An Act to ratify and confirm sections 5 and 6 of Act 254 and Act 280 of the Session Laws of Hawaii 1953 and to authorize the issuance of certain public improvement bonds by the Territory of Hawaii
PL 83-643 (H.R.6886), enacted 08/24/1954

68 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 643-AUG. 24, 1954 
785 
"The compact administrators shall formulate procedures for claims 
and reimbursement under the provisions of this article, in accordance 
with the laws of the member states. 
"ARTICLE VI 
"Ratification of this compact shall not be construed to affect any 
existing statute so as to authorize or permit curtailment or diminution 
of the forest fire fighting forces, equipment, services or facilities of 
any member state. 
"Nothing in this compact shall be construed to limit or restrict the 
powers of any state ratifying the same to provide for the prevention, 
control and extinguishment of forest fires, or to prohibit the enact-
ment or enforcement of state laws, rules or regulations intended to aid 
in such prevention, control and extinguishment in such state. 
"Nothing in this compact shall be construed to affect any existing 
or future cooperative relationship or arrangement between the United 
States Forest Service and a member st^te or states. 
u 
ARTICLE VII 
"The compact administrators may request the United States Forest 
Service to act as the primary research and coordinating agency of 
the South Central Interstate Forest Fire Protection Compact in coop-
eration with the appropriate agencies in each state, and the United 
States Forest Service may accept the initial responsibility in preparing 
and presenting to the compact administrators its recommendations 
with respect to the regional fire plan. 
Representatives of the United 
States Forest Service may attend meetings of the compact adminis-
trators. 
"ARTICLE VIII 
"The provisions of Articles IV and V of this compact which relate 
to mutual aid in combating, controlling or preventing forest fires shall 
be operative as between any state party to this compact and any other 
state which is party to a regional forest fire protection compact in 
another region: Provided, 
That the legislature of such other state 
shall have given its assent to such mutual aid provisions of this 
compact. 
"ARTICLE IX 
"This compact shall continue in force and remain binding on each 
state ratifying it until the legislature or the Governor of such state 
takes action to withdraw therefrom. 
Such action shall not be effec-
tive until six months after notice thereof has been sent by the chief 
executive of the state desiring to withdraw to the chief executives of 
all states then parties to the compact." 
Approved August 24, 1954. 
August 24, 1954 
[H. R. 6886] 
Public Law 643 
CHAPTER 892 
AN ACT 
To ratify and confirm sections 5 and 6 of Act 254 and Act 280 of the Session 
Laws of Hawaii 19.53 and to authorize the issuance of certain public improve-
ment bonds by the Territory of Hawaii. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled. That sections 5 and 6 
Hawaii, 
of Act 254 of the Session Laws of Hawaii 1953, entitled: "An Act bonds.'°"^"*"' 
30777 O—55—pt. 1-
-52 
786 
PUBLIC LAW 644-AUG. 24, 1954 
[68 STAT. 
providing for the issuance of public improvement bonds", and Act 
280 of the Session Laws of Hawaii 1953, entitled "An Act relating to 
public improvement and the financing thereof, making appropriations 
for public improvements and providing for the issuance of public 
improvement bonds, and memorializing Congress to authorize the 
issuance of public improvement bonds of the Territory of Hawaii 
during the years 1953 to 1959, inclusive, without respect to the limita-
48 use 491.* 
tions imposed by the Hawaiian Organic Act" are hereby ratified and 
confirmed: Provided, however^ That nothing herein contained shall be 
deemed to prohibit the amendment of said Act of said Territory by 
the legislature thereof, from time to time, to provide for changes in 
the improvements authorized by said Act, and for the disposition of 
unexpended moneys appropriated by said Act: Provided 
further^ 
That no such amendment shall cause the proceeds of the bond issues 
hereby authorized to be expended for any purpose other than author-
ized public improvements or reduction of the debt, unless otherwise 
approved by the Congress. 
SEC. 2. During the years 1954 to 1959, inclusive, the Territory of 
Hawaii is authorized to issue, any provision of the Hawaiian Organic 
Act or any other Act of Congress to the contrary notwithstanding, 
public improvement bonds in the amount of $19,063,500 in excess oi 
the existing debt limitation, which shall be in addition to all other 
issues in excess of said debt limitation authorized by the Congress: 
Provided^ That the total indebtedness of such Territory shall not 
exceed $95,000,000. 
SEC. 3. All bonds issued pursuant to section 2 shall be serial bonds 
payable in substantially equal annual installments, with the first such 
installment maturing not later than five years from the date of issue 
and the last such installment maturing not later than thirty years 
from such date. 
itteStT*^*^"'^'*' 
^^^" ^' ^^^^^ 
shall not be issued pursuant to section 2 without the 
approval of the President of the United States. 
Approved August 24, 1954. 
Public Law 644 
CHAPTER 893 
August 24, 1954 
AN A C T 
[H. R. 7131] 
rpQ repeal a limitation on pay of certain oflScers of the Navy. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
TD^Bi^^ "*^* ^* United States of America in Congress assembled^ That fleet admirals 
so^ukc a 
1691 *
^
^ *^^ Navy, appointed under the Act of March 23,1946 (60 Stat. 59), 
note. 
^^' 
shall be considered to be retired naval officers for the purposes of the 
last proviso of the paragraph under the heading "Pay of the Navy" 
contained in the Act of June 10, 1896 (29 Stat. 361), as that proviso 
was amended by section 9 of the Act of July 22, 1935 (49 Stat. 490; 
34U. S. C. 883). 
Approved August 24, 1954. 
Public Law 645 
CHAPTER 894 
August 24. 1954 
-^^ A C T 
[H. R. 7398] 
IJIQ repeal the requirement of section 3921 of the Revised Statutes that post-
masters report to the Postmaster General failure to cancel postage stamps. 
Be it ermcted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
cmceifat^i*^^'* ^^*^^^ States of America in Congress assembled^ That the part of