482 DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL

 we believe it will not hurt the railroads, because they will get the same amount
 of transportation, and perhaps more.
 I would like to call your attention to the fact that the Florida Legislature in
 1988 adopted a resolution asking Congress to build this canal. You will find that
 resolution In the General Laws of Florida, 1983, volume 1, page 877. You will
 find that the Senate and House of the Legislature of Florida unanimously passed
 that resolution, which was approved by the Governor on May 27, 1983. I want
 to put that resolution in the Record, In addition to what I have already said
 about the opposition being a made opposition.
 Said resolution is as follows:

 "(Senate committee substitute for House Concurrent Resolution No. 11)
 "JOINT MEMonKAL or THE SENATE AND HOUSe oF REPmUBENTATIVES O THE STATE
 or FLOBIDA
 "A MEMORIAL TO THE PEFKIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BEQUESTING TBB ASSISTANCE
 AND COOPEIb TION OF ZVEBY AVAILABLE FIDEAL AENCr IN OBDEB TO MAKE POS-
 SIBE, AT AN EAMLY DATE, COMMENCEMENT Or CONSTrUCTI'ON WOBK ON A SHIP
 CANAL ACOSS THB PENINSULA Or TE STATE Of rMOSOA
 "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 across the State and makes provision for and
 authorizes 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 cut 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 transportation
 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 furnish-
 ing 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
 producing of means for delivering their produce to market, and will offer ma-
 terial advantages and benefits to fully 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 Army 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
 "Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida (the House of Representa-
tires concurring), That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby,
respectfully urged to approve of said construction project as an effective
measure 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 upon said project may be commenced at the earliest possible date;
be it further