GENERAL ADMINISTRATION AND PROTECTION. 87 



drayage, and purchase of money order, and will remit the net proceeds by 

 postal money order to the district depository, accompanied by a letter of trans- 

 mittiil (Form 861). He will send both copies of the Form 217 to the District 

 Forester. 



When the sale is approved by the District Forester he will send both copies 

 of the Form 217 to the property auditor, who, upon receiving through the dis- 

 trict fiscal agent the Form 861 with the indorsement of payment thereon, will 

 credit the officer who made the sale and inform him of the action taken by 

 stamped indorsement on one copy of the Form 217, to which he will attach the 

 original Form 861. 



Annual Property Return. 



Annually, on January 1, a property return will be prepared on Form 330 

 in duplicate by every member of the Service who is accountable for property 

 on the records of the property auditor. On this return will be entered the 

 articles on hand as shown on the last return, the articles received by transfer 

 or purchase since the last return, the articles disposed of by transfer, by certifi- 

 cate of loss or of sale, and the balance on hand on the date of return. Both 

 copies will be signed and sent to the property auditor. As soon as the correct- 

 ness of the return is established, both copies will be signed by the property 

 auditor, who will keep one and return the other to the member making the 

 return. 



Property Auditor's Report. 



Annually the property auditor will furnish each District Forester a state- 

 ment of the value of all nonexpendable property charged to each of the Forests 

 within his district. He will also furnish upon request of a District Forester 

 a detailed statement of the number of instruments and other articles of equip- 

 ment of any special kind charged against any or all of the Forests within the 

 district. The property auditor will also furnish the District Forester a state- 

 ment of the value of the expendable supplies obtained by the respective super- 

 visors within the district, both by requisition on the supply depot and by 

 purchase under letters of authorization. These statements will be used by the 

 District Foresters as a basis for property inspection and for comparing the 

 efficiency of the various supervisors in the handling of equipment and supplies. 



Property Inspection. 



Periodically an inspection will be made of the property in the hands of 

 Forest custodians. When the inspection is made the custodian will prepare and 

 submit to the inspecting officer a property return (Form 330) in duplicate, in 

 the manner prescribed for the annual property return. The inspector will then 

 check the property on hand against the return. If the property on hand agrees 

 with the return, he will certify to the fact on the return and send both copies 

 to the property auditor. If any discrepancies are found the inspector will 

 make no changes in the return, but will send it to the property auditor, with a 

 letter stating the discrepancies. The inspector will also submit to the District 

 Forester a report on the condition and sufficiency of the equipment and supplies 

 on hand. 



Storage. 



Property charged to members of field parties, which is no longer needed and 

 which can not be advantageously returned to the property clerk, will be placed 

 in the care of the most accessible Forest officer, and a memorandum receipt 

 taken on Form 874-16. When this is not practicable the property may be 

 placed in storage, but a letter of authorization will be obtained from the 

 District Forester to cover the expense. Storage fees may be paid by the mem- 

 ber charged with the property and the receipt of the storage company sub- 

 mitted in his reimbursement account, or on Form A voucher for payment 

 directly to the storage company by the district fiscal agent. Property placed 

 in the care of another member of the Service or in storage remains charged 

 to the member until its final disposition by transfer (Form 939). 



Final Settlement. 



Final payment for salary or reimbursement will not be made to members 

 severing their connection with the Service who have been in any way responsible 

 for public property until evidence shall have been furnished that it has been 

 properly accounted for. The executive officer in charge will be held responsible 

 for notifying the district fiscal agent before final payment of salary is made, 

 or before final payment is made on reimbursement vouchers. 



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