Page 29: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 15, 1981)

struction of facilities used by shallow-draft vessels on inland and intracoastal waterways of the United States. Current pro- posals would also greatly increase fuel taxes effective October 1, 1981, before consideration can be given to a study on the impact of waterway user taxes required by the 1978 legislation (Public

Law 95-502) for report to the

Congress by September 30, 1981.

The Club notes that, except for the 1978 inland waterway legis- lation, U.S. Army Corps of En- gineers services have been ren- dered without user taxes or other charges for the benefit of all the public, serving boating, fishing, recreation, flood control, water supply, erosion containment, pol- lution prevention, and environ- mental control purposes. Impos- ing such costs exclusively on one specific user to the exclusion of other modes of transportation which also benefit therefrom is grossly unfair, this Position states.

The Propeller Club considers that cost-recovery proposals now being advanced by the Adminis- tration discriminate against the most effective commodity trans- port service offered to the Amer- ican consumer. The applicability of such a process to U.S. Coast

Guard cost-recovery schemes would be equally discriminatory in nature. Any transfer of taxing authority to local port authori- ties for cost-recovery purposes for port "improvements" would raise important questions of con- stitutionality, according to this

Position.

The 10th and final Position con- cerns sustaining the provisions of the Jones Act and our other cabotage laws. The Propeller Club fully supports Section 27 of the

Merchant Marine Act, 1920, (pop- ularly called the Jones Act) and all other existing cabotage pro- visions of U.S. law which man- date the exclusive construction and operation of U.S.-flag ships in our domestic commerce and op- poses any attempt to abandon or weaken the full effect of such laws upon our domestic welfare and national security. The Club does not oppose the traditionally conservative granting of waivers from our cabotage laws but con- siders that such waivers, whether granted in the form of adminis- trative actions, or as legislative exemptions, should be allowed only on a temporary basis and onlv upon a clear showing- that such action is necessary in the interest of national defense.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

The Propeller Club of the United

States

Milton H. Leubecker, President, Pro- peller Club of Baltimore 9:45 a.m. First Convention Business

Meeting

Presiding: National President Wolter 10:30 a.m. Conference Opening

Presiding: Thomas J. Murphy Jr., Con ference Chairman

Keynote Speaker: The Honorable

Walter B. Jones, Chairman, Com- mittee on Merchant Marine and

Fisheries, U.S. House of Repre- sentatives 12:00 noon Port of Baltimore

Luncheon

Presiding: Milton H. Leubecker, Pres- ident, Propeller Club of Baltimore

Introduction: The Honorable Barbara

A. Mikulski, Committee on Mer- chant Marine and Fisheries, U.S.

House of Representatives

Speaker: Edwin M. Hood, President,

Shipbuilders Council of America 2:00 p.m. First Conference Session

Presiding: Conference Chairman

Murphy

Conference Panel: "The U.S. Mer- chant Marine—Essential Compo- nent of Military Requirements"

Moderator: Adm. James L. Holloway

III, USN (Ret.), president, Council of American-Flag Ship Operators

Panelists: "Our Merchant Fleet — Inadequate

Lifeline For Our Rapid Deployment

Force," Adm. James D. Watkins,

USN, Commander in Chief, U.S.

Pacific Fleet "What Is The Merchant Marine's Role

In National Seapower Expansion?,"

Vice Adm. Kent J. Carroll, USN.

Commander, Military Sealift Com- mHnd "Merchant Marine Manpower — A

Shrinking National Asset," Capt.

Robert J. Lowen, president, Inter- national Organization of Masters,

Mates and Pilots (continued on page 32)

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PROPELLER CLUB 1981

CONVENTION AND CONFERENCE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14 9:00 a.m. Convening of the

Convention

Presiding: William J. Detweiler, Gen- eral Convention Chairman

Welcomes: The Honorable William D.

Schaefer Jr., Mayor of Baltimore

William J. Wolter, National President,

September 15, 1981 Write 292 on Reader Service Card 31