190 DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL
estimate. The tremendous plan which we have, if we are going to
build the canal, should have the resources to build it with.
 Now, I would call attention to the fact, which might otherwise
be overlooked, that to dig the canal to sea level would require the
removal and disposition of about 580,000,000 or 590,000,000 cubic
yards of miscellaneous material. The comparative figure to bear in
mind is it would require, in round numbers, 600,000,000 yards of
excavation and disposal. We have our own figures on our own plan
that would indicate that if we have the resources to provide for that
plan we can come out very close to the estimates.
 Senator VANDmeBmo. Does it make any difference in your con-
templation, General, that the work is being done under P. W. A.
instead of ordinary auspices
 General MAnwAM. I would think that the figures having been
made up, without concern of emergencies or P. W. A., or if we con-
tinue under emergency allotments and regulations, the cost on that
work might be substantially higher than the estimates. The esti-
mates contemplate we shall do that work as an ordinary engineering
job.
 Senator VANDNBwm(. It is not being done that way ?
 General MAr arx. Not with the $5000,000.
 Senator VANI omeo. Is it contemplated from now on that you are
sg to leave the relief worker basis, and go on a straight contractual
 General MARwAW. That is what we are hoping, if the condition
of the country justifies it, and if not, then statesmanship has got to
settle the whole question of employment of relief labor indefinitely.
 Senator VANDNBamm. You mean so far as your plans are concerned,
you want to drop the relief work end of it now, after you have spent
that $5,000,000, and go on a regular basis
 General MA*KAH. No, sir; we do not want to. We say we want
to meet the estimates, and we can meet the estimates if we drop the
relief labor.
 Senator VaNDzammo. If you go on with relief labor, the estimates
will have to substantially increase?
 General MAX*wA. That is correct.
 Senator VAN2wmzaa. Could you give me a percentage of that,
roughly I
 General MAwaxw. I think I will be able to do that, roughly 25
percent.
 Senator VNanw muO. Has it been conclusively determined whether
the canal will be sea level or locks
 General MamawAx. It is conclusively determined that it will be sea
level. Out of the first allotment to the Corps of Engineers, by direc-
tion to the man assigned to the task, was that he should go instantly
and maintain his efforts continuously to determine the geologies
and secure the reports from able folks, so that we should be able to
arrive, irrevocably, meaning thereby within a year or two-to the
determination of whether or not there would be any damage to
Florida's underground water supply by the digging of that canal to
sea level.
 The CHariiAN. You are speaking about the water supply now
 General MA~nwA. I am speaking about the water supply.