Interrelated Water Resources Development Programs of the Department of the Interior and the Corps of Engineers (Civil Agency for International Development. Economic and technical assistance program for Thailand Decisions to claimants Chapter Thirteen-RECRUITING AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT Recruiting and developing our professional staff of account- Introduction During the year our staff carried out its work at 2,505 locations throughout the world, including 22 foreign countries. Refunds, collections, measurable savings and other financial benefits resulting from the work of the General Accounting Office amounted to $162,875,000. This amounted to a return of nearly $4 for every dollar spent by the General Accounting Office for the year. Actual refunds and collections made by or through our efforts during the year amounted to over $48,219,000 or $7,264,000 in excess of actual expenditures. We made 766 examinations, reviews, and audits at 411 plants and offices of contractors and subcontractors holding contracts with the Armed Forces and at 96 plants and offices of contractors and subcontractors holding contracts with civil departments and agencies of the Government. We also examined records of 57 local housing authorities and of some 30 educational institutions receiving loans, grants, or annual contributions from the Federal Government. In the civil departments and agencies, we made 459 reviews of selected activities and programs at 1,359 locations within the United States and in various foreign countries. We made 152 reviews of selected activities and programs at 611 military installations, including 210 military bases in 19 foreign countries. During the year, we audited 4.5 million bills of lading covering freight shipments and 2.3 million transportation requests for passenger travel, and issued 78,003 claims against the carriers for overcharges totaling $29.4 million. We also settled 26,635 claims from carriers against the Government totaling $11.1 million for $6.7 million, or $4.4 million less than claimed. In addition to these direct settlements, we furnished assistance to the Department of Justice in some sixty legal actions involving claims against the Government for $4.4 million which were settled for $1.8 million, or $2.6 million less than claimed. In our legal work, we handled 4,487 decisions and related legal matters. We submitted 822 legislative and legal reports to committees and Members of the Congress on information of |