Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 70.djvu/944

 888

PUBLIC LAW 884-AUG. 1, 1956

Public Law 884 August 1, 1956 [S. 985]

Alaska International R a i l and Highway Commission. Establishment.

Duties.

Cooperation with Canada.

[70

ST A T,

CHAPTER 840

AN ACT To establish an Alaska International Rail and Highway Commission.

Be it enacted by the Senate and Home of Representatives of the Umted States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) there is hereby established an Alaska International Rail and Highway Commission (hereinafter referred to as the "Commission") which shall be composed of twelve members, to be appointed by the President, as follows: (1) five of the members of the Commission shall be Members of the Congress of the United States, not more than three of whom shall be members of the same political party; (2) four of the members shall be selected from the executive branch of the Government, of whom, if practicable, one shall be from the Department of the Army, to be designated by the Secretary of the Army, one from the Department of the Interior, one from the Department of State, and 6ne from the Department of Commerce; and (3) three of the members shall be selected from the general public, one of whom shall be a resident of Alaska and one of whom shall be a resident of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. (b) The Commission shall select a chairman and a vice chairman from among its members. (c) A quorum of the Commission shall consist of seven members. Any vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers and shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made. (d) The appointment of an officer of the Army on the active list as a member of the Commission is authorized as an exception to section 1222, Revised Statutes (10 U.S.C. 576), and does not vacate his appointment as a commissioned officer of the Army. SEC. 2. I t shall be the duty of the Commission— (a) to make a thorough and complete study of the economic and military advantages of additional highway and rail transportation facilities connecting continental United States with central Alaska; (b) to make a thorough and complete study of Jhe most feasible and direct routes of rail and highway transportation between the United States and Alaska, in relation to the economic benefits to be derived therefrom by the United States, Canada, and Alaska; and (c) to make a thorough and complete study of the most feasible feeder rail and highway routes connecting coastal ports and cities with the rail and highway facilities between the United States and Alaska, determined most feasible and beneficial by the Commission. I n making such studies, the Commission shall give particular attention to the feasibility of rail and highway facilities between the Pacific Northwest region and Alaska. I n determining the most feasible and beneficial routes for rail and highway facilities, the Commission shall take into consideration the proximity to such routes of suitable sites for airfields. SEC. 3. The Commission is authorized to cooperate with the officials of the Dominion of Canada and of the Province of British Columbia and with any commission or similar body appointed for such purpose by the Dominion of Canada or the Province of British Columbia. The Secretary of State shall, at the request of the Commission,

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