EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMMITTEE ON OCEANOGRAPHY 83 



that through spirited discussion, debate, and mutual respect with 

 which all members hold one another, we have always achieved the 

 unanimous approval of panel members for all recommendations sub- 

 mitted to the Interagency Committee on Oceanography. Considering 

 the heterogeneous background of the membership, this unanimity 

 speaks highly of the spirit of cooperation that all members bring to 

 panel meetings. 



A series of meetings are called to discuss specific problems. When 

 the problem has been resolved to the satisfaction of the panel, a 

 letter is sent to the chairman of the Interagency Committee on 

 Oceanography submitting the comments and/or recommendations of 

 the panel. Since its inception in June 1960, the panel has convened 

 to discuss four major problem areas. Each problem area has involved 

 four or five meetings so I would estimate that the ships panel has 

 convened 16 to 20 times for official gatherings. In addition, individual 

 subgroups of panel members have met to prepare details for con- 

 sideration by the entire panel. I mention this to show that the 

 ships panel is active and, I believe, effective. 



The first series of meetings was held to undertake the tasks assigned 

 by Dr. Wakelin's letter of June 14, 1960. This resulted in the first 

 preliminary report of August 2, 1960, which recommended: Fiscal year 

 1962 and fiscal year 1963 shipbuilding requirements; that except 

 under special circumstances, ships of the future oceanographic ship 

 program be restricted to neM r construction ships; and that the panel 

 continue to study long-range requirements, standardization of equi- 

 page, and sizes of ships. 



The second series of meetings was designed to complete the work of 

 the first series and culminated in the Ships Panel Report of March 24, 

 1961. This report submitted recommendations on fiscal year 1963 

 ship requirements and operating schedules for fiscal year 1962, includ- 

 ing a cnartlet showing general areas of operation for research and 

 survey ships. 



The subject of standardization of research and survey ships was held 

 in abeyance until the modern ships now under construction become 

 operational. There is a danger in standardizing too soon and putting 

 things "in concrete," so to speak, which would inhibit normal, healthy 

 development. 



Therefore, until we have gained operational experience with modern 

 ships, the panel recommends that agencies continue their own indi- 

 vidual developments, keeping all other activities informed of their work. 

 This has worked out very well and has brought about a great measure 

 of standardization merely through exchange of information. 



The third series of meetings was held at the request of the chairman, 

 Federal Council of Science and Technology, to obtain background 

 information on how agencies process their ship-construction programs 

 from initial design stages through final acceptance. 



As a result of these meetings, the panel on October 2, 1961, sub- 

 mitted to the ICO a summary of agency shipbuilding procedures. 

 The panel's recommendations were designed to protect fully the 

 interests of the Government while at the same time giving a certain 

 amount of freedom to the individual user laboratories to insure that 

 the final ship meets the needs of the laboratory concerned. 



