CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -- SENATE

June 20, 1967

Page 16376

AMENDMENT OF MARITIME ACADEMY ACT OF 1958

Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, on behalf of myself and Senators BROOKE, KENNEDY of Massachusetts, KENNEDY of New York. KUCHEL, MURPHY, SMITH, TOWER, and YARBOROUGH, I introduce, for appropriate reference, a bill to amend the Maritime Academy Act of 1958 to increase the amount of assistance to such academies and to provide a minimum subsistence payable per student.

In 1958 Congress passed the Maritime Academy Act to assist the States in the operation and maintenance of their maritime academies. The act authorized two types of grants:

First, annual payments to not more than one maritime academy or college in each State or Territory, for the maintenance and support of the academy, in an amount equal to the State contribution but not to exceed $75,000 or not to exceed $25,000 to any academy which refuses to admit up to one-third of its students from other States;

Second, payments to the State maritime academies or colleges not to exceed $600 per student per academic year to defray the cost of books, uniforms, and subsistence for the students.

Almost a decade has passed since this act was enacted. During this time the costs of operating our maritime academies have continued to rise significantly. Contributions from the students have continued to grow in keeping with rising costs and improved levels of service. State support, too, has increased over this decade. In Maine, there has been a 201 percent increase in State support over the last 9 years. However, there has been no increase in the annual Federal grants authorized by the 1958 act.

The need for continuing numbers of well-trained merchant marine officers is apparent, particularly to those of us who have maritime academies in our own States. These schools must cope not only with all the usual financial problems of growing colleges, including construction of dormitories and classrooms, improved curriculum and services, and increased faculty and salaries, but also with the costs peculiar to maritime academies including the training ship, annual cruise, laboratory facilities, and military program requirements.

Our maritime academies have been doing an excellent job of training merchant marine officers in spite of their financial difficulties. But the need for additional Federal funds is urgent now if they are to continue to provide our Nation with these highly trained men. This proposed bill would authorize those additional funds and I hope it will receive the consideration of every Senator.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill will be received and appropriately referred.

The bill (S. 1973) to amend the Maritime Academy Act of 1958 to increase the amount of assistance to such academies and to provide a minimum subsistence payable per student, introduced by Mr. MUSKIE (for himself and other Senators) , was received, read twice by its title, and referred to the Committee on Commerce.