(General District Manager Letter No. 137. Canceled by Circular No. 203) CARE IN THE USE OF LONG-DISTANCE TELEPHONE, TELEGRAPH, AND AUTHORIZATIONS FOR TRAVEL MARCH 15, 1923. There are two matters which I wish to bring to the attention of all representatives of the bureau who are in any way connected therewith. The matters have been previously brought to the attention of district managers and I know that it is the intention of each and every one to cooperate fully with this office in accomplishing the desires of the director. However, it may be that from time to time action is taken without the full knowledge of the district manager, and, in fact, I have myself had called to my attention some instances which I feel would not have met with the approval of the district manager concerned. The matters I refer to are the use of the long-distance phone and telegraph unnecessarily, and the travel of employees of the bureau to accomplish that which could otherwise be accomplished. The use of telegrams and the long-distance phone, or the expenditure of funds for travel when same is not necessary, are all misusages of Government funds and can not be countenanced. The handling of the details leading up to the expenditure of such funds must be placed in the hands of employees who can distinguish between matters which make such expenditures necessary and those which do not, and the activities of the district office and subdistrict office representatives authorized to initiate such operations must be supervised so as to prevent any expenditures of these classes which are not absolutely necessary. If it is necessary to telegraph, use the long-distance phone, or authorize the travel of representatives of the bureau, all well and good, but please be sure that the accomplishment of the purposes desired can not be brought about in another manner which will result just as well for the bureau or the ex-service man concerned, before approval is given to such expenditures. C. G. SENSENEY, Executive Officer, District Offices. (General District Manager Letter No. 138. Obsolete) MARCH 15, 1923. The following changes respecting subdistrict offices are announced: District No. 7.-Mahoning County, in the State of Ohio, formerly under the supervision of the Canton subdistrict office, has been transferred to the jurisdiction of the subdistrict office at Cleveland, Ohio, effective February 1, 1923. Idaho. District No. 13.-Address of the Boise, Idaho, subdistrict office, fourth floor, McCarthy Building, Boise, C. G. SENSENEY, Executive Officer, District Offices. (General District Manager Letter No. 139. Canceled by General Order No. 333) MARCH 19, 1923. Letters of complaint have been received in central office inclosing copies of communications from Veterans' Bureau district offices wherein it has been stated that case file of claimant will be transferred "at once." Objection is made to this implied promise to dispatch the case "at once" when such action is not taken, and it is suggested that this expression should not be used unless the case is ready for transfer immediately. In those instances where the case file is not ready for transfer immediately, it is suggested that some other more fitting expression be used. C. G. SENSENEY, Executive Officer, District Offices. (General District Manager Letter No. 140. Obsolete) BIDS AND PROPOSALS MARCH 21, 1923. Director's Office District Manager Letter No. 5, dated May 6, 1922, in paragraph 21, "Telephone," states that if the telephone service now furnished is inadequate or unsatisfactory, the subject of increase or different service should be taken up with central office before a new proposal is solicited; and again in paragraph 25 statement is made that whenever additional service is needed under contract, authority to order same should be obtained from central office before the additional service is requested. It has been brought to my attention that bids and proposals from the districts are frequently not received in central office until after the work covered by such bids and proposals has been completed. This also applies to further installations in accordance with the terms of existing contracts. It is realized that in cases of emergency such a procedure may be necessary, and central office is willing to cooperate with the districts in all such cases. However, where an emergency existed which required delivery or installation prior to the acceptance of the proposal by central office, a statement should always accompany the proposal setting forth the exigencies of the situation in each case. You are instructed to anticipate your needs in the future as much as possible and submit proposals to central office for acceptance in advance of the actual delivery or installation called for in such proposals in all cases other than those in which an emergency exists, as required by Director's Office Letter No. 5. C. G. SENSENEY, Executive Officer, District Offices. (General District Manager Letter No. 141) FORWARDING TO CENTRAL OFFICE ENVELOPES IN WHICH INSURANCE REMITTANCES OR APPLICATIONS HAD BEEN RECEIVED BY MAIL MARCH 29, 1923. It has been pointed out that applications for reinstatement or conversion of insurance and remittances paying premiums which have been mailed to the district and subdistrict offices are being forwarded to the central office without the envelopes in which the original was received. When remittances and applications for reinstatement and conversion are mailed to the district or subdistrict offices it is necessary that the original envelope be forwarded by the cashier to the central office, as the insurance division takes the postmark date on these envelopes as the proper legal date for reinstatement or conversion. You are requested to issue the necessary instructions for the proper handling of these envelopes. (General District Manager Letter No. 142. Canceled by General Order No. 333) TRANSFER OF SKELETON FILES ON PERMANENT TOTAL AND DEATH CASES MARCH 30, 1923. For your information there is quoted below a recent reply from central office to an inquiry from a district manager relative to transfer to another district of skeleton files on permanent total and death cases upon request: "You are advised that the district requesting such data from you should give full reasons for the request, and unless there are circumstances which would make such transfer inadvisable, such as a permanent and total case in training status in your district, we see no reason why the file in question should not be forwarded. In a permanent and total case, where training is not involved and the claimant or beneficiary has moved to a new district, then the skeleton file should, of course, be forwarded to the new district, if the change of address is permanent. In death cases, we can see no reason for a skeleton file ever being transferred. In any event, it is very necessary that the data required by the district requesting the information should be furnished in some manner." C. G. SENSENEY, Executive Officer, District Offices. (General District Manager Letter No. 143. Obsolete) MARCH 30, 1923. In order that the district office division may at all times be in touch with the telephone situation in the various districts you are instructed to furnish this office at the earliest possible date following the close of a quarter the information called for in the attached form. This report will be submitted by the district office, showing district and subdistrict offices and a consolidation of same which will show the true status of all telephone activities within the district. C. G. SENSENEY, Executive Officer, District Offices. QUARTERLY REPORT OF TELEPHONE EXPENDITURES District... Class Telephone No.---- A. Switchboard (000-099). B. Trunks (100-149). G. Stations, P. B. X. (300–349). H. Messages, local (350-351) M. Miscellaneous equipment (600-699). N. Directory listings (700-799) O. Service connections, moves and changes (800-899). P. Miscellaneous items (900).. Q. Total for local service. R. Toll service (353 and 414)__ S. Total for local and toll service. T. Cost of switchboard operation.. U. Grand total__ i NOTE. The numbers referred to in the above items apply to the classification under telephone service (class 20) in the General Schedule of Supplies, fiscal year 1923. (General District Manager Letter No. 144. Obsolete) APRIL 11, 1923. The following change in management in District No. 1, Boston, Mass., is announced for your information: Dr. Edgar O. Crossman assumed the duties of district manager of the Boston office, effective April 2, 1923. C. G. SENSENEY, Executive Officer, District Offices. |