ernment cargoes be shipped in U.S. ships at premium rates. These arrange- 

 ments would be replaced by a new, direct subsidy system for such carriers. 

 Port and harbor development will be accelerated, in cooperation with 

 industry and local government authorities. 



Research and Development Supporting Maritime Activities 



In support of this strong Federal policy for the merchant marine, the 

 maritime research and development program will be enlarged and redi- 

 rected to place greater emphasis on practical applications of technological 

 advances, and the cooperation of Government and industry. Stronger at- 

 tention is given to science and technology that can assist in improving our 

 worldwide competitive position, supporting national defense, and reducing 

 Government support costs. 



Under the Ship Structure Committee, which is an interagency advisory 

 committee chaired by the Coast Guard, the Wolverine State, an instru- 

 mented C-4 SB-5 cargo ship, in conjunction with towing- tank model studies 

 and computerized stress programs, has provided naval architects with in- 

 formation to improve ship structure design and allow greater variation in 

 design. These reports cover subject titles such as "Bending Movement 

 Determination," "Ship Statistics Analysis," "Rational Ship Structural De- 

 sign," "Hull Girder Model Study," "Chemical Tank-Barge Design," "Simu- 

 lated Performance Testing," and "Quality Assurance." 



The National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council is con- 

 ducting a study on laws affecting manpower utilization, since there is a 

 real need to review the laws under which merchant marine manpower 

 policies operate, to determine the changes needed in view of current tech- 

 nology and the potential for the economic future growth of the industry. 

 These restrictive regulations and laws, some of which have been in effect 

 since 1792, were written to cover situations that no longer exist because of 

 changed technology. 



A National Conference on Maritime Research and Development was held 

 at Woods Hole, Mass., with representatives from ship operators, shipbuilders, 

 labor organizations, private research companies, universities, merchant 

 marine training academies, port authorities, and Federal agencies. As a 

 result of this meeting, many recommendations were made for research and 

 development in maritime operations, such as — 



( 1 ) Ship construction methods ; 



( 2 ) Ship operations and design ; 



( 3 ) Cargo handling systems, both on ships and ashore ; 



(4) Port facilities ; 



(5) Integration of sea, land, and air transportation systems; and 



(6) Fundamental technological advances not developed sufficiently 

 for current applications; 



Included in the above are — 



( 1 ) Shipbuilding cost reduction projects ; 



( 2 ) Integrated steam propulsion systems ; 



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