Merchant Marine Act of 1920, Section 8

Section 8, Merchant Marine Act of 1920 mandates the Secretary of Transportation (who has delegated the authority to the Maritime Administrator):

“. . .with the object of promoting, encouraging, and developing ports and transportation facilities in connection with waterborne commerce over which he has jurisdiction, to investigate territorial regions and zones tributary to such ports, taking into consideration the economies of transportation by rail, water, and highway and the natural direction of the flow of commerce; to investigate the causes of the congestion of commerce at ports and the remedies applicable thereto; to investigate the subject of water terminals, the necessary docks, warehouses, apparatus, equipment, appliances, in connection therewith. . .”