Lewis v. State

90 N.W.2d 856, 352 Mich. 422, 1958 Mich. LEXIS 458
Michigan Supreme Court·Decided June 11, 1958·No. Docket 70, Calendar 46,220·Published·Cited by 8 cases

Opinion

Black, J.

This case was assigned to the writer during the present April term.

Plaintiff, a retired brigadier general of the Michigan national guard, sued in the court of claims to recover monthly “retirement pay” allegedly due and unpaid for the period starting July 1, 1950, and ending September 18, 1952. The rate of pay declared in the statement of claim is $412.50 per month. It is agreed that such was the proper monthly amount to which plaintiff would have become entitled (during the stated period) but for intervening issuable events, which events the attorney general advances by answer to plaintiff’s statement of claim. The trial judge considered that one of such issuable events — the defensively pleaded want of an “appropriation for the payment of any pension to plaintiff after June, 1950” — called for judgment in favor of the defendant State and military establishment. * Judgment entered accordingly. Plaintiff appeals.

The contending parties have relevantly stipulated :

“By virtue of said provisions PA 1909, No 84, §§49a and 49b, as added (CL 1948, §§ 32.49a, 32.49b [Stat Ann 1952 Rev §§ 4.640(la),_4.640(lb)]), petitioner became entitled to certain retirement ben *425 efits in the snm of $412.50 monthly, which sum was paid through June 30, 1950, from said retirement date and has not been paid since. The amount of retirement pay was calculated and determined pursuant to section 49 of said act, being CL 1948, § 32.49 (Stat Ann 1952 Rev §4.640[1]).

“Petitioner received the same amount from the Federal Government during the period in question, i.e., July 1, 1950, to September 18, 1952, not by reason of length of service, but by reason of 100% disability. This Federal disability pay is subject to periodic review by medical examinations.

“Money for retirement pay is made available by appropriation acts of the legislature from the general fund. There is no ‘by-line’ or ‘object classification’ as such for retirement pay. It has been included under the subheading ‘Contractual Service, Supplies, and Materials,’ under the main division entitled ‘Military Establishment.’

“The finance officer of the military establishment prepares the budget estimates as given to him by the various departments of the military establishment. This is in turn approved by the military board, who in turn submits it to the department of administration. The detailed breakdown of the budget estimates, as submitted by the military establishment (defendants’ exhibit A) as to retirement pay requests a total of $81,360 for 51 different persons (not specifically named) for the fiscal year, July 1, 1950, through June 30, 1951. There are in excess of 20 major headings in the budget estimates under the heading ‘contractual service, supplies, and materials,’ and include such items as ‘rentals, telephone, utilities, professional service,’ et cetera. ‘Retirement pay’ is a subheading under one of the 20 main headings entitled ‘other fees and compensations.’

“The military establishment can switch funds from one object classification to another if necessary to meet an obligation, as testified to by "W. W. Harper, finance officer of the military establishment.

*426 “PA 1950 (Ex Sess), No'32, appropriated $1,587,-500 for the fiscal year July 1, 1950, through June 30, 1951, for ‘contractual service, supplies and materials’ for the military establishment. Added to this appropriation was $357.23 brought forward from the appropriation of the previous year: Prom the total of these 2 sums, $1,509,523.26 was spent; $47,-093.83 was transferred and $31,240.14 lapsed.

• “PA 1951, No -272, for the fiscal year July-1, 1951, through June 30, 1952, appropriated $1,587,250 for ‘contractual service, supplies and materials’ for the military establishment; of this amount $1,496,721.59 was spent, $89,524.03 lapsed, and $1,004.38 was forwarded to the next fiscal year.

“PA 1952 No 201 appropriated $1,587,250 for the fiscal year July 1, 1952, through June 30, 1953, for ‘contractual service, supplies and materials’ for the military establishment. Add to this the sum of $1,004.38 forwarded from the prior fiscal year for a total authorization of $1,588,354.38. Of this total amount $1,554,585.28 was • spent and $33,769.10 lapsed.

“In each of the above 3 appropriation acts the following provision was inserted (being sections 25, 26, and 8, respectively):

“ ‘Retirement pay whether for disability or length of service provided by the United States shall be deemed to reduce in like amount the retirement pay based upon actual service to which any retired officer of the military establishment is entitled from this State and this appropriation is so limited.’ ”

Plaintiff contends that controlling statutory provisions appear in the “military establishment act” (PA 1909, No 84, as amended). He refers particularly to the original and present title of the act, * to present sections 49, 49a and 49b thereof (CL 1948, *427 §§ 32.49, 32.49a, 32.49b [Stat Ann 1952 Rev §§ 4.640 (1), 4.640(la), 4.640(lb)]), and says that the act as amended constitutes a continuing appropriation, the relevant continuity of which did not terminate until PA 1952, No 134 (amending the military establishment act by adding new section 49c thereof) became effective September 18, -1952 (CLS 1956, § 32.49c [Stat Ann 1952 Rev '§ 4.640(lc)]). Plaintiff relies on the authorities gathered in the excellent annotation headed “Statutory-provisions creating office and fixing salary .as a continuing appropriation,” found in 164 ALR commencing at page 928. The attorney general counters, with appropriation acts of PA 1950 (Ex.Sess),- No 32, § 25, p 117; PA Í951, No 272, § 26, p 577; and PA 1952, No 201, § 8, p 306, and insists that continuity if any of pertinent appropriation made-by the military establishment act must be read in conjunction with the restraint .of above quoted sections 25, 26 and 8 of the mentioned appropriation acts': * The principle of unitary view of statutes adopted in pari materia is stressed by the attorney general, and it is. said in his'brief that if the military establishment act did continuously appropriate as' claimed, .the. legislative will that' further ' appropriation. (in cases, as; here. of duplicating Federal and State pensions)-be terminated - was effectively evinced starting with the extra session of 1950. ' ' : :

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Lewis v. State, 90 N.W.2d 856, 352 Mich. 422, 1958 Mich. LEXIS 458 (Mich. 1958).

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