DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL 321

by economic considerations, nor by present or potential traffic, which could
profitably make use of the canal.
 "Therefore, as we do not believe there would be any monetary advantage to
this company, in consideration of anticipated delays due to fog, increased col-
lision hazards while in the confined waters of the canal, and added restrictions
which would probably be imposed on oil tankers on account of the nature of
their cargoes, we do not contemplate using this canal should it be constructed."
 Mr. President, surely this practical evidence, from those who must provide
the traffic through the canal, If there is to be any, cannot be ignored by the
Senate when it makes up its mind upon this enormous expenditure. I could
go on with these letters from operators of tankers, but I will not weary the
Senate with further detail. I have letters here from the Texas Co. of New
York, and the Sun Oil Co. of Philadelphia. I sum up this phase of the presen-
tation by saying that I have yet to find a single tank operator who has said
that he wants the canal, or would use it if it were built, or considers that it
is economically justified in its prospective navigation savings.
 Mr. NosBs. Mr. President, will the Senator yield further?
 Mr. VAND.ENBw G. I yield.
 Mr. NormsI. It may be that the Senator will take up later in his address the
question I have in mind, and if so, I will not ask him to do so at this time;
but the question occurs to me, Have any of the potential operators of the
canal given any other reasons for their feeling that they would not use the
canal if it were built except what the Senator has read?
 Mr. VANDENBOG. What I have read is a rather conclusive cross section of
their argument. There are other reasons dropping in here and there, such,
for instance, as the fear that insurance rates will be very much heavier while
ships are transiting the canal.
 Mr. Noarls. Has the Senator investigated that subject? I am merely seeking
information, and I am at once struck with the query, Why will the shipping
Interests not use the canal it it shall be built even though we assume, for the
sake of the argument, that it never ought to be built and would be an economic
mistake? I was wondering whether the Senator had received from any of the
shipping interests any other reason except the ones to which he has briefly
referred.
 Mr. VANDBiNmO. Was the Senator present when I opened my original con-
sideration of the report of the Department of Commerce?
 Mr. NonBIs. Yes; I have heard every word the Senator has said on the
subject.
 Mr. VANanqBio. The Senator remembers the reason given by the Department
of Commerce why the canal would not be used, to wit, the restricted waters.
 Mr. NoBRIS. Yes; but "restricted waters" is a very indefinite term. I wish
to ask a question. It may not be at all important, but in trying to think of
reasons for not using the canal it occurred to me that perhaps its length might
be one of the reasons, and that the time taken to go through a canal of such
length would be as much as it would take to go around the State of Florida
from the Gulf to the ocean.
 Mr. VANDENBmo. Mr. President, there is a hypothetical saving of time pro-
vided the canal can be transited day and night. There is no saving of time if it
cannot be transited after dark. On the theory that it can be transited continu-
ously, there is a saving of time; but there are offsets in ship operating costs to
the saving of time.
 Mr. Nousa. One of the shippers referred to the question of insurance. Did
 the Senator look into that question? Would there be increased insurance?
 Mr. VANDNBsmO. I specifically asked the largest insurance underwriters of
 New York-because I have scrupulously undertaken to get all the available
 facts-whether or not rates would be increased on ships transiting the canal.
 The answer was that it is impossible to make a prophecy until the canal is
 built or operating regulations are established, so that all available factors upon
 which rates are based are in hand. The operating regulations would have more
 to do with the size and nature of the insurance rates than anything else.
 Mr. FarOHIs. Mr. President-
 The PRsIDImN OrFIcEs (Mr. Hatch in the chair). Does the Senator from Mich-
 igan yield to the Senator from Florida?
 Mr. VANDmNB o. I yield.
 Mr. FLwroanB. Speaking of restrictions in the canal, is it not true that the
 Department of Commerce was considering a lock canal; that is to say, the
 Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors considered a canal with three locks