A BILL AUTHORIZING THE CONSTRUCTION OF
A HIGHWAY TO ALASKA

76450

FEBRUARY 4, 5, AND 6, 1942

Printed for the use of the Committee on Roads

UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 1942

COMMITTEE ON ROADS

WILBURN CARTWRIGHT, Oklahoma, Chairman

WILLIAM M. WHITTINGTON, Mississippi

J. W. ROBINSON, Utah

JENNINGS RANDOLPH, West Virginia
ROBERT T. SECREST, Ohio

HUGH PETERSON, Georgia
NAT PATTON, Texas

ALFRED J. ELLIOTT, California
JOE B. BATES, Kentucky

HERBERT C. BONNER, North Carolina
CLYDE T. ELLIS, Arkansas

LUCIEN J. MACIORA, Connecticut
PHILIP A. TRAYNOR, Delaware
BERNARD J. GEHRMANN, Wisconsin
ANTHONY J. DIMOND, Alaska

JESSE P. WOLCOTT, Michigan
JAMES W. MOTT, Oregon

H. CARL ANDERSEN, Minnesota
USHER L. BURDICK, North Dakota
FRANK FELLOWS, Maine
PAUL CUNNINGHAM, Iowa
PHILIP A. BENNETT, Missouri

WAINWRIGHT BRIDGES, Clerk

II

PROPOSED HIGHWAY TO ALASKA

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1942

COMMITTEE ON ROADS,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Washington, D. C.

The committee met at 10 a. m., Hon. William M. Whittington presiding.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. The committee will be in order. I regret, in common with the other members of the committee, to learn that the chairman, as he started to his office this morning, was taken suddenly ill. The meeting had been announced, and I am presiding in his absence.

The purpose of the meeting is to consider H. R. 3095, introduced by Delegate Dimond, of Alaska, to provide for the construction of the so-called Alaskan Highway.

(H. R. 3095, 77th Cong., 1st sess.]

A BILL Authorizing the construction of a highway to Alaska.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it is in the public interest and for the promotion of national defense to connect the United States with the Territory of Alaska by a substantial highway usable during the entire year.

SEC. 2. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be necessary, not exceeding $25,000,000, for the construction of a highway through the northwestern part of Canada and into Alaska so as to connect existing roads in the United States and Canada with the Richardson Highway of Alaska.

SEC. 3. The President is authorized to expend all or any part of said sum, in such manner as he may deem expedient, for the prompt construction of the highway, and such expenditures, with the consent of the Government of the Dominion of Canada, may be made in Canada as well as in Alaska. The President is authorized to cooperate in every respect with the Government of the Dominion of Canada and with the governments of the several Provinces of the Dominion in the construction of such highway.

SEC. 4. In such construction all of the laws relating to procurement and contracts in the construction of public projects are suspended for the period of two years from the date of the enactment hereof with a view of having the proposed road constructed and completed at the earliest practicable date.

SEC. 5. The President shall cause such highway to be located and built on the route that, in his judgment, will best serve the needs of national defense.

This bill was introduced in February of last year and referred to the War and other Departments for report. The picture, of course, has materially changed since Pearl Harbor and the War Department, among other Departments, is revising its report and will submit another report at a very early date, in lieu of the former report. I am advised there is a representative from the War Department in attendance here this morning, Col. J. K. Tully.

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