EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMMITTEE ON OCEANOGRAPHY 47 



Mr. Wakelin. They were decreased. I don't know whether I 

 would say "substantially whittled down." They weren't decreased 

 by a major fraction of their request. 



Mr. Dingell. But they were substantially limited with regard to 

 any increase of activity in the held of oceanography. Am I correct? 



Mr. Wakelin. In certain special areas; yes. 



Mr. Dingell. And as a matter of fact, the only agency in Govern- 

 ment which received any significant increase in oceanographic dollar 

 budget was the Navy, whereas most of the other agencies received 

 substantial reductions in then requests and very slight increases, if 

 any, in their actual oceanographic activity. Am I correct? 



Mr. Wakelin. If you will allow me simply to look at the various 

 agencies across the board, I would say apart from — well, let us com- 

 pare 1962 actually with the President's budget which is now before 

 the Congress. 



There was an increase for the Department of Defense, a very small 

 increase for Commerce, a small increase for Interior, a modest increase 

 for the National Science Foundation, a substantial increase in the 

 Atomic Energy Commission, a small increase in Health, Education, 

 and Welfare, the same for Treasury, and a sum for taxonomy of 

 $250,000 for the Smithsonian, which I can't tell you was in last year 

 in their own budget or not, so this may not be an increase of that 

 amount. 



Mr. Dingell. So actually, aside from Department of the Navy, 

 there was a very insignificant increase in the budgets of these agencies. 

 Am I correct? 



Mr. Wakelin. The whole budget went up by $22,900,000. 



Mr. Dingell. Yes. 



Mr. Wakelin. Across the board. If you have got the same figures 

 I have, sir. 



Mr. Dingell. But the largest portion of that was the Navy's; am 

 I correct? 



Mr. Wakelin. The largest portion of the increase — and this is of 

 the order of $15,200,000— was for the Navy. 



Mr. Dingell. I want you to know, Mr. Secretary, I am not critical 

 of your part in this. I think the Navy well deserves and I commend 

 you for the Navy having achieved an increase in its oceanographic 

 budget, but I wonder, these other agencies, it would appear that 

 ICO was not much help in achieving any additional emphasis on the 

 part of these other agencies. 



Mr. Wakelin. Would you, Mr. Chairman, explain for my informa- 

 tion, if I might ask this question, how your bill 4276 would help this 

 particular problem ? 



Mr. Dingell. Well, the idea is not to make an assumption or an 

 assertion that the bill that we have been discussing would make any 

 significant increase, or any steps toward the solution of the problem, 

 but it would appear that at least it would give some emphasis to con- 

 sideration of budgetary problems. Am I correct, Mr. Secretary? 

 It will give some statutory dignity to the agency which is in effect 

 supervising the whole control of these budgetary operations with 

 regard to coordination, and it might give, at least we are hopeful it 

 would give, a counterweight to the Bureau of the Budget with regard 

 to the increase as opposed to the Budget's natural effort and pressure 

 to cut budgets, and hold down expenses, which is a sizable thing. 

 Am I correct'/ 



