392 DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORDA CANAL

 (Said resolution is as follows:)
 "SBNATu CoMxrrm SUBTsrrIvT Fos Hous CONouuqmIT RIBouTIo No. 11
 "JOINT XMMOmIAL or THa SWLATS AND HOUSE or BIF=MENTATIVUB OF THE 8TATR
 or FrLOloA
 "A memorial to the President of the United States requesting the assistance and
 cooperation of every available Federal agency in order to make possible, at an
 early date, commencement of construction work on a ship canal across the
 peninsula of the State of Florida
 "Whereas the construction of a ship canal across the State of Florida will give
 employment to a vast amount of human labor, thus greatly relieving the distress
 due to the unemployment crisis; at the same time creating a valuable commercial
 and military asset which will, in the course of time, repay its own cost through
 the collection of reasonable tolls from ships using the canal; and
 "Whereas the Constitution of the State of Florida contemplates with favor the
 construction of such a canal acres the State and makes provision for and au-
 thorizes special legislation in order to facilitate such construction; and the
 Legislature of the State has now created a public corporation known as the
 Florida Ship Canal Authority and has granted to said corporation a franchise
 with full power and authority to construct said canal; and
 "Whereas such a canal will dot off approximately 500 miles of distance by the
 water route between New Orleans and the Gulf ports, on the one hand, and
 New York and Liverpool, on the other, will eliminate the danger to shipping
 Incident to passage through the Florida Straits, will bring about tremendous
 savings by reason of the resultant reduction In time, insurance, and other trans-
 portation costs, and will constitute a valuable asset to our national defense; and
 "Whereas such a canal will largely solve the distribution problems of the
 Mississippi Valley and of the southeast section of the United States; will greatly
 aid the agricultural and industrial activities in said section by furnishing them
 perpetual and cheap transportation to the Atlantic seaboard where the best
 markets are located; will enhance the value of the farm lands through the pro-
 ducing of means for delivering their produce to market and will offer material
 advantages and benefits to full) one-half of the producing area of the United
 States; and
 "Whereas said ship canal, while rendering this valuable service to labor,
 industry, agriculture, and ocean shipping, will at the same time, and without
 additional cost, provide a connection between the Atlantic coastal waterway
 and the Gulf coastal waterway for barges and small craft plying between
 Boston, Mass., and Gulf of Mexico ports; and
 "Whereas the Corps of Engineers of the Arny of the United States, pursuant
 to authorization of Congress, is now completing an exhaustive physical survey
 of various possible routes for such a canal, and of the costs of the construction
 thereof; and
 "Whereas an application is now pending with the Reconstruction Finance
 Corporation of the United States for a loan of sufficient funds with which to
 construct said canal, such loan to be self-liquidating in character: Now, there-
 fore, be it
 "Resolvea by the Senate of the BStte of Florida (the House of Represetataives
 conurrvin) : That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby,
 respectfully urged to approve of said construction project as an effective meas-
 ure in relieving unemployment and stimulating industry and that he be, and
 he is hereby, further requested to procure the assistance and cooperation of
 every appropriate and available Federal agency in order that construction work
 upo said project may be commenced at the earliest possible date. Be it further
 "Resolved, That the secretary of state be directed to furnish a certified copy of
this memorial to the President of the United States, to each of our Senators
and Representatives in Congress, to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation of
the United States, and to the Associated Press.
 "Approved May 27, 1988."
 Mr. SxeAs. I am sorry to take up so much of your time.
 Mr. Baoow. I would like to examine the engineers' report on this.
 Mr. Suaa. I will furnish the committee with some of them, as far as I can
secure them.