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B-147552, NOV. 29, 1961

B-147552 Nov 29, 1961
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YOUR LETTER POINTS OUT THAT IT IS APPARENT THAT IF SHIPS CAN BE CONSTRUCTED WITH MORE EFFICIENT CARGO HANDLING EQUIPMENT A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN CARGO HANDLING CAN BE EFFECTED. THE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES THAT THROUGH ITS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY IT WILL BE ABLE TO DEVELOP SHIPS WHICH WILL HAVE A MORE EFFICIENT CARGO HANDLING CAPACITY. IS INTERESTED IN THIS PROBLEM OF CARGO HANDLING. ACCORDING TO YOUR LETTER THE CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD IF EACH OF THREE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. THAT IS. WILL PAY $3. YOU STATE THAT INFORMAL ADVICE HAS BEEN RECEIVED THAT THE OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY HAVE INDICATED ACCEPTANCE OF THE UNIVERSITY'S PROPOSAL.

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B-147552, NOV. 29, 1961

TO ADMINISTRATOR, MARITIME ADMINISTRATION:

YOUR LETTER OF NOVEMBER 6, 1961 (REFERENCE 910-S27), CONCERNS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN CONNECTION WITH CARGO HANDLING ON SHIPS.

YOU STATE THAT IN THE COST OF THE TRANSPORTATION OF CARGO THE COST OF CARGO HANDLING, I.E., THE LOADING AND THE UNLOADING OF A SHIP, REPRESENTS A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL TRANSPORTATION COST OF THE CARGO. YOUR LETTER POINTS OUT THAT IT IS APPARENT THAT IF SHIPS CAN BE CONSTRUCTED WITH MORE EFFICIENT CARGO HANDLING EQUIPMENT A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN CARGO HANDLING CAN BE EFFECTED. THE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES THAT THROUGH ITS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY IT WILL BE ABLE TO DEVELOP SHIPS WHICH WILL HAVE A MORE EFFICIENT CARGO HANDLING CAPACITY.

THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, IS INTERESTED IN THIS PROBLEM OF CARGO HANDLING. IN THE FURTHERANCE OF ITS STUDY IN THIS PROBLEM THE UNIVERSITY HAS PROPOSED A CONFERENCE ON THE SUBJECT OF "SHIP DESIGN IMPLICATIONS OF RECENT MARINE CARGO HANDLING RESEARCH.' ACCORDING TO YOUR LETTER THE CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD IF EACH OF THREE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, THAT IS, THE OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, AND THE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, WILL PAY $3,300 FOR THE ACCOUNT OF THE CONFERENCE EXPENSES. YOU STATE THAT INFORMAL ADVICE HAS BEEN RECEIVED THAT THE OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY HAVE INDICATED ACCEPTANCE OF THE UNIVERSITY'S PROPOSAL.

THE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION IS OF THE VIEW THAT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE TO IT IN ITS FISCAL YEAR 1962 APPROPRIATION ARE AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CONFERENCE. YOUR ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERS THAT THE INFORMATION WHICH WILL BE SET OUT IN THE PAPERS PRINTED IN THE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS WILL BE OF CONSIDERABLE VALUE TO THE ADMINISTRATION IN ITS RESEARCH ACTIVITIES ON THE SUBJECT OF CARGO HANDLING ON SHIPS AND THAT IT IS INFORMATION FOR WHICH THE ADMINISTRATION COULD CONTRACT FOR UNDER A RESEARCH CONTRACT WITH THE UNIVERSITY. YOU POINT OUT THAT IN THIS INSTANCE THIS INFORMATION WILL BE SECURED FOR A NOMINAL COST OF $3,300 WITH THE UNIVERSITY UNDERTAKING THAT THE CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD, THE PROCEEDINGS WILL BE PUBLISHED, AND THAT THERE WILL BE FURNISHED TO THE ADMINISTRATION 100 COPIES OF THE PRINTED PROCEEDINGS.

IN LIGHT OF THE FOREGOING YOU REQUEST A DECISION AS TO WHETHER WE WOULD OBJECT TO THE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION PAYING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA THE SUM OF $3,300 FOR THE ACCOUNT OF THE CONFERENCE EXPENSES.

THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT MATTERS, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATION ACT, 1962, 75 STAT. 268, UNDER THE HEADING "MARITIME ACTIVITIES," SUBHEADING "RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT" (75 STAT. 273), PROVIDES IN PART, AS FOLLOWS:

"FOR EXPENSES NECESSARY FOR RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, FABRICATION AND TEST OPERATION OF EXPERIMENTAL FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT * * * $6,500,000 * *

IN VIEW THEREOF AND INASMUCH AS YOUR LETTER INDICATES THAT THE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN RESEARCH ACTIVITIES ON THE SUBJECT OF CARGO HANDLING ON SHIPS AND THAT THE INFORMATION WHICH WILL BE SET OUT IN THE PAPERS PRINTED IN THE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS WILL BE OF CONSIDERABLE VALUE TO YOUR ADMINISTRATION IN SUCH RESEARCH ACTIVITIES, WE WILL NOT OBJECT TO YOUR ADMINISTRATION PAYING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA $3,300 TOWARD SUPPORT OF THE CONFERENCE. IF THIS PROCEDURE, HOWEVER, IS TO BE USED GENERALLY TO SECURE RESEARCH DATA, THE MATTER SHOULD BE FULLY DISCLOSED TO THE CONGRESS PRIOR TO SUCH GENERAL USE.

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