16-123. Bureau's disposition of completion report and final voucher. The completion report, when received at the bureau, is routed by the construction division to the project manager concerned for his information and for such comments as he may wish to make. When there has been delay in completing the contract, a letter to the station is prepared by the construction division, for signature by the chief of bureau, communicating the bureau's decision in regard to delay and damages therefor, and instructions relative to preparation of final voucher. The final voucher, accompanied by the release of claims, when received, is routed through the construction division for notation of its approval before signature by the chief of bureau.

CHAPTER 17.

CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC WORKS BY DAY LABOR.

17-01. Scope of instructions. Since the limitation in size of the manual makes it impossible to discuss in detail the methods applicable in the construction of public works by day labor, the present chapter will include only such general instructions as apply to all new construction work or major repairs under the cognizance of this bureau when performed by day labor. The bureau assumes competency of both the technical personnel and trade ratings engaged in construction work. It is expected that those in responsible charge will keep themselves informed of the latest developments and improvements in construction methods in the commercial field, and will apply their technical knowledge and training to the attainment of the highest practicable efficiency and economy in the execution of day-labor projects.

17-02. Bureau authority required for new work and major repairs. Attention is directed to the requirement contained in paragraph 20-05 of Chapter 20 herein that no improvements, alterations, or major repairs be undertaken without the prior approval of the bureau; and to the definition of "major repairs" contained in paragraph 20-04. The bureau will issue to stations pertinent instructions regarding the accomplishment of items of new construction for which specific appropriations have been made, and under no circumstances will such work be undertaken by day labor without the bureau's approval. (See par. 8-41 herein.)

17-03. Estimates to be made before starting work; preservation of estimates. Commanding officers and others responsible for the expenditure of funds under the cognizance of this bureau. shall not authorize or undertake any work requiring the expenditure of Yards and Docks funds without the prior preparation of cost estimates covering the work which it is intended to accomplish. For instructions relative to the form and preservation of such estimates, see paragraph 14-133 of Chapter 14 herein.

17-04. Preservation of design computations. Attention is directed to the requirements of paragraph 14-132 herein, relative to the preservation of design computations.

17-05. Drawings to be submitted to bureau for approval. Original tracings of new construction or alterations shall be submitted to the bureau for approval, whether the work is to be performed by contract or by day labor.

17-06. Planning work to effect maximum saving in cost. It is of the greatest importance that the execution of all construction work be planned in advance, with a view to its accomplishment at the least expenditure of effort. Duplication of effort, particularly in the rehandling of materials, should be eliminated so far as possible. Advantage should be taken of such mechanical labor-saving devices or equipment as may be available; when needed equipment is not at hand, consideration should be given to its purchase or transfer, bearing in mind the relation of the cost of obtaining such equipment to the resultant possible saving in the work at hand or in future similar work likely to be undertaken.

17-07. Quality of work to equal customary contract requirements. In day-labor construction work, the quality of the work should, in general, be equal to the customary requirements in public works contracts for similar undertakings.

17-08. Preparation of job-order specifications; preservation of construction records. While the preparation of complete detailed specifications will probably not be necessary in the majority of cases, job orders should contain instructions in such detail as will insure a thorough understanding on the part of the responsible supervisors concerned as to the extent of the work and the desired method of executing it; such instructions should also contain explicit reference to the identification numbers of the construction drawings applicable. It should be borne in mind that the only available records of the work in future years will be the originals of the job orders and drawings involved, and it is therefore necessary that proper notation be made on these originals when, for any reason, changes are required in the course of construction. Particular attention is directed to paragraph 14-75 herein, which contains instructions relative to noting changes upon all record plans and furnishing the bureau in all cases with marked prints for use in correcting plans in its files. In Chapter 14 herein will be found detailed instructions as to the preservation of pile-driving records, which are required for day-labor as well as contract projects.

17-09. Cost accounts; reports to bureau. "When the commandant is directed to build, fit out, or repair any ship, or to construct any building, or to make any improvement at a yard, or when he authorizes work, he shall cause an account to be opened against such ship, building, or improvement, debiting it with the cost of labor, indirect expense, and of the different materials used, detailed reports of which shall be forwarded to the proper bureau when the objects are completed." (N. R. 1500.)

17-10. A job order should be issued for each logical subdivision of the work, so far as practicable, in order to show final detailed costs capable of being reduced to a unit basis for comparison with the original estimate and for use in future estimates; with the cost-accounting system now in effect, the cost of any item of construction involving several classes of labor may be subdivided only by this method. The nature and extent of the work will determine the number of subdivisions which can conveniently be made. If, for example, a considerable amount of both excavation and plainconcrete work is required, each involving principally unskilled labor, a separate job order will be required for each in order to show upon completion the unit costs for the job; on the other hand, on a job embracing only erection and painting of structural steel, the two operations are distinct, and a single job order would be sufficient if the cost of the work performed by each shop could be separately shown on the same cost summary without confusion. It is of little value to compare merely the total cost on any job with the total estimate; errors in estimating, as well as causes of excessive actual costs, can be detected only by reducing both estimates and cost records to a basis permitting close comparison of component parts.

17-11. Responsibility of public works officer in directing work. "When directed to perform work by Government labor he [the public works officer] shall prepare all necessary schedules of materials to be used thereon and shall have charge of all labor connected therewith, except as provided in article 1542." (N. R. 1534-2.)

17-12. Employees restricted to eight hours' work a day. "The service and employment of all laborers and mechanics who are now or may hereafter be employed by the Government of the United States, by the District of Columbia, or by any contractor or subcontractor upon any of the public works of the United States or of the

said District of Columbia is hereby limited and restricted to eight hours in any one calendar day, and it shall be unlawful for any officer of the United States Government or of the District of Columbia, or any such contractor or subcontractor whose duty it shall be to employ, direct, or control the services of such laborers or mechanics, to require or permit any such laborer or mechanic to work more than eight hours in any calendar day except in case of extraordinary emergency." (N. R. 1573-1, citing act of Aug. 1, 1892. See par. 27-142 herein.)

17-13. Overtime work in emergency. "Under the provisions of law set forth in the preceding paragraph, the working hours of laborers and mechanics at navy yards and naval stations can be extended over eight hours a day only in the case of an extraordinary emergency." (N. R. 1573-2). The following pertinent extracts are quoted from Navy Department circular letter SONYD-7-GR, dated July 24, 1923:

Hereafter the eight hour law of March 3, 1913, will be strictly complied with and no laborer or mechanic will be required or permittd to work more than eight hours in any one calendar day except in case of extraordinary emergency which has been construed by the Attorney General in two circulars as follows:

"Attention is called to the fact that the emergency provision in the law is considered to cover any extraordinary emergencies which can not be foreseen, such as might be necessary for saving life or property of the United States, and not cases which depend for their emergency solely upon economical methods of work or importance of rapid construction."

"An 'extraordinary emergency' under the act is one not to be foreseen in time to avoid the necessity of exceeding the limit of the fixed daily hours of labor by the employment of more men or more shifts of men. Mere economical considerations do not affect the question at all. It is assumed that in making the requirement Congress knew that under many conditions the law would impose great expense upon the Government.” For administrative reasons, it is further directed that no civil employee, regardless of title or group classification, shall be permitted to work in excess of eight hours in any one calendar day, except in case of extraordinary emergency, as construed herein, without the specific authority of the department.

17-14. Commandants may authorize overtime work. “In cases of emergency involving loss to the Government which will not permit of delay, the commandants of navy yards and stations may authorize, without the prior approval of the department, work in excess of eight hours a day and work on Sundays and holidays not to exceed eight hours a day, provided that, in each case where overtime work is authorized, due consideration shall be given to the provisions of the two preceding paragraphs." (N. R. 1573-3.)