376 DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL

 The industrial development that would have followed certainty as to the
 canal would be conceded by everyone as to the immediate vicinity of the canal-
 Jacksonville, Palatka, Ocala, and Yankeetown. It is just as certain that many
 sales would have been made this month in Polk and other counties of your dis-
 trict if the work could have had congressional endorsement Mr. Babson has
 been saying all the time that Florida was ready for a great return of pros-
 perity except for some psychological happening. The canal would have pro-
 vided it
 I really wanted to mention a more personal phase of the situation. I do not
 believe that the opposition to the project was general. I do not think the few
 prominent men who spoke against it actually spoke for the citizens they pre-
 tended to speak for. I say this because I haven't been able to find those people
 who oppose the canal. There are some citrus men who speak against it from a
 feeling of gloating over their own selfishness, since they talk of defeating
 Arizona and Texas shippers. A few Tampa special interests oppose the canal
 The big opposition comes from the railroads, closely allied with the water-
 transportation companies. Your friends-those who voted for you-these people
 seem perplexed, some of them very angry, because they think you have helped
 in dealing a death blow to a return of better conditions.
 I still hope there will be a further opportunity for an appropriation at this
 present term. I believe if you had a poll over your district that it would over-
 whelmingly vote for the canal. Those underneath find it difficult to get their
 opinions to you.
 Sincerely,
 BBADWrRD G. WnxiAMs.

 DOCUMENT NO. 126 (CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, 74TH CONG, 2D SESS,
 APR. 16, 196), APRIL 15, 1936
 COMMUnICATiON Fiox HZNRT H. BUcxx or ENoramsmBo Coux-
 str, Ta SzHI CANAL AUTHoarrr or THE STATE OF FrLWRDA, TO
 RZEPMBmTATIv R. GmxrN

 Under date of April 15, 1986, Henry H. Buckman, of engineering
 counsel for the Ship Canal Authority of the State of Florida, ad-
 dressed the following communication to Representative R. A. Green:
 THa SaHI CANAL AOrrHorrr or THE STATs or rPODoA,
 on. A. G Wahnton, D. 0., April 15, 1936.
 Member of Congress, Howe of Representatives.
 Mr DrAa ML. Gamn: I note from today's press dispatches that the President
 has intimated that in the absence of a specific appropriation for the Florida
 ship canal by the Congress, he feels that he will be unable to make further allot-
 ments to this project from relief funds.
 If this is true, it serves to emphasize the desirability of congressional action
 on this matter during the present session. This is not a proposed project or
 one which is being contemplated, but a work which is well under way. The
 enormous excavations which have been made by the Army engineers in charge
 represent a ditch comparable in size with the Panama Canal and nearly 16
 miles in length. Approximately 12,000,000 cubic yards of earth have been
 removed and excavation is going on at the rate of 100,000 cubic yards per day.
 There are more than 6,000 men employed on this work, substantially all of
 whom come from the relief rols. It cannot be the intention of Congress to
 fail to provide for this enterprise which was undertaken pursuant to policy laid
 down by it, nor does it seem possible that the Congress will permit the throwing
 out of work of this great amount of labor and the distress and chaos which
would result.
 I am satisfied that if the facts relating to the Florida Canal were known to
the Members of Congress, the project would long since have been provided for
by adequate appropriation. It has been the object of vicious attack by interests
which are opposed to the economies which the canal would bring about, and it
has been subject to a barrage of misleading propaganda which has probably been