9. Such other records as may be necessary for the proper, efficient, and economical prosecution of the work, keeping in mind the provisions of Circular No. 34, Office of the Chief of Engineers, 1900. (See § 61.)

(Cir. 7, C. of E., 1902.)

60. Changes in systems of records.—No radical changes will be made in the methods of keeping accounts and of recording and indexing correspondence in District Offices without the prior authority of the Chief of Engineers.

This is not intended to discourage the making of such changes when desirable, but to insure that changes when made shall be along lines that will lead to greater uniformity in office methods. (Cir. 2, C. of E., 1906.)

61. Personal and office records. -All official communications received at District Offices upon any subject pertaining to the work of the district are to be considered as a part of the office records and are to be retained on the files of the office unless it is required by some law or regulation that the papers be attached to vouchers for payments or that some other disposition be made of them.

Such official records are not to be considered as a part of an officer's retained papers, except such as are by law or regulation required to be attached to retained vouchers. Neither is it considered necessary or proper that copies of such papers, except in some special case, should be made by office forces for the retained files of an officer. Many such papers may contain the authority for certain action, but that such papers are a part of an office record is considered proper official protection.

(Cir. 34, C. of E., 1900.)

62. Comptroller's decisions.-Volumes of Decisions of the Comptroller of the Treasury are forwarded for office use, and should be turned over by officers to whom they have been furnished to their successors upon change of station or surrender of office. (Cir. 2, C. of E., 1901.)

63. Government publications generally.-Government publications furnished to officers of the United States for their official use shall not become the property of these officers, but on the ex

piration of their official term shall be delivered by them to their successors in office. (Sec. 74, act of Jan. 12, 1895; 28 Stats., 620, or 2 Sup. R. S., 360.)

64. Economy of clerical work.—Much clerical work can be avoided by reducing and simplifying methods, office reports, blanks, systems of briefing, indexing, references, etc. Systems more elaborate and detailed than is required by law or regulation should be avoided.

It is desirable to have office records sufficiently complete to permit a ready reference to any matter of importance, but in all offices there is found a large mass of correspondence and papers, of which the indexing and filing with the same detail that is applied to papers of importance is labor wasted.

(Cir. 34, C. of E., 1900.)

(a) Cross reference: Rigid economy to be exercised as to number of employees, office expenses, transportation, etc. (G. O. 1., C. of E., 1869,-§ 510.)

65. Copies for certification by War Department.-In preparing copies [of records and papers] for the seal of the [War] Department care must be taken that no words are inserted in the copy which are not contained in the original. The word "signed" before a signature, and the words "a true copy" or "official copy," etc., with signature, sometimes placed on copies of original papers, should be omitted, as they are evidently not contained in the original. The indorsement on the paper inclosing the copy should show that it is a true copy, or a statement may be pinned to the copy certifying to that fact.

In this connection attention is invited to the decision of the Department published in circular from this office of September 20, 1870, as follows:

"It is not deemed proper to intrust attested transcripts of the. public records to private persons for use in controversies in which the United States has no real interest, except upon the certificate of the tribunals before which such controversies are to be decided that such transcripts of the public records are deemed essential to the ends of justice."

(W. D. Cir., Jan. 15, 1886, published by Cir. 3, C. of E., 1886.)

66. Authentication by impressed stamp.-Copies of any records or papers in the War Department or any of its bureaus, if authenticated by the impressed stamp of the bureau or office having custody of the originals (e. g., “Adjutant General's Office, Official Copy"), may be admitted in evidence equally with the originals thereof before any court-martial, court of inquiry, or in any administrative matter under the War Department. (Par. II, G. O. 91, A. G. O., 1900.)

67. Citations and cross references:

(a) For general provisions regarding military records, see A. R. 827-831.

(b) Officers or troops of the Corps of Engineers detached from the command of the Chief of Engineers will continue to conform to the regulations of the Engineer Department in regard to the keeping of records. (A. R. 1524.)

(c) When an officer is relieved from duty on any work he will, unless otherwise ordered, turn over the books and papers pertaining thereto to his successor. (E. R. 31.)

(d) The Division Engineer to exercise supervision over the office methods in each district in his division. (G. O. 9, C. of E., 1901,—§ 111.)

(e) The division engineer may call upon any district officer in his division for necessary data, reports, etc., from the files of the district office; unnecessary duplication of records, however, to be avoided. (G. O. 9, C. of E., 1901,—§ 110.)

(f) Hectograph impressions not to be used in the preparation of contracts or other papers where permanence is desired. (Cir. 12, C. of E., 1887,-§ 293.)

CHAPTER IV.

ENGINEER BOARDS AND DIVISION ENGINEERS.

REPORTS OF BOARDS.

68. Separate reports by individual members.-When the report of a Board of Engineers is signed by all the members, no individual member will submit an additional report, but when a member of a board can not sign the report of the Board he may submit his views in a minority report; it should, however, be remembered that questions are submitted to boards for consideration, discussion, and determination, and that minority reports are not to be encouraged. (G. O. 4, C. of E., 1892.)

THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS.

69. Division and district engineers to be associated with. Whenever the defense or improvement of any particular locality or other work is under consideration by The Board of Engineers, the corresponding division engineer or district engineer, or both, may be associated with the Board as a member, or as members thereof, if in the opinion of the Chief of Engineers this can be done consistently with their other duties. (G. O. 6, C. of E., 1893.)

(a) Citation: For general provisions regarding The Board of Engineers, see E. R. 10-16.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR BOARDS OF PROMOTION.

70. Selection and composition.-The examination of all officers of the Corps of Engineers below the grade of major shall be conducted by boards selected in accordance with the act of Con

gress approved October 1, 1890 (26 Stats., 562), published in General Orders, No. 116, 1890, Adjutant-General's Office, and composed of five members, two of whom shall be medical officers, and three shall, if practicable, be officers of the same corps or department as the officer to be examined and senior to him in rank. The junior member of the board, exclusive of medical officers, shall act as recorder. (G. O. 81, W. D., 1904. )

71. Organization.-The organization of boards shall conform to that of retiring boards, the recorder swearing the several members, including the medical officers, faithfully and impartially to examine and report upon the officer about to be examined, and the president of the board then swearing the recorder to the faithful performance of his duty. Proceedings shall be made separately in each case. (G. O. 81, W. D., 1904.)

72. Challenges.-Previous to the swearing of the board, members thereof may be challenged for cause stated to the board, the relevancy and validity of which shall be determined by the full board, according to procedure of courts-martial in like cases. The record shall show that the right to challenge was accorded. If the number of members is reduced by challenge or otherwise, the board shall adjourn, and report the facts to The Military Secretary, through the president of the board, for the action of the War Department. (G. O. 81, W. D., 1904.)

73. Reexamination: Members of prior board not to serve.When an officer has been suspended from promotion for one year on account of failure in his professional examination, no officer of his branch of the service who served upon the board which found him deficient shall be a member of the board which reexamines such officer, provided the reexamining board can be so constituted without manifest injury to the service. (G. O. 81, W. D., 1904.) 74. Medical officers on boards.-Medical officers shall not take part in the professional examination except in the cases of assistant surgeons. They shall make the necessary physical examination of all officers, and shall report their opinion in writing to the board. All questions relating to the physical condition of an officer shall be determined by the full board. (G. O. 81, W. D.,