DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL


committee, in order that it may be fully enlightened regarding the
proposal, and the amount of money necessary to complete the project,
and the economic justification of the project.
 Senator FLrcHEm. Mr. Chairman, this is a meeting of the sub-
committee, is it?
 The CHAIRMAN. A meeting of the subcommittee.
 Senator FLEwmHR. As I understand the situation, Senator Van-
denberg introduced a resolution in the Senate providing for certain
inquiries to be made.
 The CHAIrMAN. That is right.
 Senator FLETurcm. That resolution was referred to the Committee
 on Commerce, and the chairman of the committee referred it to a
 subcommittee. Now the committee itself is not authorized, neither
 is the subcommittee authorized, to go into all these matters con-
 templated by this resolution. The subcommittee is here to ascertain
 whether or not it will recommend to the full committee what it would
 do with this resolution, whether it should be adopted or not.
 The CHAIRMAN. That is correct.
 Senator FLurcHE. That being true, it seems to me this reference
 to the subcommittee relates to the question of the foundation for
 this inquiry, whether the project is a new project, whether it has
 been adopted or not, what is being done, and so forth. I take it
 that is the general plan.
 The CHaIRMAN. This resolution of Senator Vandenberg (S. Res.
 210) has been referred to this subcommittee to determine whether
 or not the subcommittee will recommend to the full committee that
 a provision should be made for an investigation of the subject by a
 detailed study of all the problems involved. I take it that the pur-
 pose of this subcommittee meeting this morning is to find out
 whether, in the judgment of the subcommittee, we should recommend
 to the full committee that further proceedings be taken.
 Senator VANDENBERG. My conception of the matter, Mr. Chair-
 man, is substantially that indicated by the Senator from Florida. I
 do not think the subcommittee would have any authority to make the
 searching inquiry which the resolution itself contemplates. I think
 our province is to find out whether there is a prima-facie reason to
 go ahead with an inquiry. We are sitting in the light of a grand
 jury, as it were, to determine whether or not there are any presump-
 tions worthy of pursuing of the matter in connection with the resolu-
 tion and nothing more than that.
 General Markham, will you indicate in a general way, how this
 project gets under way ?
 STATEMENT OF MAJ. GEN. E. M. ARKrHA, CHIEF OF ENGINEERS
 General MARKHAM. There was a resolution, or authorization by
 Congress, calling for an investigation in the usual fashion, by the
 Corps of Engineers on the Florida-Gulf Canal.
 The CHAIMAN. When was that adopted, General?
 General MARKHAM. I do not have the date.
 The CHAIrEMA. Is it recently?
 General MARKHAM. No; it is 2 or 3 years ago.
 Senator VANDmNBERG. Yiou made your general survey in 1927, did
 you not, General?


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