DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL 395

DOCUMENT NO. 130 (CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, 74TH CONG, 2D SESS.,
 APR. 24, 196), APRIL 24, 1936

SPEECH OF REPRESENTATIVE GREEN, OF FLORIDA, IN THE HOUSE OF
 REPRESENTATIVES, APrmL 24, 1936

 On April 24, 1936, Representative R. A. Green, of Florida, ad-
dressed the House on the Florida Canal. The following is extracted
from the Congressional Record of that date:
 Mr. GRamN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to proceed for 1 minute.
 The SPAKax. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Florida?
 There was no objection.
 THE ]bOIDA CANAL

 Mr. Gamn. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, showing at Keith's Theater, in
the city of Washington, this week is a picture styled "March of Time." A
portion of this picture was probably planned as propaganda adverse to the canal
across Florida. In some respects, however, the publicity given through this
medium is a benefit to the Florida Canal and to the American people. It is
beneficial in that it shows to the American people the magnitude of the project,
its great importance, and its present vast benefits as a sound and justifiable
unemployment-relief project. It shows huge machines which were manufactured
in various parts of the country and the work giving direct employment to over
6,000 people at the place of construction, and giving indirect employment to a
large additional number in all parts of the country.
 An unusual feature of the picture is that occupied by a distinguished Republi-
 can Presidential candidate from Michigan. It shows this Republican candidate
 enthused over the temporary victory in the other legislative branch when an
 amendment to appropriate funds for the canal was lost by one vote. That one
 could be so sectional and so partisan as to be proud over the temporary defeat
 of a project of undoubted permanent merit and of substantial benefit to the
 entire country is difficult for me to understand. The blocking of action in the
 matter will be temporary. Right will prevail The American people will not
 permit the permanent defeat of a project of so great permanent improvement
 value to all sections of the country as is the Florida CanaL
 The picture is misleading in that it purported to show a general opposition
 to the project on the part of Florida celery growers, general vegetable growers,
 and fruit growers. This part of the picture is exaggerated and is misleading.
 It is not founded upon any real existing sentiment among the Florida vegetable
 and fruit growers. This purpose of the picture is to show opposition on the
 part of the fruit and vegetable growers for the alleged contention that the salt
 water of the proposed canal would damage Florida's underground fresh-water
 supply and thus destroy fruit and vegetable life. This contention is without
 competent engineering fact. Gen. E. M. Markham, Chief of United States
 Board of Army Engineers, recently said:
 "In my opinion, a sufficiency of information with respect to underground-
 water supply has been gathered to make a determination of the effect of the canal
 on such supply. This Department, in its investigations of the canal, has utilized
 the services of expert geologists and water engineers A special board of
 review, formed pursuant to instructions from the President, also had the
 services of a competent water engineer. The preliminary data gathered by
 the Department indicated that there was some possibility of adverse effects on
 the underground-water supply. The more detailed information which is now
 available clearly indicates that the adverse effects are largely local and not
 of a serious nature. When the project was placed under way as a part of
 the relief program I had the district engineer at Ocala, Fla., assemble a board
 of selected experts to consider the data gathered by the two boards, the State
 geological department, and the Geological Survey, and to undertake additional
 and exhaustive field investigations. These experts have recently submitted
 their interim report, which definitely concludes that the effects of the sea-level
 canal on the underground-water supply will not be serious but local in nature
 and capable of control with reasonable expenditures for remedial works. The
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