The Daily Alaska empire., 1951-10-24
Coast Guard Regulations
 Aired Today

Emphasizing that the Coast Guard is dedicated to the proven ton of marine disasters. Admiral Joseph Greenspun, commandant of the 17th district. set the stage this morning at the formal Coast Guard hearings in the Senate Chambers. Greenspun stated that charges had been made that in Southeast Alaska the enforcement of Coast Guard regulations were oppressive and too severe. He said that the meeting had been called so that every protestant could be heard and that transcript of the meeting would be forwarded to the Coast Guard commandant at Washington. i Nine witnesses were heard at the morning session and at the con- clusion of the testimony. three witnesses were interrogated by Ad- miral Greenspun, Capt. c. w. Call beck. 18th Coast Guard headquar- ters. and Comdr. Paul Savonis. Coast Guard headquarters. Wash ington, DC.
 Chambers Views
 Robert Boochever. representing the Juneau Chamber of Commerce, stated that the Chamber did not concur with the Coast Guard that the waters of Southeast Alaska were so dangerous that the district should be classified as limited coastwise waters rather than in- land waters. Southeast Alaska's economy and development Is de- pendent on small boats and barges. Boocheyer said. And he added that what is needed is reasonable in- depreciation of the regulations so that neither marine safety nor economic welfare Is jeopardized Jerry Mckinley, chairman of the chambers Coast Guard committee. protested that there are too fre- quent changes in the safety equip ment that each boat must carry. The Chamber of Commerce fayors a plan for the use of car ferries across Lynn Canal at Berner's Bay 1 and across the Taku River to con- meet psaposps road systems. Fred Eastaugh. Juneau attorney. stated that the present classification would prohibit the use of ferry boats and that in his estimation the wssers were improperly ciassi- fled"
 Crew Requirements A new problem was introduced into the hearing by L. E. Erickson. co-owner of the Ketchikan Trans portation Company operating the Dart and Discoverer as mail-freight- passenger ships for the west coast of Prince of Wales Island. Erickson | stated that his vessels had always been passed at inspections but that the Coast Guard requirements that only men holding papers could man the ship Discoverer, a 92 foot ves- sel had worked an extreme hard | ship. Because he was unable to hire men in Ketchikan, his com- | pany had ceased to use it's largest boat, the Discoverer and were now / using the Dart which was smaller and was exempt from certain crew regulations. Tn using the Dart. Erickson claimed that his company was not able to service all its way ports.
 Because of the construction boom rand government competition, 1t was difficult to hire qualified men in Ketchikan this year. Erickson said. When employees would leave the ship without notice, Erickson said that he had to wire to Seattle for men holding papers in spite of the fact that there were men in Ket- ichikan, who had navigated fishing boats for years and knew the local
 waters. yet he was unable to hire local men because they had DO papers.
 Steve Homer of the Chilkoot Mot orship Lines also protested this rul- ing and added that only lew men
 in Southeast Alaska qualified for
 able seaman's papers because one
 qualification was that they serve
 aboard vessel of over 100 tons.
 There are only a few vessels in Southeast Alaska of. this size, he
 said. While many fishermen have spent their lives aboard small fish | ing boats, they cannot be qualified | to work aboard mail or passenger crafts inspected by the Coast Guard although the vessels are not any
 larger than the fishing boats.
 Loss Reported George Baggen. Jr., Sitka barge and tug operator. testified that he had lost approximately $8.000 this