310. Government requests for transportation are not to be used to obtain transportation over any roads other than those named in the preceding section. They may, however, be used in procuring tickets at the rates paid by the public for journeys between points over railroads, where the distance to be traveled is in part over the "subsidized or aided portions thereof," and in part over the portions that have not been built by the aid of Government bonds. 311. Agents are required to obtain authority for each journey undertaken by them, and, if practicable, before starting. If not practicable, as in cases of emergency, where prompt action is necessary and the delay incident to obtaining authority would be prejudicial to the best interests of the service, the agent should immediately after the completion of the journey render an itemized account of the expense incurred, explain the object of and necessity for the journey, and request approval. 312. Requests for authority to cover expenses already incurred should not be made on informal or incomplete papers, but the vouchers covering such expenses should be complete in every detail, having proper subvouchers attached, before being submitted for approval. 313. The expenses of each trip should be kept separate, and every particular connected therewith, such as time of starting, points visited, time of return, number of men and horses employed, compensation, etc., should be stated. 314. Careful regard must be paid to the foregoing rules in the preparation of vouchers of this character, particularly to the section requiring an itemized account of actual expenses incurred, and that requiring subvouchers. 315. When it becomes necessary to detail clerks and other employees of the Indian service outside of Washington to assist in the opening of bids, making of contracts, and shipping goods, they may be allowed a per diem of not exceeding $4 per day for hotel and other expenses, which per diem shall be in lieu of all expenses exclusive of transportation and sleeping-car fare. 316. When delays are incident to travel or necessary to the performance of the duties for which the travel is ordered, charges will, as a general rule, be allowed for hotel expenses; but the extent to which such charges will be allowed will depend upon the circumstances of the case. (2d Compt., Mar. 14, 1882; Auth. 3974, Ind. Office; 2d Compt., Nov. 16, 1883; 21232, 1883, Ind. Office.) 317. Within the limits of their official territory, agents may make journeys in the discharge of their duty without permission of the Department; but any expenditure on account of such journeys must be approved by the Secretary of the Interior before credit therefor will be allowed; and such approval will be given only when it shall appear that the journey was imperatively necessary. TELEGRAPHING. 318. Vouchers for telegrams must have attached thereto copies of all messages charged for. When a message, to reach its destination, makes any part of its journey by mail, the terminal points will be stated. 319. When a telegraph company charges for a message sent during a month other than that for which the account is rendered, explanation of the discrepancy in date must be made. 320. Expenses of telegrams exclusively for the personal benefit of individuals (requesting and granting leaves of absence, etc.) must not be charged to the Government. Messages brought into a disbursing officer's accounts must be on Government business solely. 321. In addition to the foregoing rules, the Postmaster-General is, by act of July 24, 1866, authorized to make such regulations as he may deem proper, which will govern in the settlement of all telegraphic accounts until modified or revoked by him. Agents should see that they are in possession of the current regulations of the Post-Office Department on this subject. 322. All expenses for telegrams on public business between the Indian Office and Indian agents will be paid by the Indian Office and not by the agent sending or receiving the same. All such dispatches to the Indian Office must be marked "collect." Telegrams to other parties, when necessary, may be paid for by the agent. 323. Agents will use the telegraph only when the necessities of the service are such as not to admit of the delay of communication by mail. When used, telegrams should always be prepared with the utmost brevity, and may embrace more than one subject. In all Government telegrams the address and signature are charged for at the same rate as for words in the body of the message; hence these also should be condensed. In addressing the Indian Office it will be sufficient to say simply "Commissioner Indian Affairs, Washington." The name of the Commissioner, or any honorary title, is unnecessary. So in the signature, instead of "John Brown, U. S. Indian agent," it will be sufficient to sign "Brown, agent." ANNUITY PAYMENTS. 324. Except when otherwise provided by treaty stipulations or instructions from the Indian Office, annuity funds will be divided and paid in equal shares, per capita, to all members of the tribe entitled to participate therein under the following rules and regulations: 1. A roll will be prepared containing the name and a brief description of each Indian entitled to share in the payment, and the names on such roll will be numbered consecutively from 1 to the end. The forms to be used for this purpose are 5-322a, 5-322b, and 5-322c. 2. The arrangement will be by family groups, heads of families being enrolled first and followed by their wives and minor children, and any other persons whose shares of annuity they are entitled to draw. 3. Inasmuch as Indians attain their majority in respect to annuities at the age of 18 years, all single persons 18 years old and over will be enrolled by themselves. Persons under that age will be enrolled with their parents, unless they are married or have children of their own, in which events they will either be enrolled with their husbands or recognized as heads of families and treated accordingly. 4. All children born to annuitants since the last preceding payment will be enrolled with their parents: Provided, That a child born to an Indian woman as the result of a marriage with a white man contracted after June 7, 1897, is not entitled to annuities or other benefits accruing to the tribe and must not be enrolled. (25 Stats., 392; 30 Stats., 90.) 5. Deceased Indians may be carried on the rolls for one payment after death. This applies to all periodical payments, whether the funds to be distributed are regular annuities or derived from sales of timber, grazing privileges, or other miscellaneous sources. In other words, where an Indian has been accustomed to receiving regular payments of more than one kind of funds, he may be carried on the rolls for one payment of each after death, provided the same accrued during the lifetime of the annuitant. 6. Each annuity roll will be carefully compared with the one immediately preceding, and, as far as practicable, the names on the two rolls will be made to correspond. The number of the individual on the previous roll will be entered in red ink opposite the name of the same individual on the current roll. If a name on the previous roll does not appear on the current roll, the reason for the omission must be given. 7. The father and head of the family will be allowed to receive and receipt for the shares of himself, his wife, and minor children, except as hereinafter provided. 8. If for any reason, such as sickness, very old age, or incompetency, the husband and father is unable to be present at the payment, the wife may be permitted to receive and receipt for the family shares. 9. If the husband and father is known to be improvident, a drunkard, a gambler, a spendthrift, or for any other reason an unfit person to handle the money of his wife and children, he will be paid his own share and the mother allowed to receive and receipt for the shares of herself and minor children. 10. If a husband and wife are separated each will be paid his or her own share, and the shares of the minor children will be paid to the parent who cares for and supports them. |