maximum continuity of management for the Corporation. The public members might initially have 1-, 3-, and 5-year terms and be eligible for reappointment. The Chairman of this group should be designated by the President with the Chairman alone drawing an annual salary and expected to devote full time to the task. The other two members should draw appropriate per diems and allowances only when serving on the Corporation’s business. The Corporation should have legal corporate status for the issuance and management of its bonds and other financial instruments, and the usual powers necessary for the transaction of business as a corporate body. It should be responsible to the President and required to submit annual reports of its transactions to the President for transmittal to the Congress. The Secretary of the Treasury would designate the treasurer of the Corporation to be established within the Treasury Department and authorized to utilize such Treasury Department personnel as the Board found necessary to properly perform its financial responsibilities, charging the costs thereof to the Corporation.
While the Board’s functions would be principally of a financial Management nature, it would also serve when needed as an appeals board in hearing and deciding, in an administrative as distinguished from a judicial capacity, any major questions which arise between the Bureau of Public Roads and other parties in the execution of this program. This group should have no other management functions in administering the program except those here described. All other responsibilities of management should be vested in the Commissioner of Public Roads, whose present authority should be amended as may be needed to administer the additional responsibilities required by this program. The Board should have as much latitude as feasible in approving agreements with the several States and in resolving differences between the States and the Bureau of Public Roads, bearing in view its purpose to provide a maximum highway program with the total available funds.
Staffing for the Corporation (other than secretarial assistants) would be provided by the Bureau of Public Roads and the Treasury Department. The Bureau of Public Roads would continue to perform all of its presently authorized duties including those in connection with the continuing Federal-aid highway program. The Commissioner of the Bureau of Public Roads would serve as Executive Director of the Corporation in addition to his usual duties as Commissioner of Public Roads.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS OF THE PROGRAM
Consideration has been given to certain administrative problems which will arise when a program of this magnitude is undertaken, and while some are difficult, the Committee is convinced they can be satisfactorily met.
Probably the most serious initial obstacle to execution of this program is a shortage of highway engineers and technical personnel. Completion of the interstate system program in 10 years would entail considerable expansion of the workload, A canvass made through the Highway Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Association of State Highway Officials, whose opinions in this field the Committee accepts as competent, indicates, however, that the shortage can be met by cooperative effort on the part
