1 - American Memory

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appear from what I read in the newspapers that probably both the
west coast and the Hawaiian longshore contracts which expire
June 30 will probably be negotiated without any work stoppage would
not remove any of the urgency for this legislation. In Hawaii, this
is, as we have all tried to point out. a continuing problem of long
standing and the mere fact that one set of contracts may be negotiated
without a stoppage does not mean that the next set might not result
in a stoppage or a threat of a stoppage.
Also, from what I hear and read, it is the viewpoint of most people
that Congress c^n probably pass bettor and more carefully thought-
out legislation when there is no crisis than to legislate during a period
of crisis.
I do hope that this bill can move forward this session.
That completes my comments.
[Testimony resumes on p. 183.]
[The brochure referred to follows:]
HAWAII : THE MOST YDLNEBABIJ! STATE IN THE NATION—A CASE STDDT
INTBODUCTION
Hawaii la more vulnerable to transportation strikes than any of the other
(orty-nlne states of the Union.
The forty-eight contiguous states are all served by trains, trucks, buses, auto-
mobiles, trunk air carriers, and feeder air carriers—and most of them are also
served by ships. If one means of transportation Is closed down, suppliers can usu-
ally turn to other means of transportation. It may be costly and Inconvenient, but
Kenerally it can be done.
Alaska Is more vulnerable than the lower forty-eight. But Alaska Is served by
the Alaska Highway, she has her own state-operated shipping system that con-
nects with Prince Rupert in Canada and with Seattle, and her local airlines can
supplement the trunk carriers if the trunk carriers are down.
Hawaii is the most vulnerable of all. Every commodity and every person com-
ing to or leaving Hawaii travels either by .ship, barge or trunk air carrier—there
is simply no other . 'ay to move goods or people.
Hawaii's land area is (i,450 square miles. This is equivalent to the area around
Washington, D.C., that would stretch from Baltimore on the north to Fredericks-
burg on the south and reach westward to the Shenandoah National Park. To
visualize what a shipping or dock strike does to Hawaii, one only has to imagine
an impenetrable wall built around this Washington area—a wall that would stop
all surface transportation from entering or leaving the area. No trains. No
trucks. No buses. No cars. No ships. Nothing that moves on the surface of the
earth. The only contact with the rest of the country would be by trunk air car-
riers that would originate their flights from at least as far away as Los Angeles—
which is the distance from San Francisco to Honolulu.
Now visualize a similar analogy, this time with respect to moving people.
Hawaii no longer has any passenger service to and from the Mainland by ship
so that all people entering or leaving Hawaii have to travel by aid. What would
happen to the Washlngton-Baltimore-Frederlcksburg area if all modes of moving
people were stopped? No airplanes. No passenger trains. No buses. No cars. Not
even bicycles or horses.
Obviously, either of the above situations would constitute a dire emergency
for the area that would not be tolerated for any length of time. If the President
didn't act to get transportation moving, certainly the Congress would. Even the
thought of such a situation developing would appall every resident In the area
because the Impact would be so calamitous.
Is it any wonder then that the residents of Hawaii view dock strikes, marl-
time .strikes, or airline strikes with a real and genuine dread? Is it any wonder
that we in Hawaii feel that we have a right to ask the Congress to enact special