An Act to Furnish Transportation to the United States to Officers and Employees of the Insular Government when it is Impracticable to Secure the Same on United States Army Transports

March 23, 1903

ACT NO. 697

AN ACT TO FURNISH TRANSPORTATION TO THE UNITED STATES TO OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE INSULAR GOVERNMENT WHEN IT IS IMPRACTICABLE TO SECURE THE SAME ON UNITED STATES ARMY TRANSPORTS

SECTION 1. In every case wherein it is impracticable to secure for an officer or employee of the Insular Government transportation from Manila to San Francisco on a United States Army transport, and such officer or employee is entitled by law or under his contract, after two or more years of satisfactory service, to return transportation, exclusive of subsistence, from Manila to San Francisco, the Executive Secretary is hereby authorized to issue an official request for such transportation upon any transportation company with which the Insular Government may have a contract, upon the payment to the disbursing officer of the Executive Bureau of a sum which such officer or employee would have been required to pay for subsistence if he had made the journey upon a United States Army transport, allowing thirty days for the trip. The sum so received by the disbursing officer of the Executive Bureau shall be deposited in the Insular Treasury to the credit of the appropriation. "Insular salary and expense fund." The account of the transportation company shall be paid by settlement warrant upon certification of the amount by the Auditor, and said payment is hereby made a proper charge against the appropriation designated "Insular salary and expense fund."

SECTION 2. In every case where an officer or employee is by law entitled to full traveling expenses, which include transportation and subsistence, from Manila to San Francisco or to his home or place of appointment in the United States, the Executive Secretary is hereby authorized to issue an official request for such transportation, as in the first section provided, upon any transportation company with which the Insular Government may have a contract, and the cost thereof shall be a proper charge against the "Insular salary and expense fund," and settlement shall be made as provided in the preceding section.

SECTION 3. Every transportation company upon which requests are issued shall submit to the Auditor bills for transportation furnished under this Act, accompanying the same with the official requests upon which the said transportation was furnished, the same to be duly receipted, showing that the transportation was actually furnished.

SECTION 4. The Executive Secretary shall certify the name of the officer or employee to whom such transportation was furnished, the Bureau or Office to which he belonged, the amount received from him and deposited in the Insular Treasury to the credit of the "Insular salary and expense fund," and shall also cite the law or authority under which the said transportation was furnished, with a true copy of the contract providing for such return transportation, if any.

SECTION 5. No transportation shall be furnished at the cost of the Insular Government when an officer or employee is going to or coming from the United States on leave of absence, except in cases specially provided by law or resolution of the Commission: Provided, however, That any officer or employee of the Philippine Government, insular, provincial or municipal, going to or coming from the United States on leave of absence or for any other lawful reason, may secure the benefit of the contract of the Insular Government made with the commercial lines for transportation between Manila and any town or city in the United States, either for himself or for any member of his family, including his fianc√©e, by applying in case he is going from Manila to the United States to the Executive Secretary for a proper order of transportation and by depositing upon the order of the Executive Secretary the proper amount due for the same with the disbursing officer of the Executive Bureau, who shall deposit such sum in the Insular Treasury to the credit of the appropriation, "Insular salary and expense fund," and in case the officer or employee or any member of his family is going from the United States to Manila by applying to the Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs in Washington and by depositing upon the order of the Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs with the disbursing agent of the Philippine Government in Washington the proper amount due for the transportation applied for; and said disbursing agent shall deposit the same with the depository of the Insular Government in the city of New York to the credit of the appropriation, "Insular salary and expense fund," and the disbursing agent of the Philippine Government in Washington shall be, and he is hereby, authorized to draw upon funds thus deposited in payment of the corresponding claims of the commercial lines for the transportation thus furnished.

SECTION 6. The public good requiring the speedy enactment of this bill, the passage of the same is hereby expedited in accordance with section two of "An Act prescribing the order of procedure by the Commission in the enactment of laws," passed September twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect on its passage.

ENACTED, March 23, 1903. AaCTcI