DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL 333

 The PmBIDnI Onrro (Mr. Pope in the chair). Does the Senator from
Florida yield to the Senator from Wyoming?
 Mr. FLcarcm. I yield.
 Mr. CAnBr. I find in the report of the board of review the following language
in the last paragraph:
 "This board was not instructed to estimate the benefits accruing from the
construction and operation of this canal However, if it be assumed that the
economic study made by the special board of Army engineers for a lock canal
is sound, and considering the lower maintenance and operating costs of a sea-
level canal, the cost of a canal which would be justified at 4-percent interest
would be"-
 Then the cost is given.
 As the Senator from Florida will recall, I tried to bring out in the hearings
before the Appropriations Committee the fact that an economic study of this
proposed canal had never been made; that no study had been made as to
whether such a canal was necessary or whether it was worth while, and I
could not get any evidence in the committee that such a report ever was made.
Has any such report ever been made?
 Mr. FixroHm. The economic survey and the report were made by the special
board of survey appointed by the Chief of Engineers. That report was filed
with the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors.
 Mr. CA&rY. Was that a report on the economic benefits and public necessity
 for the canal?
 Mr. FaoBno B Absolutely. That special board brought in experts from
 Government departments to assist it in that study. That special board's report
 is on file in the War Department, and it covers the economic and commercial
 survey, giving ship by ship, as I shall point out on the map in a moment, that
 would use the canal. That is the report which the board of review accepted
 after talkng it up and considering it, after ascertaining the basis upon which
 the calculations were made, because they held that the estimates in that report
 and the findings applied to a lock canal, which would obviously be much more
 favorable when applied to a sea-level canaL The board of review adopted that
 report as applicable to lock-canal requirements, and accepted it for the sea-
 level canaL
 Mr. CAuBr. Mr. President-
 The PMBmIDIN Owmcm (Mr. Bachman in the chair). Does the Senator from
 Florida yield to the Senator from Wyoming?
 Mr. FurOEra. I yield.
 Mr. Camr. I find in the report of the hearings on the bill before the House
 committee that Mr. Howard asked General Pillsbury:
 "Mr. Powms. Do I understand, then, that the Florida ship canal has never
 been approved by any board of the Army engineers or anyone else?
 "General PILu.sB T. I do not recollect any.
 "Captain CLAY. There was a special board, and they did point out that,
 although it lacked complete economic justification, with a part of its cost
 charged to relief, it would be suitable as a relief project."
 Mr. Fizrvwm. I do not know anything about that board, but I think there is
 some confusion there. A special board did consider the economic problem as
 this board of review mentions. The board of review says:
 "However, if it be assumed that the economic study made by the special
 board of Army engineers for a lock canal is sound, and considering the lower
 maintenance and operating costs of a sea-level canal, the cost of a canal which
 would be justified at 4-percent interest, would be: Sea-level canal, $160,000,000."
 This board found that the canal would be justified; it accepted the estimates
 made by the special board with reference to a lock canal as applicable to a
 sea-level canal at a cost of $100,000,000, and then they further found that the
 cost would be $142,700,000, or, roughly, $143,000,000.
 Mr. CAmr. Has the Senator from Florida seen a copy of the report of the
 War Department engineers in which they set forth the economic benefits of this
 canal? Is such a report available?
 Mr. IETmwEL I have only seen portions of it. I have not seen a full copy
 of it.
 Mr. CAmr. I thank the Senator.
 Mr. FmoH m. The board of review reported that it had accepted the report
 of the estimates and findings as to economic justification by the special board
 of survey of the Army engineers, as applied to a lock canal. Of course, there