maintenance of equipment and suppplies procured with funds allocated to the Supply Service and all other supplies and equipment which are stored by the VA. (ii) Effects procurement of all standard stock items.

(iii) Operates the VA Supply Depots. (iv) Effects procurement, storage, and issue of supplies and equipment, and the repair and fabrication of office furniture and equipment for the central office.

(v) Initiates necessary action to assure that the VA supply program is executed in accordance with established policies, procedures, and objectives.

(vi) Serves as point of contact with the Washington level of concerned Government departments and agencies relative to activities of the Supply Service.

(vii) Exercises staff supervision over and provides technical staff assistance relative to execution of all activities of the Supply Service which are assigned to branch offices.

(3) Real estate service. (i) Develops and recommends standards, policies and procedures for all activities relating to the acquisition, utilization and disposition of real property.

(ii) Approves all acquisition of fee interest in real property by purchase, condemnation, donation, exchange or transfer, including condemnation of leasehold interests, and disposition of such property.

(iii) Maintains

official consolidated

real property record of the VA.

(iv) Initiates necessary action to assure that the VA real estate program is executed in accordance with established policies, procedures, and objectives.

(v) Serves as point of contact with the Washington level of concerned Government departments and agencies relative to activities of the Real Estate Service.

(vi) Exercises staff supervision over and provides technical staff assistance relative to the execution of all activities of the Real Estate Service which are assigned to the branch offices.

CROSS REFERENCE: For Instruction 1, Pub. Law 657, 79th Congress, with respect to designation of Veterans' Administration central authority to consider, adjust, and settle claims of contractors for losses incurred between Sept. 16, 1940, and Aug. 14, 1945, see Appendix to Part 1 of this chapter, infra.

§ 01.12 Organization of Office of Assistant Administrator for Contact and

(2) Administers, controls and supervises all general administrative activities for the VA in Central Office, such as: motor transportation, both truck and passenger; dictograph; telephone (including leased wire); teletype, etc.

(3) Maintains central master files not specifically assigned to operating services.

(4) Within the limits and in the manner prescribed by the Administrator supervises in a staff capacity the functions enumerated in (1), (2) and (3) above, in the branch offices and field stations.

(c) Organization. The Office of the Assistant Administrator for Contact and Administrative Services consists of the Contact Service and the Administrative Service.

(1) Contact service. (i) Administers and controls the contact program and activities in the Central Office pertaining to furnishing assistance and advice to veterans, their dependents and beneficiaries, and their recognized representatives, in the preparation, development and presentation of claims under the laws administered by the VA;

(ii) Provides general information concerning activities of all Government departments pertaining to veterans;

(iii) Develops and recommends policies applicable to all Contact activities; prepares procedures to implement approved policies;

(iv) Supervises the Central Office contact personnel operating at Army Separation Centers and comparable Navy installations;

(v) Maintains liaison with the War and Navy Departments, and other Gov

ernment agencies pertaining to matters involving contact activities; maintains liaison with the American Red Cross and veterans' and civic organizations on matters pertinent to rights and benefits of veterans under laws administered by the VA.

(vi) In collaboration with the Office of the Assistant Administrator for Personnel, supervises the training program for employees performing the functions of Contact Service in Central Office.

(2) Administrative service. (i) In collaboration with the assistant administrator or comparable official concerned, develops, coordinates and recommends broad records management policies and programs for the entire VA, and in connection therewith:

(a) Prepares general directives on basic records management principles for observance of all concerned.

(b) Inventories, analyzes and evaluates all centralized records of the VA to ascertain usefulness, and current value, historical interest and permanent value.

(c) Recommends policies and programs for the retirement and disposal of all records. Prepares schedules, supervises and maintains records on this disposal program by the following methods:

(i) Micro-photography;

(ii) Retention indefinitely in active files;

(iii) Transfer to Records Depository or Records Center for operation as inactive files;

(iv) Transfer to storage;

(v) Transfer to National Archives;
(vi) Destruction.

(d) Operates and maintains all centralized records and files of the VA, including all veterans' numbered files and indices, un-numbered veterans' files, and all general administrative, policy and procedure, investigation, commercial and inactive personnel files; but excluding those specifically designated for maintenance by operating services.

(e) Maintains liaison with the War Department (including maintenance of representatives at the War Department Records Center, St. Louis, Missouri), the Navy Department, Marine Corps, Coast Guard. Selective Service System and other agencies, Federal and State, to de

velop joint interdepartmental records programs, policies and procedures as required by joint use or need for records. Has responsibility for transfer of all official records from these organizations to the VA.

(ƒ) Maintains liaison with National Archives on records disposal and destruction policies, transfer of all VA records to and from the National Archives and all matters pertaining to National Archives Council, except those relating to the Federal Register.

(ii) Develops and recommends printing and binding policies and procedures for the VA and in connection therewith:

(a) Manages, controls and supervises the program for the procurement, storage, fabrication and distribution of all printed and duplicated matter for the VA in the Central Office.

(b) Prepares individual printing spec- . ifications, approves make up, illustrations, and typography of all Central Officè VA publications, except press releases.

(c) Maintains liaison with the Government Printing Office (the Public Printer), and with the Joint Committee on Printing of the Congress, for the purpose of assuring the faithful execution of the laws and policies affecting the printing and duplicating activities of governmental establishments, and for the purpose of maintaining good working relationships with the Government Printing Office with reference to production problems to assure that deliveries on orders will be integrated with administrative deadlines for distribution of printed matter, and proper and timely flow of printed matter be assured to enable compliance by the VA with acts of Congress.

(d) Maintains liaison with the Interdepartmental Committee on Printing and Processing, and with other agencies on matters relating to the printing, processing and distribution functions of the VA.

(e) Advises all Central Office services and divisions and branch offices on technical printing matters.

(iii) Develops and recommends communications policies and programs for the VA in the Central Office, and in connection therewith, performs the following functions:

(a) Receives and dispatches all communications (including regular mail, registered and insured mail, special delivery, telegram, parcel post, etc.) to and from Central Office, including responsibility for the handling of monies received; has administrative control of special and Congressional mail; operates the inter-office mail collection and delivery service for all divisions and services of Central Office, and handles all translation work of the VA.

(b) Directs and supervises administrative activities in Central Office in connection with telephone service, switchboards, dictographs, leased wire service, teletype service, etc., including liaison with commercial companies and other agencies outside the VA on all matters of maintenance, installation and repair of such equipment.

(c) Develops and recommends plans for extension of special telecommunication services between field installations and to and from Central Office, and insures that the most economical means of wire communication are utilized.

(d) Prepares and issues the VA telephone directory and operates the telephone information service.

(e) Makes spécial studies and reports and establishes standards for all communication services throughout the VA.

(iv) Develops and recommends policies, prepares procedures and exercises general supervision at the Central Office over all activities which involve use of commercial transportation facilities by VA employees who are traveling on official business; and in connection therewith:

(a) Administers all applicable regulations pertaining to employee and beneficiary travel.

(b) Obtains ship, rail, bus and air reservations and tickets, including passports and visas for Central Office employees traveling on official business.

(c) Establishes and maintains liaison with other departments and agencies such as the Interstate Commerce Commission, Federal Traffic Board, General Accounting Office, etc., relative to passenger rates, routes, travel conditions, or other information necessary to insure utilization of the most efficient commercial passenger transportation service; and with the State Department relative to the handling of passports, visas,

military permits, or other documents, and information on travel conditions and requirements (such as inoculations, etc.) for employees who are to travel in insular possessions or foreign countries.

(d) Performs important liaison and developmental work in establishing contacts with and friendly working relationships between the VA and railroads, airlines, ship lines, etc., to facilitate obtaining accommodations for VA employees traveling on official business.

(e) Secures, maintains accountability for, and issues or effects distribution of transportation requests for official travel of VA employees at the Central Office.

(f) Provides register service for personnel of the VA arriving in or departing from Washington on official business.

(v) Performs general administrative service functions for all activities of Central Office and thereby:

(a) Exercises authority and discretion as to proper application of the VA Seal to official papers which meet legal and regulatory requirements.

(b) Controls and directs Central Office motor transportation service, including such maintenance of vehicles as is normally performed by the operator, both passenger car service and the scheduling and management of the truck collection and delivery service, and maintains cost analysis records therefor.

(c) Directs and supervises activities in connection with the issuance of and accountability for car tokens.

(d) Prepares budget estimates and authorizations obligating funds allocated for postage, telegraph service, telephone service, printing and binding, and beneficiary travel; maintains records of expenditures, furnishes individual estimates as to allotments needed for the service to be rendered (telegraphic, telephone, teletype, parcel post, etc.); prepares and/or recommends any necessary vouchers covering payment for such services.

(e) In collaboration with the Office of the Assistant Administrator for Personnel, handles the employee on-the-job training program for employees engaged in performing the functions of the Administrative Service.

(vi) Exercises staff supervision for the Administrator in branch offices over all auxiliary administrative services (as

§ 01.13 Organization of Office of Assistant Administrator for Finance—(a) The Assistant Administrator for Finance. The Assistant Administrator for Finance will have jurisdiction over and be responsible for the proper conduct of the activities set forth herein to the Administrator.

(b) The Office of Assistant Administrator for Finance. The Office of Assistant Administrator for Finance will consist of the Payees Accounts Service, the Control Accounts, Finance Field Operations Service, the Loan Guarantee Service, and the Readjustment Allowance Service, the heads of which will be responsible to the Assistant Administrator. There will be on the staff of the Assistant Administrator an Executive Assistant who will assist the Assistant Administrator and in his absence serve as Acting Assistant Administrator.

(c) Payees Accounts Service. The Payees Accounts Service, under a Director, will conduct the following functions:

(1) Examining and certifying or approving miscellaneous vouchers payable in Central Office;

(2) Preparing and certifying vouchers and maintaining individual payees accounts covering compensation, pension, insurance, subsistence allowance and miscellaneous benefits;

(3) Maintaining alphabetical index of payees receiving pension, compensation, insurance, subsistence allowance, and miscellaneous benefits;

(4) Maintaining chronological index of payees as a control for future changes of rates or discontinuances;

(5) Maintaining statistical records as to number of pensioners and rates paid;

(6) Maintaining individual salary records of and preparing pay rolls for Central Office employees;

(7) Preparing pay rolls and developing claims for accrued salary and retirement deductions; maintaining employees' records showing fiscal year retirement deductions; preparing and submitting to Civil Service Commission reports of retirement and fund transactions;

(8) Examining and certifying for payment claims for life insurance premiums and interest guaranteed under the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940, as amended;

(9) Submitting overpaid cases to Central Committee on Waivers and Forfeitures and effecting settlements in accordance with decisions rendered;

(10) Maintaining records of amounts due the Veterans Administration for other than insurance purposes and effecting collection thereof;

(11) Reporting uncollectible indebtedness to the General Accounting Office;

(12) Disposing of personal funds of patients discharged without guardians and of personal funds and effects left at field stations by patients and members;

(13) Developing evidence in connection with claims on asset checks under section 12, Public No. 144, 78th Congress;

(14) Examining and transmitting contracts to General Accounting Office;

(15) Reconciling accounts of former Veterans Administration Disbursing Officers; assembling and transmitting data on suspended or disallowed items of accounts of Disbursing Officers, except for Adjusted Compensation;

(16) Advising Finance Officers at field stations concerning procedure and disposing of individual vouchers or claims referred to Central Office by such officers.

(d) Control Accounts Service. The Control Accounts Service, under a Director, will conduct the following functions:

(1) Maintaining control accounts, showing condition of the various appropriations and trust funds;

(2) Preparing requisitions for adyances of funds to Chief Disbursing Officer, Treasury Department;

(3) Administering payment provisions of the Adjusted Compensation Act, and the Adjusted Compensation Payment Act, 1936; certifying payments effected pursuant to the Acts cited and maintaining related individual veterans' accounts; maintaining custody of notes and certificates;

(4) Preparing reports covering financial activities of the Veterans Administration;

(5) Advising Central Office organization units and field stations as to expense distribution and classification of accounts;

(6) Analyzing and coding voucher payments and preparing statements of