OCEANOGRAPHY 



TUESDAY, MAY 17, 1960 



House of Representatives, 

 Special Subcommittee on Oceanography of the 



Committee on IMerchant IVIarine and Fisheries, 



Washington, B.C. 



The subcommittee met at 10 a.m., pursuant to notice, in room 219, 

 Old House Office Building, Hon. George P. Miller (chairman uf the 

 subcommit t ee ) p resi di ng. 



Present : Eepresentatives Miller, Lennon, Oliver, Dorn, Pelly, and 

 Curtin. 



Staff members present: Paul S. Bauer, special consultant to the sub- 

 committee, and Frances Still, assistant clerk. 



]\Ir. Miller. The committee will be in order. 



For over a year our Special Subcommittee on Oceanography has 

 been conducting an extensive study of oceanographic potential of the 

 United States. The study has been carried out through public hear- 

 ings, attendance at numerous meetings, and visits to oceanographic 

 institutions. The subcommittee's work has centered aroinid the 

 splendid report of the Comiuittee on Oceanography of the National 

 Academy of Sciences-Xational Research Council. 



I think it is fair to say to those who will appear before us that each 

 and every member of this subcommittee is convinced of the importance 

 of tliorough study of the sea and all its attributes, and the urgency 

 of proceeding with all reasonable speed toward the establishment of 

 an effective, coordinated national oceanographic program. 



In these hearings we are concerned with specific legislative pro- 

 posals designed to foster such a program. We have before us a bill 

 by Mr, Pelly which might be called an omnibus bill, passed upon the 

 National Academy of Sciences recommendations. We also have bills 

 introduced by myself and other members of the subcommittee, touch- 

 ing on individual aspects of the desired overall program. 



The fii-st consideration in the current hearings will be that part of 

 oceanography concerned with smweys of the oceans of the world. In 

 particular we shall start hearings this morning on H.R. 10412, which 

 I have introduced, and the identical comioanion bills introduced by my 

 colleague, Mr. Pelly, of Wasliington (H.R. 10581) , and Mr. Oliver, of 

 Maine (H.R. 10546). 



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