DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL


mercial and military asset which will, in the course of time, repay its own cost
through the collection of reasonable tolls from ships using the canal; and
 Whereas the constitution of the State of Florida contemplates with favor
the construction of such a canal across the State and makes provision for and
authorizes special legislation in order to facilitate such construction; and the
Legislature of the State has now created a public corporation known as the
Florida Ship Canal Authority and has granted to said corporation a franchise,
with full power and authority to construct said canal; and
 Whereas such a canal will cut off approximately 500 miles of distance by the
water route between New Orleans and the Gult ports, on the one hand, and
New York and Liverpool, on the other, will eliminate the danger to shipping
incident to passage through the Florida Straits, will bring about tremendous
savings by reason of the resultant reduction in time, insurance, and other trans-
portation costs, and will constitute a valuable asset to our national defense; and
 Whereas such a canal will largely solve the distribution problems of the Mis-
sissippi Valley and of the southeast section of the United States; will greatly
aid the agricultural and industrial activities in said section by furnishing them
perpetual and cheap transportation to the Atlantic seaboard, where the best
markets are located; will enhance the value of the farm lands through the
producing of means for delivering their produce to market; and will offer
material advantages and benefits to fully one-half of the prodding area of the
United States; and
 Whereas said ship canal, while rendering this valuable service to labor,
 industry, agriculture, and ocean shipping will at the same time, and without
 additional cost, provide a connection between the Atlantic coastal waterway
 and the Gulf coastal waterway for barges and small craft plying between
 Boston, Mass., and Gulf of Mexico ports; and
 Whereas the Corps of Engineers of the Army of the United States, pursuant
 to authorization of Congress is now completing an exhaustive physical survey
 of various possible routes for such a canal, and of the costs of the construction
 thereof; and
 Whereas an application is now pending with the Reconstruction Finance
 Corporation of the United States for a loan of sufficient funds with which to
 construct said canal, such loan to be self-liquidating in character: Now, there-
 fore, be it
 Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida (the House of Representa-
 tires concurring), That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby,
 respectfully urged to approve of said construction project as an effective meas-
 ure in relieving unemployment and stimulating industry and that he be, and he
 is hereby, further requested to procure the assistance and cooperation of every
 appropriate and available Federal agency in order that construction work upon
 said project may be commenced at the earliest possible date; be it further
 Resolved, That the secretary of state be directed to furnish a certified copy
 of this memorial to the President of the United States, to each of our Senators
 and Representatives in Congress, to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation of
 the United States, and to'the Associated Press.
 Approved May 27, 1983.

 DOCUMENT NO. 30 (FILES OF THE P. W. A.), JUNE 3, 1933

 PRELIMINARY REPORT OF SPECIAL BOARD OF ARMY ENGINEERS, UNDER
 DATE OF JUNE 3, 1933

 At this time the special board of Army engineers who were en-
 gaged in making a survey of the canal as a river and harbor project
 pursuant to the River and Harbor Acts of 1927 and 1930, had not
 completed their work. However, they had determined upon the best
 route for the canal and had completed the collection of all basic data
 necessary to estimate its cost of construction and had substantially
 completed their economic survey. By direction of the President, the
 Chief of Engineers caused the board to make a preliminary report
 in order that the data contained therein might be submitted to the'