1 - American Memory

28
ment fails to act to provide relief, then there is something wrong
with the system of government under which we all live.
We are not asking for favoritism. We ask only that the Congress of
the United States recognize our unique situation and grant Hawaii
the same protection to its surface transportation that other United
States cities and States enjoy. We are not second-class citizens and we
will not stand still while we are denied equal rights and protection
under the law.
Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I deeply believe that
the case for Federal legislation to protect Hawaii from shipping stop-
pages is a conclusive one. And in that light, I am compelled to call to
your attention what I believe to be a serious deficiency in the bill as
presently written.
In defining the term "interrupt normal shipping," the only refer-
ence is to stoppages occurring at west coast ports. There is no men-
tion of stoppages occurring from the closing of Hawaii docks and we
must therefore assume that dock tieups in Hawaii would not be cov-
ered by the provisions of this bill.
I thmk I am speaking for all the people of Hawaii when I say that
it seems to make little sense to protect us from a bullet in the head
while, at the same time, we are left as vulnerable as ever to a bullet in
the heart.
Surely, if the intent of this measure is to protect our people from an
interruption of normal shipping, Hawaii ports should be specifically
included in the bill.
I can see no reason why a fair and equitable solution cannot be
found to this problem. The shipping unions in Hawaii are responsible
organizations headed by reasonable men—men who realize that ship-
ping stoppages hurt their members and the families of their members
just as much as the rest of the population.
I know that I speak for the people of the city and country of Hono-
lulu and the State of Hawaii when I urge all of you to give favorable
consideration to House bill 7189 at the earliest possible time. I say the
earliest possible time because Hawaii has picked itself off the canvas
twice in the past 2 years, and the present agreement between the
ILWU and the PMA expires on June 30. Should another strike take
place, our economy simply cannot hold up as well. It would take us
years to recover from the next serious shipping stoppage.
I say to all of you, please don't let this happen to Hawaii again.
Pass House bill 7189 and protect our lifeline.
I would like to add, I think the gentlemen of Congress and the
Senate have got to be more pragmatic. As Congressman Kuykendall
mentioned, you can argue the legalities of any bill but the f a«t remains,
gentlemen, you have a sovereign State of the United States completely
isolated every time you have a strike, something that would not be
tolerated within any mainland State in the United States. To me this
is rank discrimination and we are long overdue for congressional action
to overcome the situation. Thank you very much.
Mr. JARMAN. Mr. Mayor, as t understand. H.R. 7189, it effects a
strike or a lockout in a longshore or maritime industry in the State of
Washington, Oregon, and California, and this legislative proposal
would have no effect on a strike actually called in Hawaii; would it?