An Act to authorize the construction of two surveying ships for the Coast and Geodetic Survey, Department of Commerce, and for other purposes.
PL 84-251 (S.847), enacted 08/05/1955

69 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 251-AUG. 5, 1955 
537 
SEC. 3. The President may initially fill two of the Deputy Under 
Secretary positions established in section 1 of this Act by appointing, 
without further advice and consent of the Senate, the two Deputy 
Under Secretaries of State who, on the date of the enactment of 
this Act, held that designation pursuant to authority contained in 
section 2 of the Act of May 26,1949 (63 Stat. I l l ) . 
SEC. 4. Section 412 of'the Foreign Service Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 
999), as amended (hereinafter referred to as "such Act"), is amended 
by striking the first sentence of said section and by inserting in lieu 
thereof the following: "There shall be eight classes of Foreign Service 
officers, including the classes of career ambassador and of career 
minister. The per annum salary of a career ambassador shall be the 
same as that for an Assistant Secretary of State.". 
SEC. 5. Section 501 (a) of such Act is amended by adding the phrase 
"career 
ambassadors 
and" 
immediately 
following 
the 
word 
"including". 
SEC. 6. Section 502 (a) of such Act is amended b}^ inserting the 
phrase "class of career ambassador and" immediately following the 
phrase "qualified for appointment to the", and by adding the following 
sentence at the end of said subsection: "No person shall be appointed 
into the class of career ambassador who has not (1) served for at least 
fifteen years in a position of responsibility in a Government agency, 
or agencies, including at least three years as a career minister; (2) 
rendered exceptionally distinguished service to the Government; and 
(3) met such other requirements as the Secretary shall prescribe.". 
SEC. 7. Section 518 of such Act is amended by inserting the words 
"career ambassador or" immediately following the phrase "to the 
class of". 
SEC. 8. Section 631 of such Act is amended by inserting the words 
"a career ambassador or" immediately after the words "who is". 
SEC. 9. Section 632 of such Act is amended by inserting the words 
"a career ambassador or" immediately following the words "who is 
not". 
SEC. 10. (a) Section 811 (a) of such Act is amended by striking out 
"811. (a)" and inserting "811." in lieu thereof and by striking out the 
phrase "of all participants" and inserting in lieu thereof the words 
"received by each participant". 
(b) Section 811 (b) of such Act is hereby repealed. 
SEC. 11. Section 821 (a) of such Act is amended by striking the 
phrase ", not exceeding $13,500 per annum." and "five years next pre-
ceding the date of his retirement" and inserting the phrase "highest 
five consecutive years of service, for which full contributions have 
been made to the fund," immediately preceding the phrase "multiplied 
by". 
Approved August 5, 1955. 
5 
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lb. 
22 
use 867. 
22 
use 
901. 
22 
use 902. 
22 u s e 
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22 use 
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Repeal. 
22 use 
913. 
1001. 
1002. 
1071. 
1076. 
Public Law 251 
CHAPTER 577 
AN ACT 
To authorize the construction of two surveying ships for the Coast and Geodetic 
Survey, Department of Commerce, and for other purposes. 
August 5, 1955 
[S. 847] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That there is hereby de?k:°l!irv2^.°^ °" 
authorized to be constructed for the Department of Commerce two 
ships, 
surveying ships of not over two thousand five hundred displacement 
538 
PUBLIC LAW 252-AUG. 5, 1955 
[69 ST A T . 
Appropriat ion. 
tons each, under a limit of cost of $3,700,000 each, including costs of 
preparation of plans and specifications, cost of inspection during 
construction, and purchase or construction of complete equipment and 
outfit: Provided^ That such limit of cost may be exceeded or shall be 
reduced by an amount equal to the percentage increase or decrease, 
if any, in ship construction cost generally dating from January 1,1955, 
as determined by the Secretary of Commerce. 
SEC. 2. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Secre-
tary of Commerce, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise 
appropriated, such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provi-
sions of this Act. 
Approved August 5, 1955. 
Aiigust 5, 1955 
[H. R. 727] 
Public Law 252 
CHAPTER 578 
AN,ACT 
To authorize the conveyance of certain land to the Pecwan Union School 
District for use as the site of a school. 
Pecwan 
U n i o n 
S c h o o l District, 
Calif. 
Conveyance. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That, in order to 
provide a site for a school, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized 
and directed to convey to the Pecwan Union School District of the 
State of California, all of the right, title, and interest (other than 
mineral rights) of the United States and of the Indians who have 
an interest therein, in and to that tract of land containing fifteen 
acres and more particularly described as follows: 
The southeast quarter northeast quarter southeast quarter south-
east quarter and northeast quarter southeast quarter southeast quarter 
southeast quarter, section 7, containing five acres, and the south half 
northwest quarter southwest quarter southwest quarter and the north 
half southwest quarter southwest quarter southwest quarter, section 
8, containing ten acres, township 11 north, range 3 east, Humboldt 
meridian, California. 
Approved August 5, 1955. 
August 5, 1955 
[H. R. 7194] 
Public Law 253 
CHAPTER 579 
AN ACT 
To authorize subsistence allowances to enlisted personnel. 
63 Stat. 812. 
37 u s e 251. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Career 
(Compensation Act of 1949, as amended, is further amended by adding 
at the end of subsection 301 (e) the following:" (f) Effective April 15, 
1955, under such regulations and in such localities as may be pre-
scribed by the Secretary of Defense, enlisted members granted permis-
sion to mess separately whose duties require them to purchase one or 
more meals from other than Government messes shall be entitled to 
not to exceed the pro rata allowance authorized for each such meal 
for enlisted members when rations in kind are not available." 
Approved August 5, 1955.