Herendeen v. United States

28 Ct. Cl. 348, 1893 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 60, 1800 WL 1938
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedMay 1, 1893
DocketNo. 16652
StatusPublished

This text of 28 Ct. Cl. 348 (Herendeen v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Herendeen v. United States, 28 Ct. Cl. 348, 1893 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 60, 1800 WL 1938 (cc 1893).

Opinion

Peelle, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court:

The facts disclosed by the findings are substantially these: May 15,1881, plaintiff was engaged as a civilian by the defend[351]*351ants, through the agency of Brig. Gen. Hazen, Chief Signal Officer of the U. S. Army, to accompany a scientific expedition — being a branch of the military service of the United States — to Point Barrow, Alaska, as interpreter -and storekeeper, for a term of three years, unless sooner discharged, at a salary of $125 per month. He was on duty, in the line of his employment, from the date thereof until October 15,1883, at which time the expedition returned to San Francisco and was disbanded, his account settled, and he discharged. At the time of said settlement the price of his subsistence was, in the main, retained out of his salary, and the residue, except while on duty at San Francisco and on the outward voyage to-Point Barrow, was paid for by him in cash to the defendants-without objection. Under what circumstances he was furnished his meals on the vessel on the voyage to Point Barrow does not appear.

At the time of his employment the following regulation of the Army was in force:

“ Sec. 1427. Citizens in the employ of any branch of the military service, except laborers, teamsters, and like classes of employés, when traveling under competent orders, or upon ■ summons as witnesses before military courts, will be entitled to transportation in kind; or, if no transportation be provided, they may charge the cost actually paid by them of travel fare by the usual conveyances, inclusive of transfer to and from depots, not exceeding fifty cents each, and of one berth in sleeping-cars, or on steamers where an extra charge is made therefor. Payment of parlor-car fare is prohibited.
“In addition to the above, the sum of four dollars per day west of the Mississippi Elver, and three dollars and a quarter east thereof, will be allowed for each and every day unavoidably consumed in travel, or on duty under the order or summons ; provided, that where meals aré included in the transportation, or fare, by steamers, no per diem shall be charged.”'

Under that regulation, the plaintiff contends that he is entitled to f>4 per day in lieu of subsistence for each and every day he supplied his own subsistence or purchased same from the defendants, being 829 days; while the defendants controvert that proposition, and further claim that by his failure to' present his claim at the time of settlement, or to object to the deductions made from his salary, and thereafter failing to present his claim until the bringing of this action, he has waived any claim he may have had.

[352]*352The questions presented, therefore, are these:

Is the plaintiff entitled, under the regulations quoted, to $4 per day in lieu of subsistence; and, if so entitled, has he waived the same by his failure tó object at the time of settlement, and thereafter failing to present his claim until the bringing of this action?

It is averred in the petition, inter alia, that—

“ The plaintiff was employed by the defendants as an interpreter and storekeeper for the polar expedition to Point Barrow, undertaken by the defendants in the year 1881, for the term of three years, or for the time occupied by said expedition until its return to the United States, said plaintiff being by-said co. tract employed as a civilian in a branch of the military service of the United States Army. * * *”

It is further averred in the petition in substance that the plaintiff was on duty under competent orders from the defendants from the date of his employment until his discharge, being on duty at San Francisco before and after the voyage to Point Barrow and on his return voyage.

The findings of fact support the averments, showing that the plaintiff was employed at San Francisco for three years, unless sooner discharged, to accompany a polar or scientific expedition as interpreter and storekeeper from San Francisco to Point Barrow, at a salary of $125 per month, so that the plaintiff’s transportation to and from Point Barrow was included under the terms of his employment, independent of the regulation quoted. The plaintiff’s contention, therefore, that his transportation could not have been provided except under the first paragraph of the regulation quoted is not well taken. Then, again, the appropriations made by Congress from time to time “for transportation of men and supplies” to Point Barrow (22 Stat. L., 384-616, and 23 Stat. L., 243), show that transportation was contemplated, but no mention is made of providing the civil employés with subsistence other than as such “ supplies” may be sold to such employés under regulations to be hereafter considered.

Under what circumstances the plaintiff’s subsistence was provided him on the outward voyage to Point Barrow does not appear. The vessel may have been chartered by the defendants advantageously \vith reference to subsistence being furnished the entire party composing the expedition, and if so, [353]*353such subsistence would be furnished independent of the regulation quoted. But be that as it may, there was nothing said in the employment of the plaintiff concerning subsistence, and however it may have been furnished, the officer in charge of the expedition had no authority to vary or add to the terms of the contract, or charge the defendants with a liability not contemplated thereby; and having no authority to vary or add to the terms of the contract his action could not be construed as an interpretation of the regulation, and certainly not when such action is not shown to have been approved by the officer having authority to make such contract.

We have thus adverted to these preliminary questions because of the plaintiff’s contention that because the defendants provided him with transportation to and from Point Barrow, and furnished him with subsistence on the outward voyage, and there being no other regulation under which the same could be done, ergo it must have been done under said section 1427 (supra), and that by reason thereof the regulation has been interpreted by .the action of the War Department in favor of his contention here.

The regulation relied upon to recover $4 per day in lieu of subsistence, we think, without doubt, has reference to that class of citizens engaged in some regular employment in the military service who may be ordered to perform some other or different service than that contemplated by the terms of their employment.

That is to say, “citizens in the employ of any branch of the military service, except laborers, teamsters, and like classes of employés, when traveling under competent orders, or upon summons as witnesses before military courts, will be entitled to transportation in kind,” and in addition thereto “the sum of four dollars per day west of the Mississippi Biver, and three dollars and a quarter east thereof, will be allowed for each and every day unavoidably consumed in travel or on duty under the order of summons,” showing that the order or summons has reference only to those citizens in the employ of the military service who may be ordered or summoned to perform some duty outside of their regular employment.

The words “summons as witnesses before military courts,” in the connection used in the regulation could certainly not be construed to apply to regular employment, but must be con[354]

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Bluebook (online)
28 Ct. Cl. 348, 1893 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 60, 1800 WL 1938, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/herendeen-v-united-states-cc-1893.