necessary for troops, teams, or employees in the military service to pass on public duty over a legally constituted toll bridge, ferry, or turnpike, the officer or person in charge of the party will apply to the nearest quartermaster for a request for such passage. If he can not obtain it, he will give to the keeper of the bridge, ferry, or turnpike a certificate stating the number of persons and whether mounted or on foot, number of loose animals, teams, and animals to each team for which toll or ferriage is due, and showing that the travel is on public duty. Accounts for such service, accompanied by the request, or certificates duly receipted, will be presented to the nearest disbursing quartermaster for settlement, who, before payment, will satisfy himself that the rates charged do not exceed those authorized, or paid by private individuals, and that the indebtedness was necessarily incurred for the public service. Payment may be made at the authorized or usual rates, unless more favorable terms can be obtained. (A. R. 1126, 1913.)

DRAYAGE AND HAULING.

3686. Hauling by other than owned transportation is a Class I nonpersonal service, and estimates for such hauling should be submitted annually as provided in paragraph 418.

3687. Drayage and hauling by commercial means should be restricted as much as possible and every effort made to perform the hauling with owned means of transportation.

3688. The hauling of baggage, household goods, and personal effects as incident to its transportation is authorized at public expense, and such hauling as may be necessary will be furnished by the Quartermaster Corps.

3689. There is no authority for reimbursement where the cost of hauling is paid from personal funds, the Comptroller of the Treasury having held:

"There is no law, or regulation having the force of law, which makes provision for the reimbursement of a person who hauls his baggage upon his own responsibility at his own expense. This hauling was voluntary on the part of the person concerned, and, under the circumstances appearing, reimbursement of the cost of the hauling is not authorized." (Comp., Feb. 26, 1916.)

3690. An officer under orders to change station to or from a point where no quartermaster is available will communicate with the department quartermaster, requesting instructions as to hauling. If there is not sufficient time available to communicate with the department quartermaster, the officer will arrange for the hauling in the most economical manner and will forward the bill to the department quartermaster for payment, certifying thereon that the service was actually performed, was secured after competition, if any, and that the amount charged is fair and reasonable.

3691. If an officer, for his own convenience, elects to fix his residence at a point not in the city in which he is stationed under orders, and such action results in increased charges for hauling his personal effects on his change of station to or from the point at which he is stationed, the excess cost of hauling over what it would have cost to have hauled the property in the city in which he is stationed, by Government team or commercial service, will be charged against and collected from the officer concerned. (296332, Q. M. G. O., Feb. 27, 1911.)

3692. An Army officer ordered on duty without troops at a post or station where there are no public quarters, whose baggage upon arrival is hauled to a storage house at public expense, is not entitled to reimbursement of cost of hauling baggage from storage to quarters. (20 Comp., 702.)

TRANSPORTATION CLAIMS.

3693. Claims for reimbursement account transportation.-Travel at public expense should be on tickets procured on transportation requests. In such instances as may occur where it has been necessary to pay the transportation from personal funds, through being unable to secure transportation request, conductor declining to honor ticket, or other reasons, the traveler will file claim, through channels, with the Quartermaster General.

As shown in paragraph 3636, the Comptroller of the Treasury has refused to sanction the reimbursement of persons who have had their baggage transported at personal expense. If through unusual circumstances instances of this kind should occur, claim for reimbursement may be made, through channels, to the Auditor for the War Department.

3694. Claims against carriers.-The attention of all concerned is invited to the following provisions of the Government bill of lading:

Unless otherwise specifically provided hereon, this bill of lading is subject to the same rules and conditions as govern commercial shipments made on the usual forms provided therefor by the carrier.

In case of loss or damage to property while in the possession of the carrier, such loss or damage shall, when practicable, be noted on the bill of lading before its accomplishment. All practicable steps shall be taken at that time to determine the loss or damage and the liability therefor, and to collect and transmit to the proper officer, without delay, all evidence as to the same. Should the loss or damage not be discovered until after the bill of lading has been accomplished, the proper officer shall be notified as soon as the

loss or damage is discovered, and the agent of the carrier advised immediately of such loss or damage, extending privilege of examination of shipment.

NOTE.-The "proper officer" is the officer designated to settle the account for transportation.

3695. Attention is also invited to the following extract from section 6 of the uniform commercial bill of lading:

"Claims for loss, damage, or delay must be made in writing to the carrier at point of delivery or at the point of origin within four months after delivery of the property, or in case of failure to make delivery then within four months after a reasonable time for delivery has elapsed. Unless claims are so made the carrier shall not be liable."

3696. Quartermasters must comply fully with these rules in the case of loss or damage to public property, and so far as practicable in cases of loss or damage to personal property or baggage transported on Government bills of lading; in the latter cases notifying the agent of the carrier in writing that claim will probably be filed by the owner, and also advising the owner of the property that it is incumbent upon him to file claim with the carrier within four months after delivery, and that if such action is not taken within the time specified the carrier will, under the provisions of the uniform bill of lading and rulings of the Interstate Commerce Commission, decline to entertain any claim.

** Public property that has been in transit will be carefully checked upon arrival at its destination by the receiving quartermaster with the bill of lading or manifest in order to ascertain whether the carrier has fully carried out all obligations imposed upon him. Should any discrepancy, loss, or damage be found, the receiving quartermaster will at once make application for a surveying officer, by whom the facts will be fully investigated (unless the carrier voluntarily assumes liability for the loss), and the money value of the damage or deficiency will be charged to the party responsible therefor, whether it be the invoicing officer or the carrier. The property will be delivered by the receiving quartermaster to the officer to whom it is invoiced or to other proper consignee with a statement of the deficiency or damage and that action by a surveying officer has been requested. * * * In case the responsiblity is fixed upon the carrier the receiving quartermaster will note on the bill of lading the deductions which shall be made for such loss or damage by the quartermaster who pays the account, and will attach to the bill of lading two copies of the approved report of the surveying officer. The quartermaster who pays the account will make the deduction and refund the amount stopped to the proper department in the following manner, for example: If from an account of $100 for transportation services there is a deduction of $25 for ordnance stores lost, the quartermaster will take credit under the proper item number of "Supplies, services, and transportation" for $75 paid to the carrier and also for $25 deposited to the credit of the Treasurer of the United States on account of "Replacing ordnance and ordnance stores"; but if the deduction is on account of supplies lost by the carrier, pertaining to the appropriation "Barracks and quarters," he will take credit on his account current, under the proper item number of "Supplies, services, and transportation," for $25 as carried to "Barracks and quarters," under which head he will charge himself with that amount. If, in any instance, collection can not be made, that fact, together with reasons therefor, will be reported to the proper chief of bureau.

Should the officer to whom the property is invoiced on receipt of the same discover loss, damage, or discrepancy not noted by the receiving quartermaster, he will at once make application for a surveying officer, notifying the receiving quartermaster of the action.

In the case of shipments to the Philippine Islands via commercial lines, the receiving quartermaster is authorized to accomplish bills of lading on the receipt of stores, noting thereon the value of the stores lost or damaged, as shown by the invoices, plus the cost of transportation; settlement to be made with the carriers with the proper deduction to cover the value of the stores and the cost of transportation. Final settlement to await the action of a surveying officer, to be called for immediately by the receiving officer. (See A. R. 721, 1913, as changed by C. A. R. 42, 1916.)

3697. In case of loss or damage to private property of officers, or other persons connected with the mili tary service, that has been shipped on Government bill of lading, the Comptroller of the Treasury has decided that any claim for loss or damage to the property by the carrier is a matter between the owner of the property and the carrier, and that there is no authority of law for the withholding of money due by the Government to the carrier to reimburse the owner for the loss of his property.

The proper officer of the Quartermaster Corps, will, however, exhaust every proper means to have a satisfactory adjustment made. (Cir. 14, W. D., 1910.)

The owner of the property must file claim with the carrier for any loss or damage, but the claim may be filed through the quartermaster designated to settle the account, and that officer will, in such cases, endeavor to effect a prompt, equitable settlement.

3698. Claims against the Government for loss or damage to personal property in transit.-Under the provisions of paragraph 726, Army Regulations, 1913, compensation may be made:

***

For the loss of or damage to the regulation allowance of baggage of officers and enlisted men sustained in shipment under orders to the extent of such loss or damage over and above the amount recov erable from the carrier furnishing the transportation, provided such loss or damage occurred on or after March 4, 1915.

3699. * ** Each claim for compensation will be forwarded, through military channels, to the Auditor for the War Department and will, if possible, be accompanied by the proceedings of a board of officers showing fully the circumstances of the loss. All personal property for the loss or destruction of which payment is claimed must be enumerated and described in the proceedings of the board of officers,

but the board will recommend payment for only such articles as in the opinion of the board were reasonable, useful, necessary, and proper for the claimant to have in the public service in the line of duty.

As in most cases the property for which compensation is claimed has been more or less worn, the board will determine the value of each particular article and recommend the amounts to which claimants may be entitled.

The board should show in their proceedings the amount collected from the carrier, and this amount should be deducted from the total amount allowed.

TRANSPORTATION BY WATER.

ARMY TRANSPORT SERVICE.

GENERAL PROVISIONS.

3700. It shall be the duty of the Quartermaster's Department, under the direction of the Secretary of War, * * * to furnish means of transportation for the Army, its military stores and supplies. * (R. S. 1133.)

The Quartermaster Corps is charged with the transportation of troops and supplies between the United States and such oversea garrisons and military commands as shall be authorized. Those officers and employees who are detailed to carry out the work constitute the Army transport service. All necessary expenses incident to that service will be paid from the appropriations made for the support of the Army. The Army transport service is governed by special regulations promulgated by the Secretary of War. (A. R. 1109, 1913.)

3701. The Army transport service is organized as a special branch of the Quartermaster Corps, United States Army, for the purpose of transporting troops and supplies by vessels on oversea routes. All necessary expenses incident to that service will be paid from the appropriations made for the support of the Army.

3702. In time of peace the transport service will be under the supervision of the Quartermaster General and conducted by its own officers and employees and made, as far as practicable, independent of other branches of the service. Such matters as relate to medical attendance will be under the supervision of the Surgeon General of the Army. (A. T. S. R. 2a, 1914.)

3703. Under war conditions, i. e., where ports of embarkation have been established, the transport service at such ports will be under the supervision of the commander of the port of embarkation. (A, T. S. R. 26, 1914.)

3704. When necessary, the owned transport service will be supplemented by commercial vessels which have been chartered and refitted under direction of the Quartermaster General and assigned for service at the several ports of embarkation.

ADMINISTRATION.

3705. The headquarters of each line of transports in the United States are termed home ports. 3706. Each home port will have the necessary equipment of officers and employees and will be provided with proper terminal facilities, including wharfage, storage room, and offices. The general organi. zation of the personnel for each home port will be as shown in paragraph 4, Army Transport Service Regulations, 1914, subject to such reduction as may be practicable.

3707. The general superintendent and his assistants, the medical superintendent, and the Signal Corps superintendent will be assigned by orders from the War Department. Employees will be appointed as shown in paragraphs 6 and 7, Army Transport Service Regulations, 1914.

3708. Under peace conditions the general superintendent will be an officer of the Quartermaster Corps and will be charged with the entire administration of the service, pursuant to its regulations and the requirements of law, except such matters as relate to the Medical Department and the Signal Corps. His duties are detailed in paragraph 8(a), Army Transport Service Regulations, 1914.

3709. The medical superintendent will be an officer of the Medical Department, who will report to the general superintendent and act as his adviser in sanitary matters and in the administration of the medical service on board. His duties are detailed in paragraph 10, Army Transport Service Regulations, 1914. 3710. An officer of the Signal Corps will be assigned as Signal Corps superintendent. He will report to the general superintendent and act as his adviser in connection with the administration of the radio service. His duties are detailed in paragraph 11, Army Transport Service Regulations, 1914.

3711. The qualifications and duties of the several technical civilian assistants are outlined in detail in paragraphs 12 to 19, inclusive, Army Transport Service Regulations, 1914.

3712. Whenever the exigency of the service requires the assignment to a transport of an officer of the Army as transport quartermaster, he will relieve the master of all prescribed administrative duties not connected with the navigation of the ship (A. T. S. R, 20-26 and 36-39, 1914) and he will assume all the duties prescribed for the quartermaster agent.

3713. In the absence of a transport quartermaster, the master will be the representative on board ship of the general superintendent, and all orders for the ship will be given to him. His duties are detailed in paragraphs 20-26 and 36-39, Army Transport Service Regulations, 1914.

3714. To each transport will be assigned a transport surgeon who, under the direction of the medical superintendent and the commanding officer of troops, will act as medical officer and will be in command,

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for administrative purposes only, of all enlisted men permanently attached to the ship. His duties are detailed in paragraph 27, Army Transport Service Regulations, 1914.

3715. To each transport not having a transport quartermaster, shall be assigned a quartermaster agent, who, under the supervision of the master will have charge of the steward's department and the subsistence of troops and all authorized persons on the transport, and as bonded officer of the Government will receive and turn over to the general superintendent upon return to home port all funds received from passengers for subsistence and also from authorized sales. His duties are detailed in paragraph 28 to 32, inclusive, Army Transport Service Regulations, 1914.

3716. The reports required in connection with operation of Army transports are shown in paragraphs 36 to 39, Army Transport Service Regulations, 1914. In addition, such reports will be submitted to the general superintendent as he may require.

3717. Apportionments of funds will be made by the Quartermaster General to the general superintendents of the Army transport service and to quartermasters at ports under whose direction transports are supplied, for the transports under their direction for the procurement of supplies and stores.

3718. The general superintendents of the Army transport service and those quartermasters at ports under whose direction transports are employed bear the same relation to their vessels that quartermasters of territorial divisions bear to the posts in their departments, and allotments will be made and apportionment and allotment accounts kept and posted by these officers, and allotment accounts by transports as directed for department and post quartermasters.

3719. Requests for supplies submitted by the transports will be limited to actual necessities for the voyage under contemplation, effort being made to avoid the accumulation of surplus stores subject to deterioration. Detailed instructions and tables of allowances are issued by the general superintendents of home ports in the United States for transports in regular service.

3720. Lists of deck, engine, and stewards' quartermaster supplies regularly used on board transports are published in "Price List of Class A supplies and lists of awards," giving unit costs of the various articlos. Requisitions submitted to home ports should call only for such articles as are listed in these publications, using the unit costs therein shown. The total of the requisitions must always be within the limit of funds allotted to the transport.

3721. At home ports, fuel is obtained under annual contract made by the general superintendent. On the Pacific, annual contracts are also executed by officers of the Quartermaster Corps stationed at Nagasaki, Japan, and Manila, P. I. Transports homebound from Manila touch at Nagasaki and obtain sufficient fuel under the contract there to operate to San Francisco, and as a rule from thence to Honolulu on next outward voyage. The freight transport Dir on her homebound voyage from Manila, light, calls at the port of Miike, Japan, and takes a cargo of coal to Honolulu, at which port the outbound passenger transports replenish their bunkers for the voyage to Manila. All coal purchased in Japan is paid for by the officer of the Quartermaster Corps stationed at Nagasaki, and the fuel taken by the various transports, both at Nagasaki and Honolulu, is invoiced to them at cost price, being taken up and accounted for the same as any other supplies received.

3722. When it becomes necessary to requisition for supplies at ports other than the home port the number of the advice of apportionment issued by the office of the Quartermaster General to which the supplies are chargeable should be indicated on the requisition. Special report will be made to the general superintendent at the home port of all supplies so obtained.

3723. All employees of the Army transport service upon their entry shall be sworn to obey the lawful orders of their superiors, and to observe the regulations of the service. Any commissioned officer in the Army transport service, authorized to employ men in its service, is authorized to administer the oath. Assignments of licensed officers are made on direction of the Quartermaster General, and the rates of pay are designated by him. The number of men in each grade or position on each ship is fixed by the Quartermaster General. Ship employees are not in the classified service.

3724. All employees, licensed and unlicensed, are required to sign shipping articles for a definite period. 3725. The shore-establishment employees are classified employees, subject to the rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission in regard to their employment. Full details in regard to the classified employees are contained in paragraphs 127 to 246, the provisions of which must be strictly complied with. 3726. Annual apportionments of funds are made by the Quartermaster General to general superintendents of the Army transport service, and quartermasters in charge at ports other than home ports, for procurement of necessary nonpersonal services. Annual contracts are made for water, laundry, stevedoring, rental of submarine signal receiving apparatus, and removal of ashes-competition being invited by circular proposal and advertisement.

REPAIRS TO TRANSPORTS.

3727. It is expected that each transport in commission will be placed in dry dock for bottom cleaning and painting, overhauling and sea valves, strainers and stern bearings, examination and repair, as necessary, of propeller, tail shaft, rudder, zinc plates, scupper valves, and other underwater parts once every six to nine months, this work being accomplished at some time when the vessel is in port and when its services can best be spared for such a purpose and the work economically performed. When practicable, general repairs to the vessel will also be accomplished at the dry-docking period with a view to economizing time required for repairs. Best possible competition should be secured for accomplishment of all repairs, the