SHIP MORTGAGE ACT, AND RULES FOR LOADING AND STOWAGE OF GRAIN HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE UNITED STATES SENATE EIGHTY-THIRD CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ΟΝ S. 2814 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 4153 OF THE REVISED S. 2407 A BILL TO AMEND THE SHIP MORTGAGE ACT, 1920, AS A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR GREATER SAFETY OF LIFE AND MARCH 22, 23, 24, AND APRIL 8, 1954 Printed for the use of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1954 CONTENTS Statement of— Colby, Leavenworth, Chief of the Admiralty Section, Civil Division, Dunlap, David C., counsel, Pacific Coast Conference of Marine Sur- Gulick, James W., Chief, Division of Maritime Administration, Knauth, Arnold W., admiralty section, American Bar Association, McDowell, Carl E., executive vice president, National Cargo Bureau, Shepheard, Rear Adm. H. C, chief officer of merchant marine safety, Wetmore, R. H., secretary, Pacific Coast Conference of Marine Statements submitted by Dewey, Ralph, Washington representative, Pacific American Steam- Prizer, John, Maritime Law Association of the United States.. Backman, A. E., 345 Sansome Street, San Francisco, Calif., March 23, 1954, on S. 602_ Ball, Joseph H., vice president, Association of American Ship Owners, 1713 K Street NW., to Senator Edwin Johnson, dated June 11, 1953, on S. 602. Bennett, David L., 4519 Northeast 33d Street, Apartment B, Portland, Oreg., to chairman, Subcommittee on Water Transportation, dated March 19, 1954, on S. 602. Brady, William J., 2585 Ninth Avenue West, Seattle, Wash., to chairman, Subcommittee on Water Transportation, dated March 19, 1954, on S. 602____ Currie, A. B., San Francisco, Calif., to chairman, Subcommittee on 97 6 118 Galbreath, F. B., president, Board of Marine Underwriters of San 94 Johnson, R. A., surveyor, National Cargo Bureau, Inc., Seattle, Wash., Knowland, Hon. William F., United States Senate, to Senator Fred- Letters and telegrams from-Continued Marine Exchange, San Francisco, Calif., dated March 19, 1954, on McDowell, Carl E., to Donald Webster, dated April 7, 1954, on S. 602- Morgan, George W., president, Association of American Ship Owners, O'Conor, Herbert R., Washington counsel, American Merchant Ma- Payne, Senator Frederick G., to Adm. Halert C. Shepheard, Chief, Perry, L. C., 2315 West 85th Street, Seattle, Wash., to chairman, Subcommittee on Water Transportation, dated March 23, 1954, on S. 602.. Phillips, Edward, American Merchant Marine Institute, Inc., 1701 K Rasmussen, Charles C., surveyor, National Cargo Bureau, Inc., Los Waddington, J., secretary, Board of Marine Underwriters of San Wood, Capt. H. R., 262 Best Avenue, San Leandro, Calif., to chairman, American Bar Association, 1140 North Dearborn Street, Chicago, Ill., Reports from Department of Commerce on S. 2814, dated February 26, 1954. Page 98 98 113 126 114 115 117 96, 113 ADMEASUREMENT OF VESSELS MONDAY, MARCH 22, 1954 UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE No. 4 ON WATER TRANSPORTATION OF THE Also present: Bertram O. Wissman, chief clerk; Donald D. Webster, subcommittee counsel; and A. J. Bourbon, subcommittee staff member. Senator BUTLER (chairman of the subcommittee). The subcommittee will come to order. Today's hearing is on S. 2814, which would amend section 4153 of the Revised Statutes, as amended. It is a highly technical bill which would establish new regulations for determining gross and net tonnage of vessels through deductions of engineroom space. While immediately aimed at a more equitable system of levying port charges, tolls, and other fees and taxes, its long-range purpose is to eliminate restrictions on freedom of ship design in the present regulations, in the interest of improved seaworthiness and safety. Without objection, the bill will be made a part of the record at this point. (The bill, S. 2814, is as follows:) [S. 2814, 83d Cong., 2d sess.] A BILL To amend section 4153 of the Revised Statutes, as amended, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That subdivision (f) of section 4153 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 46, sec. 77 (f)), is further amended to read as follows: "(f) In the case of a vessel which is screw propelled in whole or in part, the following deduction shall be made for the space occupied by the propelling machinery: "(1) Thirty-two thirteenths times the tonnage of the propelling-machinery space, if the tonnage of that space is not more than 13 per centum of the gross tonnage of the vessel and if that space is reasonable in extent: Provided, however, That, in lieu thereof, the deduction shall be one and three-fourths times the tonnage of the propelling-machinery space, in the case of a vessel the construction of which was commenced on or before the date of enactment of this Act, if the owner so elects; "(2) Thirty-two per centum of the gross tonnage of the vessel, if the tonnage of the propelling-machinery space is more than 13 per centum and less than 20 per centum of the gross tonnage of the vessel; or "(3) Thirty-two per centum of the gross tonnage of the vessel or one and threefourths times the tonnage of the propelling-machinery space, whichever the owner of the vessel elects, if the tonnage of that space is 20 per centum or more of the gross tonnage of the vessel." |