Thayer v. United States

60 Ct. Cl. 870, 1925 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 441, 1925 WL 2736
United States Court of Claims·Decided June 1, 1925·No. No. C-579·Published

Opinion

Campbell, Chief Justice,

delivered the opinion of the court:

The plaintiff was an enlisted man in the Army, and from a date prior to July 1, 1919, to June 12, 1921, was assigned to and in performance of duty in charge of engineer property and fatigue at the Military Academy. The act of March 30, 1920, making appropriation for the support of the Military Academy for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1921 (41 Stat. 541), carried a provision, under the title “Extra Pay for Enlisted men,” as follows: “For extra pay for one enlisted man on duty in charge of engineer property and fatigue at 50 cents per day, $156.50.” The plaintiff sues to recover this sum, as extra pay, claiming it “ for extra pay for the performance of a particular duty * * * provided for by a special provision of legislation allowing such pay as a ‘ uniform and stated addition to the regular pay of an enlisted man.’ ” He contends that the act of March 30, in providing for the extra pay of enlisted men, constituted “ a special grant ” to the enlisted man performing that duty of the amount so appropriated. As sustaining this contention, reference is made to the case of Campagna, 26 C. Cls. 316, 317, and to the case of Schwanz, 50 C. Cls. 276, which cites approvingly the language of Judge Nott in the earlier case as follows: “An appropriation is per se nothing more than the legislative authorization prescribed by the Constitution that money may be paid out at the Treasury. Frequently there is coupled with an appropriation a legislative indication that the designated amount shall be paid to a person or class of persons and from such an appropriation a statutory right arises upon which an action may be maintained.”

The Government’s defense is that the case is controlled by the act of June 4, 1920 (41 Stat. 761), with special reference to section A-b thereof. This act is amendatory of the national defense act, 39 Stat. 166, and provides for a reorganization of the Army. To this end it contains many new provisions. Among others, by section 4 — b it provides that [873] on and after July 1, 1920, the grades of enlisted men shall be such as the President may from time to time direct, with a stated monthly base pay for the several grades, seven in number. It, in terms, repeals existing laws providing for continuous-service pay to take effect July 1, 1920, and makes other provisions therefor. It authorizes the Secretary of War to prescribe regulations under which enlisted men of the sixth and seventh grades may be “rated as specialists and receive extra pay therefor ” as stated sums per month. The section concludes as follows:

“All laws and parts of laws providing for extra duty pay for enlisted men are repealed, to take effect July 1,1920: Provided, That nothing in this section shall operate to reduce the pay which any enlisted man is now receiving during his current enlistment and while he holds his present grade, nor to change the present rate of pay of any enlisted man now on the retired list.”

Under the prescribed regulations in accordance with the act of June 4-enlisted men were put into grade 6, designated as “ private, 1st class,” and grade 7, where their designation was “ private.” Plaintiff was a sergeant in the fourth grade. The provision in section T-b for specialists who could receive “ extra pay ” as such applies only to privates, first class, and privates, or grades six and seven, and does not include a. sergeant. Plaintiff therefore could not receive any extra pay provided for by section 4r-b for specialists.

The case turns upon the construction to be given the act of June 4,1920, and this must be controlled by the intention of Congress to be derived from the entire enactment. (See Rodgers case, 185 U. S. 83.) As already stated, Congress was dealing with the question of Army reorganization, and accordingly the act has many and elaborate provisions designed for that purpose. As incidental to that general purpose the pay of the several grades of enlisted men is stated in the section under review. The act specifically repeals all laws and parts of laws providing for “ extra duty pay ” for enlisted men, and by section 52 repeals all laws and parts of laws “ in so far as they are inconsistent ” with the act. Manifestly it was intended to deal comprehensively with the proposed reorganization, and also with the pay of enlisted [874] men. There can be no question that the pay of 50 cents per day for the enlisted man on duty in charge of engineer property and fatigue at the Military Academy was extra duty pay. The act carrying the appropriation for that service defines it as “ extra pay for one enlisted man on duty.”

The rule stated in the Gampagna case, supra, relied on by plaintiff, recognizes as a condition to recovery that there shall be “ a legislative indication ” that the designated amount shall be paid to a person or, it may be added, for a special service. Assuming that plaintiff could recover if we had the act of March 30 alone to deal with, the question is whether the appropriation provided by that act was affected by the repealing clauses in the act of June 4. The appropriations authorized by the act of March 30 were for the fiscal year 1921, beginning July 1, 1920; the repealing clause in the act of June 4, relating specifically to “extra duty pay for enlisted men,” also became effective July 1, 1920. As to the effect to be accorded the repealing clause, plaintiff cites the Rodgers case, 185 U. S. 83, 87, 88, 89. It involved the construction of an act containing provisions that appeared to be inconsistent, relating to pay of certain officers. As applicable to the instant case, we quote the first paragraph of the opinion in that case:

“This case invoNes a mere question of statutory construction. The matter of military and naval salaries is one exclusively within the control of Congress. The courts may neither increase nor decrease them, correct any supposed inequalities, nor in any manner set aside or modify the action of the legislative branch of the Government in respect thereto. If there be inequality, injustice, it can be corrected alone by Congress, and the courts may not interfere.”

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Thayer v. United States, 60 Ct. Cl. 870, 1925 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 441, 1925 WL 2736 (cc 1925).

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Related

Rodgers v. United States
185 U.S. 83 (Supreme Court, 1902)
United States v. Mills
197 U.S. 223 (Supreme Court, 1905)
Campagna v. United States
26 Ct. Cl. 316 (Court of Claims, 1891)
Schwanz v. United States
50 Ct. Cl. 276 (Court of Claims, 1915)
Manning v. United States
58 Ct. Cl. 195 (Court of Claims, 1923)