the Federal Civil Defense Administration, and the State highway departments. The Secretary is authorized to make the final determination of the standards to be used, except as provided in section 102 (d).

(b) The geometric standards for the interstate system shall be such standards as are deemed adequate to properly accommodate the types and volume of traffic forecast for the twenty years immediately following enactment of this Act. Such standards shall provide for the development of a system as nationally uniform in characteristics as possible within a ten-year construction period.

(c) The right-of-way width on the interstate system shall be adequate to permit construction of the route to the geometric standards provided for in subparagraph (b) for a period of at least twenty years following the date of authorization of a project under this Act. Such width shall not be deemed adequate if (1) it does not include provision for the addition of more traffic lanes at a future date, except that the maximum width in any case need not exceed that necessary for three moving lanes in each direction, plus service roads as necessary; and if (2) it does not contain the proper and necessary degree and type of control of access or exits from the highway which will permit maximum freedom of traffic flow and promote national safety.

(d) The standards shall be periodically reviewed by the Secretary to insure maximum utility of the completed system with due recognition to the desirability of developing a national system having the greatest uniformity of characteristics possible.

EXPENDITURE AUTHORIZATION

SEC. 204. The Secretary is hereby authorized to make payments in an amount not to exceed $25,000,000,000 or such lesser sum as estimated by the Corporation on the basis of prospective revenues to be the maximum amount to be available for the purposes of this Act.

DISTRIBUTION BY STATES

SEC. 205. (a) On or before April 1, 1956, each State desiring to avail itself of funds hereunder shall file a statement, and an estimate of the cost as of January 1, 1956, of bringing that portion of the designated interstate mileage within its boundaries up to the standards prescribed under this Act. On or before April 1 of each subsequent year, each State shall submit a revised estimate of such cost as of January 1 of such year, including therein the actual or estimated cost any construction of such mileage begun or carried on subsequent to January 1, 1956.

(b) on or before July 1, 1956, and on or before July 1 of each year thereafter, the Secretary shall establish an approved estimate of cost for construction of projects on the interstate system in each State, and the Secretary shall determine the ratio of the approved estimate of cost for each State to the total of the approved estimates of such cost for all States. After subtracting from the amount determined pursuant to section 204, the estimated total credits under section 207 and estimated total expenses for administrative purposes and research, the Secretary shall apply the ratio for each State to the remaining sum and the resulting amounts shall be the maximum Federal payments to the various States for the purposes of section 206. He shall promptly notify the States of these maximum amounts.

SCHEDULING OF CONSTRUCTION AND PARTICIPATION BY STATES

SEC. 206. (a) On or before April 1, 1956, and on or before April 1 of each year thereafter, each State desiring to avail itself of funds hereunder shall file a statement and an estimate of the cost of projects it proposes to construct during each of the next two fiscal years. The Secretary shall examine these estimates, and before the beginning of each fiscal year, commencing with the fiscal year 1957, he shall establish an approved construction program, including the estimated cost thereof, for each State for such fiscal year. Except as provided in section 102 (d), the Secretary shall have the final responsibility, after consultation with the States, the Department of Defense, and the Federal Civil Defense Administration, for determining the scheduling and priority of construction of projects, taking into consideration the objective of a uniform rate of accomplishment of construction on the interstate system in all the States and the availability of funds from the Corporation.

(b) The Secretary shall make allocations to the States in the amounts of the approved estimates, and the Secretary shall promptly notify the States

of the approved construction programs and of the amounts so allocated. These allocations shall be available for obligation by the States to which allocated for a period of two years. Any sums not under obligation at the end of any two-year period may be reallocated, as the Secretary may determine.

(c) On or before July 1, 1956, and on or before July 1 of each year thereafter, the Secretary shall transmit to the Corporation a schedule indicating his best estimate of the cash requirements necessary to meet payments during the next two fiscal years. These estimates shall include estimates of amounts needed for payments under section 207, for research as authorized by section 10 (a) of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1954, and for administrative purposes in an amount not exceeding one-tenth of 1 per centum of the funds made available by the Corporation in any fiscal year. The Corporation shall promptly make available funds to the Secretary as required by his annual estimate.

(d) The Secretary is authorized to advance funds to each State to permit prompt payment of construction costs.

(e) Payments to the States made pursuant to this section shall be subject to the conditions (1) that construction of projects on the interstate system in each State shall be in accordance with the standards approved by the Secretary; (2) that the State participates in the costs of construction in each fiscal year in an amount in cash or services no less than that which would have been required as its matching amount payable for construction of projects on the interstate system under the provisions of section 2 of the FederalAid Highway Act of 1954 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1956; and (3) that the State will have the same obligations as to maintenance of the projects Constructed under this Act that it has under Federal-aid highway legislation.

CREDITS FOR EXISTING ROADS AND TOLL ROADS

SEC. 207. (a) If an existing free highway, which is located upon the interstate system, is believed to measure up to the standards of construction required by section 203, a State may request that it receive a credit for such highway, and the State shall be entitled to receive such a credit subject to the conditions of this paragraph. The Secretary shall first determine whether or not the highway meets such standards. If he approves the same, the Secretary and the Corporation shall determine, in cooperation with each other and in accordance with the rules and regulations issued pursuant to paragraph (e), the amount of the depreciated cost of such highway. There shall be deducted from such depreciated cost an amount equivalent to 10 per centum thereof, and also the total amount of any Federal-aid funds used in the construction of such highway. The result shall be the credit to which the State is entitled.

(b) If an existing toll highway, which is located upon the interstate system, is believed to measure up to the standards of construction required by section 203, a State may request that it receive a credit for such highway, and the State shall be entitled to receive such a credit subject to the conditions of this paragraph. The Secretary shall first determine whether or not the highway meets such standards. If he approves the same, the Secretary and the Corporation shall determine, in cooperation with each other and in accordance with the rules and regulations issued pursuant to paragraph (e), the amount of the original cost of such highway, excluding therefrom the cost of the financing thereof, and of any facilities not included within the definition of the term "highway" under Federal-aid highway legislation. For toll roads completed prior to December 31, 1951, he shall allow as a credit an amount not exceeding 40 per centum of such original cost, and for toll roads completed during the period between December 31, 1951, and December 31, 1955, he shall allow a credit not exceeding 70 per centum of the original cost. The State shall be entitled to the credit so allowed.

(c) If a toll highway, which is located upon the interstate system, the construction of which is completed subsequent to December 31, 1955, is believed to measure up to the standards of construction required by section 203, a State may request that it receive the credit for such highway and the State shall be entitled to receive such a credit subject to the conditions of this paragraph. The Secretary shall first determine whether or not the highway meets such standards. If he approves the same, the Secretary and the Corporation shall determine, in cooperation with each other and in accordance with the rules and regulations issued pursuant to paragraph (e), the amount of the original cost of such highway, excluding therefrom the cost of the financing thereof and of any facilities not included within the definition of the term "highway" under

Federal-aid highway legislation. There shall be deducted from such original cost an amount equivalent to 10 per centum thereof. The result shall be the credit to which the State is entitled.

(d) Any State for which a credit has been established, whether for a toll or a free highway, shall be entitled to use the same for construction of projects on the Federal-aid primary system, subject to the conditions that all Federal-aid highway funds apportioned to a State under Federal-aid highway legislation have been expended within the meaning of said legislation, and all funds allocated under this Act have been contracted as provided under this Act. Whenever a State constructs such projects with funds, received as a result of a credit under this section, all procedures and steps shall be taken in the same manner as though such funds had been apportioned under Federal-aid highway legislation. Any State for which a credit has been established on account of a toll highway shall be entitled, at its option, to use the credit for payment of any outstanding debt on the highway, which highway shall then become a free public highway.

(e) The Secretary jointly with the Corporation shall establish such reasonable rules and regulations as necessary or advisable to carry out the purposes of this section.

(f) Whenever the Secretary determines that a credit, pursuant to this section, should be made available to a State he shall notify the Corporation. The Corporation, within a reasonable time thereafter, shall make such credit available to the Secretary for use by the State.

RIGHT-OF-WAY ACQUISITION

SEC. 208. (a) If the Secretary shall determine that the State highway department of any State is unable to obtain possession and the right to enter upon and use the rights-of-way, lands or interest in lands, improved or unimproved, including the control of access thereto from adjoining lands, required for any project on the interstate system with sufficient promptness, the Secretary is authorized, upon the request of such a State, prior to approval of title by the Attorney General, and in the name of the United States, to acquire, enter upon, and take possession of such rights-of-way, lands, or interests in lands, including the control of access thereto from adjoining lands, by purchase, donation, condemnation or otherwise in accordance with the laws of the United States (including the Act of February 26, 1931; 46 Stat. 1421), and to expend funds for projects thereon. The authority granted by this section shall also apply to lands and interest in lands received as grants of land from the United States and owned or held by railroads or other corporations. The cost incurred by the Secretary in acquiring any such rights-of-way, lands or interest in lands may include the cost of examination and abstract of title, certificate of title, advertising, and any fees incidental to such acquisition; and shall be payable out of the funds available to the Secretary for construction of projects on the interstate system to the extent of 95 per centum of the appraised value of such rights-of-way, or of the actual cost, whichever is lower. The Secretary is further authorized and directed by proper deed, executed in the name of the United States, to convey any such rights-of-way, lands, or interest in lands, including the control of access thereto from adjoining lands, acquired in any State under the provisions of this section, except the outside five feet of any such right-of-way in States unable or unwilling to control access, to the State highway department of such State or to such political subdivision thereof as its laws may provide, upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon by the Secretary and the State highway department, or political subdivisions to which the conveyance is to be made. Whenever the State is able and agrees to control access, the outside five feet may be conveyed to it.

(b) Whenever rights-of-way on the interstate system are required over public lands of the United States, the Secretary may make such arrangements with the agency having jurisdiction over such lands as may be necessary to give the State or other person constructing the projects on such lands adequate rightsof-way and control of access thereto from adjoining lands, and any such agency is hereby directed to cooperate with the Secretary in this connection.

(c) The Secretary may adopt such regulations as he deems advisable to protect fully the interests of the United States in the acquisition of rights-ofway. He may take such action as necessary to carry out such regulations.

TITLE III-MISCELLANEOUS

DEFINITIONS

SEC. 301. As used in this Act, unless the context requires otherwise(a) The term "interstate system" means the National System of Interstate Highways as authorized to be designated by section 7 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944, and includes those routes heretofore designated by the Commissioner of the Bureau of Public Roads by the attestation of a diagrammatic map, copy of which is hereby made Appendix A to this Act, as well as routes to be hereafter designated. The mileage so designated as of June 30, 1954, is thirty-seven thousand six hundred miles. The mileage of the routes so designated is calculated by stating the mileage of the most traveled highway between control points. Such mileage so designated as of June 30, 1954, with respect to each State is contained in a schedule hereby made Appendix B to this Act. The mileage of the entire system is limited to forty thousand miles. (b) The term "Corporation” means the Federal Highway Corporation created by title I of this Act.

(c) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Commerce.

(d) The term Federal-aid highway legislation means "the Act providing that the United States shall aid the States in the construction of rural post roads and for other purposes", approved June 11, 1916, as amended and supplemented.

WITHOUT COMPENSATION EMPLOYEES

SEC. 302. The Corporation and Secretary are respectively authorized, to the extent deemed necessary and appropriate, in order to carry out the provisions of this Act, to employ persons of outstanding experience and ability, without compensation, and are further authorized to provide by regulation for the exemption of such persons from the operation of sections 281, 283, 284, 434, and 1914 of title 18 of the United States Code and section 190 of the Revised Statutes (5 U. S. C. 99). Persons appointed under the authority of this subsection may be allowed transportation and not to exceed $15 per diem in lieu of subsistence while away from their homes or regular places of business, pursuant to such appointment.

AMENDMENT TO CORPORATION CONTROL ACT

SEC. 303. Section 101 of the Government Corporation Control Act (59 Stat. 597), as amended, is hereby further amended by adding thereto the words "Federal Highway Corporation."

CONSTRUCTION OF THIS ACT

SEC. 304. If any section, subsection, or other provision of this Act, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of this Act and the application of such section, subsection, or other provision to other persons or circumstance shall not be affected thereby.

EFFECT ON PRESENT LAW

SEC. 305. All provisions of Federal-aid highway legislation shall remain in full force and effect, and shall apply to the required actions to be taken, and payments to be made, by the Secretary under this Act in connection with the interstate system with the same force and effect that said provisions of the said legislation applied to such actions and payments in connection with the interstate system prior to the passage of this Act, except that the provisions of this Act shall supersede any provision of the said legislation which conflicts with a provision of this Act, except that section 13 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1950 shall not be applicable to the interstate system, and for the purposes of section 12 of the Hayden-Cartwright Act, the allocations made under this Act shall not be deemed an apportionment.

Mr. FALLON. In a special message to Congress February 22 the President proposed this legislation based upon a report of his Advisory Committee on a National Highway Program, of which Gen. Lucius D. Clay was Chairman.

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This committee fully appreciates the need for expanding and strengthening the Nation's highway system. The problem the committee will have to decide is how these bigger, better, and safer highways may be obtained within the financial capacities of Federal, State, and local governments.

It is understandable that the proposals set forth in these bills have not received unanimous support, especially with regard to the method proposed for financing. But there is general agreement that something definite must be done to make the Nation's highways adequate and we are grateful that a start has been made.

We intend to get the advice and recommendations of the Nation's highway experts during these hearings. We also have available the reports submitted by the Secretary of Commerce and the Bureau of Public Roads on the needs of the highway systems for the period 1955 to 1984, on the feasibility of toll roads, and on public utility relocation, as a result of studies made pursuant to directives contained in the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1954.

The committee expects to hear representatives of interested Federal and State agencies, representatives of labor and farm organizations, and spokesmen for trade associations, and others. At the conclusion of the hearings the Subcommittee on Roads will endeavor to report a bill which will warrant the support of the full committee and the Congress.

Our witness for today is Secretary of Commerce Sinclair Weeks, who is accompanied by his special consultant on highways, Mr. Francis V. du Pont, and his Commissioner of Public Roads, Mr. C. D. Curtiss.

Mr. Secretary, it is a pleasure to welcome you here and to receive your statement on this very important subject and have you give us your advice on how to get this highway program through the Congress. I understand that you have a prepared statement on this very important subject. If you care to read the statement you may do so, or you may proceed in any way that you care to handle it.

STATEMENT OF HON. SINCLAIR WEEKS, SECRETARY OF COMMERCE, ACCOMPANIED BY LOUIS S. ROTHSCHILD, FRANCIS V. DU PONT, AND PHILIP A. RAY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Secretary WEEKS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

May I first apologize for being late? I am not usually late to these hearings. I had an appointment with Speaker Rayburn and Majority Leader McCormack, and Mr. Priest and it ran a little longer. So I do apologize for that. I did not want to keep anybody waiting.

I appreciate being here, Mr. Chairman, and appreciate very much the fact that you could make this day available for me to present such testimony as I have because of your knowledge that I am leaving town for a brief period tomorrow on a European venture.

I have a statement here that I would like to file for the record. I will not read it at all, but I will refer to it and read some portions of it. I would like to go back to last summer, when the genesis of this whole project began, when the President talked to the Governors conference last summer in New York State, following which Governor Kennon, the chairman of the Governors conference appointed a com