1 - American Memory
1 - American Memory
1 - American Memory
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
205<br />
They remember the inadequacy and tardiness of Taft-Hartley and<br />
previous congressional response to our plight.<br />
They remember the long history of the determined effort by their<br />
entire congressional delegation to secure a legislative remedy.<br />
The overwhelming majority of the people of Hawaii strongly sup-<br />
port action to safeguard them from the impact of future maritime<br />
and longshore disputes on the west coast—the thousands of messages<br />
which have come from people in all walks of life throughout my State<br />
attest to that.<br />
On behalf of the people of Hawaii, therefore, I ask that this sub-<br />
committee and the full Committee on Interstate and Foreign Com-<br />
merce act promptly and favorably on H.R. 7189. To do so will be to<br />
take the right action at the right time—before, not after, another<br />
emergency strikes.<br />
Mr. DixoELU The Chair recognizes Mr. Metcalfe.<br />
Mr. METCALFE. May I also ask unanimous consent to insert in the<br />
record at this point a letter f i-om the Honorable Antonio Won Pat of<br />
Guam, who has asked that this be inserted.<br />
Mr. DiNGELL. That letter will appear in the record at this point.<br />
[Hon. Won Pat's letter follows:]<br />
CONGBEBS OF THE UNITED STATES,<br />
HoDSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,<br />
Washington, D.C., September 26,1974.<br />
Hon. HARLET O. STAOOBBS,<br />
Chairman, Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, V.8. Souse of Representatives,<br />
Washington, D.C.<br />
DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN : On June 5, 1973, I was privileged to testify before the<br />
Subcommittee on Transportation and Aeronautics on behalf of H.R. 7189, the<br />
Hawaii and Western Islands Surface Commerce Protection Act of 1973. As a cosponsor<br />
of this measure, I wish to again address the need for this legislation to<br />
become law.<br />
Since the time I testified, the United States territory of Guam has undergone<br />
several hardships which relate to the measure at hand.<br />
As you Icnow, H.R. 7189 has but one goal: to keep the shipping ties between<br />
Guam, Hawaii and other <strong>American</strong> points in the Pacific open during the often<br />
long and difficult West Coast doclt strilces. During the last major strike in 1971,<br />
Pre.sident Nixon waited more than 100 days before invoking tlie Taft-Hartley<br />
Act. Thus, we in the Pacific, who rely on the mainland for 90 percent of our<br />
foodstuffs and other vital supplies, were virtually cut off from our major resources.<br />
As has been repeatedly stated before the Subcommittee in prior hearings,<br />
no other <strong>American</strong> area must face this constant threat to its ability to<br />
survive. I doubt whetlier the citizens of Akron, Los Angeles, New York, or Atlanta<br />
w^ould suffer such a fate any better than do their counterparts in Honolulu or<br />
Guam.<br />
Today the need for this legislation is greater than ever before. Since June, 1973,<br />
the cost-of-living for all of us has skyrocketed. Food and other items of daily<br />
living are taking a larger portion of our paychecks with each passing week. For<br />
your fellow <strong>American</strong>s in the offshore areas the problem is even more acute. The<br />
majority of our supplies are shipped in and the cost of shipping has kept pace<br />
with the increase in other items.<br />
Adding to the complexity of the problem is the spiraling cost of oil, which<br />
forces shipping costs ever upward and in turn forces the i)eople of Guam to once<br />
again face the prospect nf even higher price.s for anything imported to our Island.<br />
Where this vicious cycle will end, I have no idea. We have attempted to alle-<br />
Tiate the problem by turning our attention to improving local agricultural efforts.<br />
This is a long-range program at best, however, and is in no way certain to produce<br />
sufficient results to insure Guam's self-sufficiency in food production.<br />
To make matters worse. Guam recently suffered a cutback in shipping service<br />
from the West Coast when Pacific Far East Lines announced its intention to