INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED BY THE BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY. Circular letter. Serial No. 277-1923. WSD/MG 124942-0. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY, Washington, D. C., July 18, 1923. To: All naval hospitals, continental limits and Pearl Harbor; Naval Medical School, Washington, D. C.; post surgeon, marine barracks, Quantico, Va.; senior medical officer, naval training station, Hampton Roads, Va.; naval medical supply depots, Brooklyn, N. Y., and Mare Island, Calif. Subject: Civilian employees, military preference. References: (a) M. & S. circular letter, serial No. 275-1923, #124942-0, June 30, 1923. Inclosures. (A) Navy Department circular letter #SONYD-7-VR, March 23, 1923. (B) Navy Department circular letter #SONYD-7-VR, April 25, 1923. 1. In connection with the reduction of civil personnel required by reference (a), attention is called to the Executive order of March 3, 1923, regarding preference to be given ex-service employees, as set forth in inclosures (A) and (B). 2. The paragraph of the Executive order particularly applicable at this time reads: "In the event of reductions being made in any part of the classified service, to person entitled to preference in original appointment shall be discharged or dropped or reduced in rank or salary if his record is good." 3. In effecting reductions in force especial care will be taken to comply with the above provision. Circular letter. [Inclosure.] E. R. STITT. SONYD-7-VR. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, April 25, 1923. From: Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Subject: Military preference, Executive order of March 3, 1923. 1. As a result of the promulgation of the Executive order of March 3, 1923, by reference, a number of questions have been submitted to the department with respect to the effect of the Executive order. For the information and guidance of all concerned there are given below the questions with appropriate answers: 1. Question. If necessary to reduce force composed entirely of employees in like ratings, all of whom are entitled to military preference, on what basis should discharge be made? Answer. On basis of relative efficiency in like ratings. 2. Question. Does Executive Order apply to Groups II, III, IVa, IVb, and IVe (classified) and except Group I (unclassified)? Answer. Department by paragraph 2 of reference specifically applied the provisions of the Executive order to all employees regardless of their classification, and therefore included Group I (unclassified). 3. Question. Can employees entitled to military preference in appointment be reduced in pay in the event of a new pay schedule becoming effective providing a lower rate of pay in certain or all ratings? Answer. Yes. 4. Question. What is effective date of Executive order? Answer. An Executive order is analogous to law in that it becomes effective the date it is signed by the President, unless otherwise indicated. Therefore the order of March 3, 1923, is effective on and after date of its issuance, viz, March 3, 1923. 5. Question. Assumed that employees in Group I (unclassified) are excepted from the provisions of the Executive order of March 3, 1923, unless at some time they have had a classified status. Answer. Department has provided that Executive order shall apply to Group I employees as well as all others. See 2. 6. Question. Could a discharge or furlough be made among employees in a like rating all of whom are entitled to military preference in the event of lack of work or funds? Answer. They could be furloughed not to exceed the number of days provided in Article 321, Naval Instructions, 1913, or discharged. In this connection, no law or Executive order presupposes the retention in employment of any employees regardless of whether they have military preference or not, when there is no work for them in the'r rating, or when there are no funds out of which their services may be paid. In the latter instance, lack of funds in a particular appropriation is immaterial, as they may be shifted from one appropriation to another, which is mere paper work detail. 7. Question. Can a supervisory or other employee whose retention in his rating is based on a requirement that he have a specific number of employees under his supervision, be reduced in rating when the force he supervises is reduced to the point where his rating can no longer be maintained? Answer. Yes. See 6. 8. Question. If work, funds, and allowed complements are all sufficient there may still exist an excess of those with military preference in one branch or trade. How is balance of force to be obtained? For example, the force of planners may require reduction to 12; the normal balance of force as reduced might require 2 machinist planners; yet there may be 3 in the force before reduction. How would the one in excess be handled? Answer. Assuming that all employees in the rating in excess are veterans, reduction will be confined to employees in this particular rating on basis of relative efficiency. Under existing regulations, excess employees will be returned to the shop. 9. Question. What action should be taken in the case of employees entitled to military preference who become physically unable to perform any work? Answer. To be separated. 10. Question. What action should be taken in the case of an employee entitled to military preference who becomes physically unfit to perform the work of his rating, but is physically able to perform less arduous duties in some lower paid rating. Is reduction thereto prohibited? Answer. No. 11. Question. In case of an employee who was not entitled to military preference when first appointed, subsequently through military service gain such status, is he entitled to preference as provided in the order, as is given to those originally appointed with military preference? Answer. Yes. 12. Question. Is it not the intention of the order to forbid discharge or reduction of preference employees when funds or work do not warrant their retention? Answer. No. 13. Question. Paragraph 67, Form 2009, defines "Good" as equivalent to a percentage rating of 70 to 80. The term is used for yard system of efficiency rating. It is intended that under the terms of order that the word "Good" shall be strictly interpreted in this sense? Answer. Yes. 2. Commandants of naval districts will transmit this letter to all organizations coming within their jurisdiction. 3. Chiefs of bureaus and offices will transmit this letter to all inspection offices under their jurisdiction. 4. The Major General Commandant, United States Marine Corps, will transmit this letter to all organizations of the United States Marine Corps not under the command of naval officers. Circular letter. Serial No. 278-1923. THEODORE ROOSEVELT. AWD/ML 125884 (73). DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY, To: All naval hospitals (continental limits). Subject: Foodstuff expended during the fiscal year. 1. It is directed that each hospital submit to the bureau an itemized total of all foodstuff expended during the last fiscal year. These totals to be compiled from the 12 monthly totals of the commissary ledger. This statement to show the quantity of each item, cost not to be considered or reported. 2. The total number of subsistence days for the fiscal year 1923 will also be given. Circular letter. Serial No. 279-1923. E. R. STITT. NLS/JBC F-4-42022. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY, To: All medical officers, chief pharmacists, and pharmacists. Reference: Paragraph 404, Manual of the Medical Department, 1922. 1. To assure the uniform preparation of this form throughout the naval service, the following instructions are issued for the guidance of those concerned and will be strictly observed. These instructions will be included in a future change in the Manual of the Medical Department. 2. Only the last revision (1922) of this form shall be used. If a supply of this revision is not on hand, immediate request shall be made to the naval medical supply depot. WHEN PREPARED AND FORWARDED. Weekly, by all naval training stations, Hospital Corps schools, and all naval hospitals and receiving ships (including the Naval Academy) within the continental limits of the United States. Monthly, by all naval training stations, Hospital Corps schools, all naval hospitals, all receiving ships (including the Naval Academy), all ships and all other stations not specifically mentioned above, including marine activities and recruiting stations. Whenever any activity is placed out of commission. PERIODS COVERED BY REPORTS. Weekly. The week ending at midnight on Saturday. Monthly. The calendar month ending at midnight of the last day thereof. Decommissioning.—Period since forwarding of last previous report. INFORMATION CONTAINED ON REPORTS. Weekly. All permanent changes in status or station of any Hospital Corps men occurring during the week. No temporary changes in status or station of "staff" Hospital Corps men, such as admission to or discharge from the sick list, going on or returning from authorized or unauthorized leave, confinement, etc., will be reported. Monthly. All permanent changes in status or station of any hospital corpsmen occurring during the month. Stations submitting the weekly report will report only such changes as have occurred since the forwarding of the last previous weekly or monthly report. A complete roster of all officers and men of the Hospital Corps staff remaining at end of month, giving surname, Christian name and initials, and all names if more than one person have the same names; rate and U. S. N. or N. R. F., date of expiration of enlistment or enrollment; original date of reporting for duty (a man may have been discharged and reenlisted since first reporting for duty); and the duty to which assigned or status of the individual, as: On days' leave, on sick list (with diagnosis), and temporary duty at confined, etc. A complete roster of all "patient" officers and men of the Hospital Corps received from other activities, giving the same information as for staff hospital corpsmen and diagnosis, shall be made immediately following the staff roster. A complete roster of all officers and men of the Hospital Corps who are passengers en route to another station or awaiting transfer to another ship or station and showing their status shall be made next following the roster of "patient" hospital corpsmen. The names of none but members of the Hospital Corps shall be reported. Complement: The complement of hospital corpsmen as "authorized" by the Bureau of Navigation shall be reported. The complement on "board" reported shall include all members of the Hospital Corps attached to the staff of the activity making the report regardless of any temporary loss of the services of men through leave, sickness, or other transient causes. The number of hospital corpsmen who are patients, passengers, awaiting transfer, or temporarily on board for any reason shall not be included in the numbers reported as "on board." The total "on board" shall not include the number of pharmacists. Enlisted, received, or transferred since last report: The names of all members of the Hospital Corps affected by a permanent change in status or station shall be reported. Temporary changes, such as going on or returning from authorized or unauthorized leave, admission to or discharge from the sick list, assignment to or return from temporary duty, etc., affecting the status or station of staff hospital corpsmen, shall not be reported on this form. Advancement or reduction in rating or changes in rating to or from the Hospital Corps shall be reported as C. R. Men moved from one duty to another at the same station, as from the incoming detention unit to medical headquarters or from Camp to provost marshal, etc., at a naval training station or from the contagious camp to the main hospital at a naval hospital shall not be reported as transferred to " or "received from " such interstation activities. 66 Men not transferred direct to a new station shall be reported as transferred to their final destination via a receiving ship or vessel which carries them or as transferred to a receiving ship or to the vessel which carries them for further transfer to their final destination. For example, men transferred to the Asiatic Station or a West Indies station usually are sent to a receiving ship and from there to a vessel going to the station to which they are ordered. 3. All previous instructions governing the preparation and forwarding of the Roster Report are hereby canceled. Circular letter. Serial No. 280-1923. E. R. STITT. WWB/JBC F-2-42022. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, To: All medical officers. Subject: Form N. M. S. H. C. 2. References: (a) Manual of the Medical Department, 1922, par. 402, as changed by M. & S. letter 128014 (41) of 12 April, 1923. (b) Bu. M. & S. circular letter 270 of 22 June, 1923. 66 1. From the number of Efficiency Reports, Hospital Corps, United States Navy," being received in the bureau it is apparent that paragraph 2 of reference (b) is not being complied with. This necessitates the return of such forms and needless correspondence, neither of which would have been caused had the instructions referred to in this paragraph been observed. 2. The "Efficiency Report, Hospital Corps, United States Navy," will not be used in carrying out the provisions of reference (b), and any stock of that form on hand will be disposed of at once to prevent any further use of an obsolete form. 3. Attention is directed to reference (a), and it again is directed that a request for a supply of Form N. M. S. H. C. 2 (Qualification Report, Enlisted Personnel, Hospital Corps, United States Navy, and Qualification Report, Chief Pharmacist and Pharmacists, Hospital Corps, United States Navy) be submitted at once to a naval medical supply depot. E. R. STITT. |