257 



of that date, and where that is not possible, an explanation of the delay must accom- 

 pany the recommendation. 

 Repairs to Damaged Instruments 



Instruments of which replaceable parts become broken should not be condemned 

 and destroyed, but requisition should be made upon the Property Clerk for new parts, 

 which will be classed as expendable. Calipers, for instance, are easily damaged in 

 use by the graduated bar being broken. When this occurs a new bar should be 

 obtained by requisition and the instrument repaired. When the instrument is 

 broken beyond repair, it should be disposed of as prescribed in Service Order 27 under 

 "Sec. 150. Unserviceable Property." 

 Property Accountability- 

 Forest officers who are charged with Government property must take care to safe- 

 guard it from loss or theft, and relief from responsibility will not be given when 

 property is found to be missing from any cause, unless it is shown that due precautions 

 against loss were taken . When tools or equipment are to be left in unoccupied cabins 

 for a time, a Forest Service padlock should be placed on at least one of the doors of 

 the cabin and all other openings securely fastened from the inside to afford reason- 

 able provision against theft. 



No property should be receipted for by any member of the Service until after it 

 has been properly checked. The fact that the checking was not done will not be 

 accepted as a satisfactory reason for granting relief for shortages found to exist after 

 a subsequent check. 

 Memorandum Bills of Lading- 

 Service Order No. 30 in the Field Program for July directed that beginning July 1, 

 1909, memorandum bills of lading, Form M, covering freight and express shipments 

 be forwarded to Washington through the District Fiscal Agent. Most of these 

 forms are being forwarded as prescribed, but a number of bills of lading have been 

 received for which no Form M is on file. This causes delay in the settlement of 

 freight accounts, since railroad companies usually submit several bills on one voucher, 

 and the lack of one memorandum bill may cause delay in the settlement of a large 

 account. 



In some cases dealers making freight shipments for Forest officers decline to sur- 

 render the memorandum bills of lading. It is believed that if such dealers under- 

 stand clearly that these forms are a necessary Forest Service record, and are essential 

 to the payment of the transportation charges, they will either make an extra carbon 

 or use their own commercial forms in getting the transportation company's receipt 

 for the property. The Property Clerk at Ogden has therefore been instructed to 

 stamp all Forms M issued in the future as follows: 



"Forest Service record. This memorandum bill is to be forwarded to the 

 District Fiscal Agent after entry of charges." 



Until the stamped forms are received members of the Service, whenever they 

 supply a dealer with a bill of lading for a freight shipment, should write the above 

 instructions across the face of the memorandum bill. 



