TRANSPORTATION OF OFFICERS, MIDSHIPMEN, AND NURSES ADMIRAL CONARD. This item provides for mileage, at 8 cents per mile, and actual and necessary expenses and per diem in lieu of subsistence as authorized by law to officers of the Navy and Naval Reserve while traveling under orders; for mileage, at 5 cents per mile, to midshipmen entering the Naval Academy while proceeding from their homes to the Naval Academy for examination and appointment as midshipmen and not more than $2,500 shall be available for transportation of midshipmen, including reimbursement of traveling expenses of female nurses. The details of the estimate for 1939 are as follows: Item I. Officers: The rate for 1939 is the actual rate for 1937, $116.16. Increase, 241 officers, $116,164– Increase in rate, 9,945 officers, $10,098– Total, 10,186 officers at $116.16_ 1 1 $1,090, 623 1, 218, 675 128,052 $1,054, 786 27,996 100, 424 1, 183, 206 Item II. Midshipmen: The rate for 1939 is the actual cost for 1937, $41.27. The base This item estimated to cost $12.000 is included in item I. Grand total____ 28, 799 +$413 -2,445 2,032 26, 767 24, 267 2,500 26, 767 $7,038 8, 702 1, 218, 675 Estimated reimbursement received from Veterans' Administration for transportation of officers, $126. The amount appropriated in 1937 ($1,112,032) was insufficient, due in great part to change in home ports of certain vessels from the west coast to the east coast, and to increased travel in connection with new construction. It was necessary to obligate $1,167,793 for this purpose in 1937. The average costs used for 1937, 1938, and 1939 are: Under item I, officers moving under orders are entitled to 8 cents per mile. Under item II, midshipmen are entitled to 5 cents per mile. Under item III, nurses are entitled to rail and Pullman and $5 a day for expenses. During 1938 and 1939 practically all ships will be on the west coast. while the majority of the shore-duty stations are in the East. Ship fares between United States ports and the Canal Zone, and between coast ports, have been increased approximately 25 percent. The increase in the per capita cost for officers' travel is due to the large number of changes in home ports resulting from the replacement of old vessels with new vessels, and the increase in travel due to new construction. The per capita cost for midshipmen varies from year to year, depending upon the distribution throughout the country of the vacancies at the Naval Academy filled by new appointees. The cost of nurses' travel varies, depending upon the location of nurses when accepted for first appointments. TRAVEL ALLOWANCE, ENLISTED MEN ON DISCHARGE The next item is travel allowance, enlisted men. This item provides for travel allowance, or for transportation and subsistence as authorized by law to enlisted men upon discharge. For transportation to their homes, if residents of the United States, of enlisted men and apprentice seamen discharged on medical survey, with subsistence and transfers enroute, or cash in lieu thereof. 1937 probable cost, $1.322.870 divided by 22,327 equals $59.25. Decrease $1,724. SIO 1.704.188 -20,624 Upon discharge under honorable conditions an enlisted man is entitled to 5 cents a mile from place of discharge to place of acceptance for enlistment for all land travel involved, whether or not he actually performs the travel. TRANSPORTATION ENLISTED MEN ON DUTY AND APPLICANTS, WITH SUBSISTENCE AND TRANSFERS EN ROUTE, OR CASH IN LIEU THEREOF This item provides funds- For transportation of enlisted men, apprentice seamen, and applicants for enlistment, at home and abroad, with subsistence and transfers en route, or cash in lieu thereof. Increase due to 750 additional first enlistments, at $48.94 4,785 transfers, at $3.31+--- Increase in transfer rate 107,785 by $1.96... $1,344, 060 1, 611, 066 267, 006 $36, 754 15, 841 172, 527 225, 122 For 1936, 1937, and 1938 an average cost of $48.94 was used. The same conditions are expected to exist in 1939, hence the same average figure is used. There is an increase of 751 in the number of new men required over 1938. Item II. Reenlistments and extensions: Base 18,830 by $24 by $0.40---- Decrease in reenlistments, 735 by $24 by $0.40_ Estimate, 18,095 by $24 by $0.40___ $180, 768 7,076 173, 712 Only 40 percent of all reenlistments and extensions are paid travel money. A unit cost of $24 was used in 1937 and 1938. Item III. Transfers: Base 103,000 men at $3.31073+- Increase in rate 107,785 times $1.60+. Total, 107,785 men at $4.9114---- $341.005 15.841 172,527 529, 373 The actual average cost per transfer according to the latest figures is $5.28; the estimate for 1938 was based on $3.56, but the amount allowed was reduced. The amount used for this estimate is $4.9114. The increase in the number of men is 4,785, making a total of 107,785. The estimate includes also "transportation of sick or insane enlisted men and apprentice seamen to hospitals; with subsistence and transfers enroute, or cash in lieu thereof" and "for apprehension and delivery of deserters and stragglers and for railway guides, steamship and airways guides, and other expenses incident to transportation.” The appropriation allowed by Congress for 1938 fiscal year was based on an estimate prepared for 103,000 men, to which an arbitrary reduction of $48,940 was applied. The reduction of base from 103,000 to 102,500 in the section of the appropriation pertaining to pay was not carried over into the transportation item. Therefore, the estimate for 1939 has been prepared under this item, on the same basis as that used in the 1938 appropriation as reduced. Item IV. Ferrying planes : Base 100 by $45 (no change). Grand total_---- $4,500 1,611, 066 Estimated reimbursement received from Veterans' Administration for transportation of men, $900. Mr. UMSTEAD. Admiral, with reference to the items of transportation which you have just presented, the allowance per mile is fixed by law? Admiral CONARD. That is right. Mr. UMSTEAD. The detachments and duties causing travel result from orders of the Department, as an incident to the service? Admiral CONARD. Detachments are due to expirations of enlistments and to changes of duty. At expiration of enlistment an allowance of 5 cents per mile is fixed by law. Transfers on duty result from orders of the Department as an incident to the service, for which transportation in kind is furnished. Commander BROADBENT. Mr. Chairman, I would like to make a statement. There is an allowance for the transportation of enlisted men of a fixed amount per mile only in cases where they have been discharged from the naval service. Then they are allowed and are paid 5 cents per mile from the place of discharge to the place of enlistment. But when an enlisted man is transferred from one permanent station to another, he receives no travel allowance, but he is given transportation in kind, which is at the commercial rate less the allowance given us by the railroads. Mr. UMSTEAD. Suppose a man is detached from duty and has to go to a new station 500 miles from where he was at the time the order was issued for his change of location. What travel allowance would he get? Commander BROADBENT. If he is being changed from one permanent station to another, he is given transportation in kind, at the commercial-transportation rate. Mr. UMSTEAD. Just the cost of the transportation? Commander BROADBENT. The actual cost, such as any citizen would pay if he went to a railroad station and bought a ticket. Mr. UMSTEAD. Then no enlisted man receives an allowance for travel more than the actual cost? Commander BROADBENT. Never, sir. When an enlisted man is discharged from the service, he is paid 5 cents a mile from the place of discharge to the place of enlistment. Mr. UMSTEAD. On the contrary, the officers have a flat allowance of * cents per mile? |