Statement of-Continued Grover, Hon. James R., Jr., a Representative in Congress from the Page 132 Haecker, Edward, president, Oregon Federation of Boating Clubs, 214 Hayes, Capt. John B., Chief, Planning and Evaluation Staff, Office of 51 Irons, C. Ray, Great Kills, Staten Island, N. Y. Jansen, Peter, commander, Seattle Power Squadron.... Johnson, Robert H., director, Bureau of Watercraft Registration Kaplan, Samuel, Samuel Kaplan Marine Corp., Freeport, Long 155 King, William F., president, Harrington, King & Co., Randolph, Mass., on behalf of New England Marine Trade Association, Inc.__ Kremer, Assemblyman Arthur J., State of New York... 476 462 Legere, Thomas J., the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Division Lippmann, G. James, assistant secretary-assistant general manager, MacDougall, Hume G., president and general manager, Cape Cod Marine Service, Inc., and first vice president, American Boat Builders & Repairers Association, Inc.. McCann, Capt. John D., Assistant Office Chief for Auxiliary Affairs, McClelland, Rear Adm. Joseph J., Chief, Office of Boating Safety, 121 51 McLean, William P., vice president, Dayton T. Brown, Inc., testing 133 Mink, Hon. Patsy T., a Representative in Congress from the State 456 Monagan, Hon. John S., a Representative in Congress from the State 45 96 National Safety Council.... 471 Nelson, Edward J., general sales manager, Grumann Allied Indus- 138 O'Brien, James J., director of motor boats, New York State Con- 370 126, 157, O'Connell, Henry F., president, the National Boating Federation.__. 192 Patten, Hon. Edward J., a Representative in Congress from the Ray, Corneluis, president, Boating Industry Association. Reed, Hon. John H., Chairman, National Transportation Safety Rittenhouse, R. F., office of the director, State Marine Board, 313. 370, 455 Rottler, Jack, cochairman, legislative committee, Northwest Marine 205 Sheren, Mrs. Molly, Staten Island, N. Y. 127 Shoemaker, David W., vice presdient, Pacemaker Corp., Egg Harbor 124 Sumner, Arthur H., president, Sumner Boat Co., Inc., Amityville, Suydam, John E., National Party Boatowners Alliance, Inc. __ Thacher, Ralph, National Association of Engine & Boat Manufac- Townshend, Capt. C. S., Townshend Marine Service.. 464 51 Wilson, Keith, director, Michigan's State Waterways Commission__ Wilson, Peter M., administrative vice president, National Association Additional material submitted by- Beghin, Donald L., amendments proposed by the National Association Letter signed by Adm. T. R. Sargent, dated July 7, 1970, with 317 75 Denaro, Michael, news clipping from the Boston Globe, dated June 7, 1970, entitled, "Sailor's Taxes Sent That-A-Way"- 190 Hofe, G. Douglas, Jr., Estimated acres of water surface and related 104 "Ocean Claims an Old Friend in Last Battle," news article. 88 Murphy, John E., excerpt from the act relative to the taxation of O'Connell, Henry F., folder published by the National Boating Schwartz, Richard, a study based on an opinion survey of the recrea- 193 445 Webster, James E., study by the Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of 229 Communications submitted by- Anderson, Hon. Forest H., Governor, State of Montana in response to 394 Barber, Joseph T., letter responding to Secretary Volpe.. 381 Bartlett, Hon. Dewey E., Governor, State of Oklahoma, in response to 395 Burns, Hon. John A., Governor, in reply to letter from Secretary 397 Davis, Hon. Deane C., Governor, in reply to letter from Secretary 396 Communications submitted by-Continued Dempsey, Hon. John, Governor, State of Connecticut, in response to Docking, Hon. Robert, Governor, State of Kansas, in response to Sec- Ellington, Gov. Buford, letter responding to Secretary Volpe... Page 395 395 393 391 Hearness, Hon. Warren E., Governor, in reply to letter from Secretary Volpe... 396 Holton, Hon. Linwood, Governor, State of Virginia, in response to 395 Knowles, Gov. Warren P., letter responding to Secretary Volpe.. 380 379 381 389 390 Milliken, Gov. William G., letter responding to request of Secretary 388 Mink, Hon. Patsy T., letters to Adm. W. T. Smith dated: Moore, Hon. Arch A., Jr., Governor, State of West Virginia, in response to Secretary Volpe.... 394 Nunn, Hon. Louie B., Governor, in reply to letter from Secretary 397 Ogilvie, Gov. Richard B., letter responding to Secretary Volpe.... Reagan, Hon. Ronald, Governor, State of California, letter in response to Secretary Volpe-- 385 394 Rhodes, Gov. James A., letter responding to Secretary Volpe.. Rockefeller, Hon. Nelson A., Governor, in reply to letter from Secretary Volpe... Sargent, Hon. Francis, Governor, in reply to letter from Secretary 384 396 Rockefeller, Gov. Winthrop, letter responding to request of Secretary 392 397 Tarpey, John J., Jr., of Massapequa, N. Y., letter dated May 20, Sargent, Vice Adm. T. R., Acting Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, letter dated July 7, 1970, enclosing a document entitled "Canada Shipping Act" 317 476 Volpe, Hon. John A., letters dated February 5, 1970, enclosing a section-by-section analysis... 379 371 Walker, Robert C., director, Department of Navigation and Ocean 394 Walters, W. C., president, Rubatex Corp., letter dated May 6, 1970- 477 390 Williams, Hon. Jack, Governor, State of Arizona, in response to 396 RECREATIONAL BOAT SAFETY MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1970 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD, COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY, AND NAVIGATION OF THE COMMITTEE ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 10:20 a.m., pursuant to call, in room 1302, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Frank M. Clark (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Mr. CLARK. The Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Coast and Geodetic Survey, and Navigation will come to order. Before beginning today's hearings, I would like to defer to Mr. Garmatz, the chairman of the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. He would like to say a few words about this very important legislation before us. STATEMENT OF HON. EDWARD A. GARMATZ, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND Mr. GARMATZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I introduced this bill, H.R. 15041, together with Mr. Clark, on December 2, 1969, and it is the latest in a series of bills dealing with legislation to provide a coordinated national safety program to reduce boating accidents. We feel that this is a situation which requires attention. This type of legislation carried on from the Motorboat Act of 1940, 12 years ago, when we passed the Federal Boating Act of 1958. This 1958 act for the first time provided regulation with respect to boats under 16 feet in length and gave recognition to the vastly increased recreational boating activity in the United States. Through State participation in boat safety and boat numbering, the 1958 act permitted the compilation of statistics showing the extent of ownership of small boats and their casualty record. In the intervening years, recreational boating activity has increased substantially and dramatically, and it has become apparent that a further examination must be made to determine whether additional requirements should be imposed to improve boating safety. We cannot ignore the fact that millions of Americans have turned to boating as a form of recreation and consequently there has been a serious rise in the number of boating accidents and fatalities. The legislation under consideration would attack the safety problem in two basic ways. It would provide: 1. Authority for the Coast Guard to establish minimum safety standards for recreational boats and related equipment. 2. A 5-year program of Federal financial assistance to encourage States to increase and improve safe boating programs. I regard this as priority legislation and hope that we will be able to move on it expeditiously. Mr. Chairman, that concludes my statement at this time. I subscribe wholeheartedly to everything you have said this morning. There are now between 8 and 9 million small boats in the United States and this number is increasing at the fantastic rate of about 4,000 a week. The statistics for 1969 indicate that there were 1,350 fatalities last year resulting from boating accidents and that there was $6.37 million in property damage. These are really amazing statistics which make it abundantly clear that we must build on the small boat legislative safety base which we have already established. Thus, the legislation under consideration is in effect an extension of the Motorboat Act of 1940 and the Federal Boating Act of 1958, which it repeals. This bill, an outgrowth of legislation introduced in the 90th Congress, would continue the regulation of owners and operators established under the 1940 and 1958 acts but would extend boating safety features into the area of construction safety standards and State programs. Specifically, H.R. 15041 would establish safety standards applicable to boats and associated equipment and would regulate the use of safety equipment on board boats. It would authorize the Secretary of Transportation to approve more comprehensive State boating safety programs and to make grants-in-aid to encourage State participation and to assist in program development and implementation. The measure before us avoids a piecemeal treatment of the problem and attempts to handle it in a single comprehensive piece of legislation. An important aspect of the bill is to offer some financial incentive to more effective State action. To this end, there is a recommended authorization for appropriations of $5 million a year for 5 fiscal years beginning in 1972 for a grant-in-aid program which should be sufficient to help some States improve existing programs and to encourage others to make a start. Testimony during the hearings today and tomorrow will be limited to that of congressional and governmental witnesses. It is contemplated that further hearings will be held later on for industry and public witnesses. These hearings may be in other parts of the country as well as here in Washington. (The bills and agency reports follow :) |