Hearings, Reports and Prints of the Senate Committee on Commerce

The committee met, pursuant to notice, in room 5110, New Senate Office Building, at 10 a.m., Hon. Philip A. Hart, presiding. Senator HART. The committee will be in order.

If there is no objection, at the outset let me introduce for the record he bill, consideration of which brings us together this morning. It was introduced by our colleague, Senator Bartlett, for himself ind Senator Gruening, and bears the number S. 2614.

(The bill follows:)

[S. 2614, 89th Cong., 1st sess.]

A BILL To provide for United States participation in the statewide exposition to be held in Alaska during 1967

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, in recognition of the national and international significance of the purchase of Alaska by the United States from Russia in 1867, the Congress hereby declares that it is the purpose of this Act to provide for appropriate United States participation in the statewide 1967 centennial celebration jointly with the State of Alaska, through industrial, agricultural, educational, research, or commercial projects, or facilities which contribute to the celebration and result in an enduring contribution to the economy of Alaska.

SEC. 2. (a) The Secretary of Commerce (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the "Secretary") is authorized to make grants to the State of Alaska for use by the State, its political subdivisions, municipalities, or public or private nonprofit corporations to defray no more than one-half the costs of projects planned to support initially the 1967 Alaska Centennial as an event of national interest. Such projects shall be eligible for grants only after they are approved by such department of the State of Alaska as shall be designated for such purpose by the Governor of the State of Alaska. In accord with the purposes of this Act, the Secretary shall establish additional criteria to be met by such projects and shall promulgate regulations governing the submission and approval of applications. (b) It shall be a condition of the receipt of any grant for a project that recipient of such grant furnish adequate assurance to the Secretary of Labor that all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors on projects financed under this section shall be paid wages at not less than those prevailing on similar construction in the locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with the Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 276a-5). The Secretary of Labor shall have, with respect to the labor standards specified in this provision, the authority and functions set forth in Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (15 F.R. 3176; 64 Stat. 1267; 5 U.S.C. 133z-15), and section 2 of the Act of June 13, 1934, as amended (48 Stat. 948, as amended; 40 U.S.C. 276(c)).

(c) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the purposes of this section not to exceed $7,200,000. Funds appropriated under this subsection shall remain available for expenditure until June 30, 1968.

SEC. 3. (a) The Secretary may provide for appropriate participation by the United States in ceremonies and exhibits which are a part of the centennial

Staff counsel assigned to this hearing: Donald C. Cole.

celebration, whenever the national or international significance of any event of the centennial celebration will be enhanced by such United States participation. (b) In carrying out the purposes of this section, the Secretary may—

(1) provide for the display of Federal exhibits at one or more sites in the State of Alaska in buildings or structures furnished to the United States. during the period of the centennial celebration, except that the Secretary may utilize United States owned mobile geodesicdomed exhibition building or structures erected on land owned by the State of Alaska or any politie subdivision thereof and furnished to the United States, without cost, during the period of the centennial celebration;

(2) incur such expenses as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section, including but not limited to expenditures involved in the selec tion, purchase, rental, construction, and other acquisition of exhibits a materials and equipment therefor and the actual display thereof, and including but not limited to related expenditures for costs of landscaping. transportation, insurance, installation, safekeeping, maintenance and opera tion, and dismantling;

(3) enter into such contracts as may be necessary to provide for United States participation in appropriate ceremonies and exhibits which are a pert of the centennial celebration;

(4) appoint such persons as he deems to be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section, except that no person appointed under this paragraph shall receive compensation from the United States at a rate in excess of that received by persons under the Classification Act of 1949 for perform ing comparable duties;

(5) procure services as authorized by section 15 of the Administrative Expenses Act of 1946, as amended (5 U.S.C. 55a), but at rates for individuals not to exceed $75 per diem when actually employed; and

(6) accept any gifts, donations, or devices, or loans other than of money. to be used in carrying out the purposes of this section.

(c) In determining the exhibits to be installed by the United States during the centennial celebration and in selecting the site or sites in the State of Alaska for such exhibits, the Secretary shall consult with the Alaska State Centennial Commission.

(d) The head of each department, agency, or instrumentality of the Federal Government is authorized

(1) to cooperate with the Secretary with respect to United States partic pation in the ceremonial aspects of the centennial celebration; and

(2) to make available to the Secretary from time to time, such personnel as may be necessary to assist the Secretary in carrying out his functions under this section.

(e) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated for the purposes of this section not to exceed $600,000.

SEC. 6. The Secretary shall report to the Congress within six months after the date of the official close of the centennial celebration concerning the activities of the Federal Government pursuant to this Act, including a detailed statement of expenditures. Upon transmission of such report to the Congress, all appointments made under this Act shall terminate.

AGENCY COMMENT

Following is the report of Commerce Department on the bill as introduced: GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Washington, D.C., October 11, 1965

Hon. WARREN G. MAGNUSON,

Chairman, Senate Commerce Committee,

U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This letter is in reply to your request for the views of this Department with respect to S. 2614, a bill to provide for U.S. participation in the statewide exposition to be held in Alaska during 1967.

The bill would provide for U.S. participation in the 1967 statewide Alaska cer | tennial celebration by authorizing appropriations (i) not to exceed $7,200,000 fər Federal participation in projects which contribute to the celebration and res in an enduring contribution to the economy of Alaska, each of which must be financed at least one-half from non-Federal sources; and (ii) not to exceed

$600,000 for participation by the United States in ceremonies and exhibits which are part of the celebration.

On May 27, 1965, pursuant to Public Law 88-610, approved September 24, 1964, the Secretary of Commerce submitted to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House his report of recommendations favoring U.S. participation in the Alaska centennial celebration. The bill follows the basic approach set forth in the Secretary's report, including the recommendation that primary emphasis be placed by the Federal Government on projects contributing to the longrange development of Alaska. (Copies of the Secretary's letter are attached for your convenience.)

Accordingly, the Department recommends enactment of this legislation, subject to the following comment:

The Department construes the provision in section 3(a) of the bill “for appropriate participation by the United States in ceremonies and exhibits" as leaving the U.S. Government free to refrain from inviting foreign countries to participate in the celebration, through diplomatic channels, if there is any question that such action will hinder approval by the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) of our anticipated Bicentennial Exposition in the year 1975 or 1976.

We have been advised by the Bureau of the Budget that there would be no objection to the submission of this report from the standpoint of the administration's program.

Sincerely,

ROBERT E. GILES, General Counsel.

Senator HART. Our distinguished colleague from the House is here and under the usual schedule problem.

I have a brief statement. I think it might be helpful if I add it at this point and then, if there is no objection, we will ask Mr. Rivers to express his point of view on the bill.

The year 1967 marks the 100th anniversary of the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, and to commemorate this historical act the State of Alaska is preparing a statewide 1967 centennial celebration.

This bill, S. 2614, provides for joint U.S. participation in Alaska's celebration through industrial, agricultural, educational research, or commercial projects and facilities which contribute to the celebration and result in an enduring contribution to the economy of Alaska. Under its provisions the Secretary of Commerce is authorized to make matching grants to the State of Alaska not to exceed $7,200,000. In carrying out this authority, the Secretary is to establish the criteria which must be met by the projects and is to promulgate regulations governing the submission and approval of applications.

Another bill, S. 2309, was also introduced in this session of Congress to provide for U.S. participation in this centennial. That bill was referred to the Committee on Public Works, where hearings were held on September 16, 1965. During the course of those hearings, several minor objections were raised by the different Federal agencies who will be involved in the matter. It is to take care of these objections that the present bill, S. 2614, differs from the earlier version. A copy of the hearing held by the Committee on Public Works is before each member of this committee and will be incorporated in this record by reference.

During the course of the hearings in Public Works, several witnesses from the State of Alaska testified on behalf of S. 2309. These witnesses will not be present today. However, their testimony will be included by reference in the record of this subcommittee's hearing. For record purposes, these witnesses are Herb Adams, executive director, Alaska State Centennial Commission; Hon. John F. O'Con

« Anterior Continuar »

Libros