DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL 467

to the rate at which this work should proceed-that is, whether it should pro-
ceed slowly by moderate appropriations or rapidly by larger appropriations.
These questions will undoubtedly be answered by Congress at the next regular
session.
 In the meantime a situation has arisen which requires action at the present
time unless waste and want and much distress are to be created. There are
those who believe that the project should not have been begun at the time it
was initiated. There are those who honestly believe that it should never have
been begun. I think these are a decided minority, but I recognize and respect
the sincerity of their opinions. There are interests which seek, for selfish
reasons, to prevent the construction of the canal regardless of its benefits to the
public. There are those, and I believe them to be the great majority of the
people of the United States, who are convinced that the President was right
when he began the enterprise and who believe that not only as a work-relief
project but as a great benefit to the Nation's commerce, agriculture, and in-
dustry the canal should be pushed to completion. Because of the insistence of
those who oppose the project on the ground that it is unsound or that it will
result in harmful effects incommensurate with its national benefits, the Presi-
dent now requests the Congress to authorize him to make further and special
investigation of the project, with special attention to the controversial points,
and in the event that this additional investigation shall indicate the jusilfca-
tion for the expenditure of certain of the relief funds appropriated in this bill
to make such expenditure for that purpose. That is the whole meaning of this
amendment which we are now discussing. We are not now deciding whether
or not the Florida Canal shall be completed now or 20 years from now, or ever.
These questions will come before Congress for its decision in due course. The
 only question which we have to answer today is whether we shall grant the
 request of the President for authority to further examine this project and,
 depending upon the result of that examination, to use the project as a vehicle
 for unemployment relief by using a limited portion of the funds which must in
 any event be expended for such relief in that region.
 As I see it, Mr. Speaker, this is the most fair and the most rational method
 which could have been suggested for handling this most important problem.
 I know that some of our Members feel that Congress should not be committed
 to this project in its entirety without further opportunity to discuss and act
 upon it. Their acceptance of this amendment in no way precludes that As I
 have pointed out, the question of appropriations for this project, if any, must
 come before us in due course at the next or succeeding regular sessions. On
 the other hand, a great number of us who believe that the project should be
 pushed to completion as rapidly as possible must be content to have it reex-
 amined and to have any continuation of the work for the immediate present
 depend upon the results of that examination and upon such allotments of relief
 funds as the President may feel are justified by that examination. Rather than
 see the waste and the distress which will inevitably follow cessation of the work
 even for a short time, rather than see the President rebuked, rather than see
 the confidence of the people in the efforts of our Federal Government to grapple
 with the great problem of unemployment seriously shaken, we accept this
 amendment and very earnestly urge that it be concurred in by the House.
 "FLOIIDA CANAL--OUTLrNB OF BASIO INFORMATION AND DATA

 "(Furnished by the Ship Canal Authority of the State of Florida)

 "1. Basic data: All examining authorities of the Government, including the
 Public Works Administration, the Corps of Engineers, and the board of review,
 are in substantial agreement on the following:
 "A. The route of the canal: Entering the St. Johns River; thence up the St.
 Johns River to a point near Palatka; thence westerly across the central portion
 of the peninsula to the Withlacoochee River near Dunnellon; thence down the
 Withlacoochee River to the Gulf of Mexico, entering the Gulf of Mexico at a
 point due east of the mouth of the Mississippi.
 "B. That the canal should be constructed at sea level.
 "C. That its construction will have no deleterious effect upon the underground
 water supply of Florida.
 "D. That its cost will be approximately $142,700,000.
 "E. That its benefits to commerce are Nation-wide and will exceed $8,000,000
 per year