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WEST PETERBOROUGH DAM PROJECT, NEW HAMPSHIRE (S. 1147)

Senator MCCLELLAN. Senator Tobey, we are glad to have you here and will be glad to hear from you.

STATEMENT OF HON. CHARLES W. TOBEY, A UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

Senator TOBEY. Mr. Chairman and friends, I will be very brief. I appear here in favor of a bill, S. 1147, to designate the dam now under construction near Peterborough, N. H., as Edward MacDowell Dam.

I hold in my hand a letter from Gordon Gray, Under Secretary of the Army, approving the bill.

Senator MCCLELLAN. The bill and the letter will be made a part of the record.

(The bill and letter are as follows:)

Hon. DENNIS CHAVEZ,

Chairman, Committee on Public Works,

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY,
Washington, June 13, 1949.

United States Senate.

DEAR SENATOR CHAVEZ: Reference is made to your request for a report on Senate bill 1147, "To designate the dam now under construction near Peterborough, New Hampshire, as Edward MacDowell Dam."

The purpose of the bill, S. 1147, is to designate as the Edward MacDowell Dam the flood-control dam heretofore known as the West Peterborough Reservoir project, under construction near Peterborough, N. H., as a part of the floodcontrol plan in the Merrimack River Basin.

By provisions of the Flood Control Acts of June 22, 1936, and June 28, 1938, Congress approved a comprehensive plan for flood control and other purposes in the Merrimack River Basin. Included in said plan was the West Peterborough Reservoir project on the Merrimack River near Peterborough in New Hampshire. The project has been referred to in the past as the "West Peterborough Reservoir" merely because of its geographic location and, therefore, the Department of the Army is in favor of the enactment of S. 1147.

Attention is invited, however, to the apparent omission of the word "to" following the word "refer" in line 2, page 2, of the bill.

This report has been coordinated among the Departments and Boards in the National Military Establishment in accordance with proecdures prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.

The Bureau of the Budget advises that there is no objection to the submission of this report.

Sincerely yours,

GORDON GRAY, Under Secretary of the Army.

[S. 1147, 81st Cong., 1st sess.]

A BILL To designate the dam now under construction near Peterborough, New Hampshire, as Edward MacDowell Dam

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the flood-control dam (known as the West Peterborough Reservoir project) under construction near Peterborough, New Hampshire, as a part of the flood-control plan in the Merrimack River Basin, as authorized by the Food Control Act of June 22, 1936, and the Flood Control Act of June 28, 1938, shall be known and designated as Edward MacDowell Dam. All records, surveys, maps, and public documents of the United States in which such dam is referred to under the name of West Peterborough Reservoir project, or by any other name, shall be held to refer such dam under the name of Edward MacDowell Dam.

Senator TOBEY. I cannot see, Mr. Chairman, that there could be any possible objection. Edward MacDowell was one of our leading American composers of music who, as you know, has now passed on.

I had a letter from his widow, Mrs. MacDowell, who is still living in Peterborough expressing the hope that this action might be taken while she is still with us on this earth, she said, in memory of her beloved and saintly husband.

I would express the hope that in view of the fact the Department of the Army approved of this bill, and it is now designated West Peterborough Dam only for geographical purposes, that it might be known as the Edward MacDowell Dam for posterity and a worthy project of a worthy man.

You are familiar with many of his writings in music, beyond question, and I do not think we have a more outstanding American

composer.

This is a very simple project to rename what is now called the West Peterborough Reservoir project.

Now it means nothing, its present name. It is only to localize it. So I bespeak the favor of this committee in naming this dam Edward MacDowell Dam, which is approved by the Army, and my bill is S. 1147.

Senator MCCLELLAN. Senator, could you say that local interests up there would generally favor this?

Senator TOBEY. Not only that, but the whole State of New Hampshire, and in fact the music loving world throughout the country are in favor of it. They have so testified to me. The State is keenly interested. It is such a simple thing

Senator MCCLELLAN. There could not be objection?

Senator TOBEY. Everyone is for it. It means a great deal sentimentally throughout the State of New Hampshire and the Nation, honoring a man who has given great spiritual values in his fine music. So many will testify.

You know his writings, his hymns. Possibly his best known work is the woodland sketches-To a Wild Rose, and Ode to the Water Lily.

Here is a man now gone. Mrs. MacDowell is an eminent composer herself. She is still living, although blind, and she wrote me in her own hand expressing appreciation of what we are trying to do. It means so much to her.

Senator MCCLELLAN. You would just like to have your bill made an amendment to the pending flood control bill? Senator TOBEY. Yes, sir, exactly.

Thank you for the courtesy, Mr. Chairman.

Senator MCCLELLAN. General Pick, we thank you for your presence. Senator Holland, who had to leave this morning to attend another committee for some official duty, said he would like to question you some and hoped you could return in the morning. Can you be here in the morning?

General PICK. Yes, sir.

Senator MCCLELLAN. Then we will recess hearings until 10 o'clock in the morning.

(Whereupon, at 11:50 a. m., a recess was taken until tomorrow, Wednesday, July 13, 1949, at 10 a. m.)

FLOOD CONTROL-RIVERS AND HARBORS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1949

UNITED STATES SENATE,

SUBCOMMITTEE FOR FLOOD CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT
OF RIVERS AND HARBORS OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS,
Washington, D. C.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10:10 a. m., in room 412, Senate Office Building, Senator Spessard L. Holland presiding.

Present: Senators Holland (presiding), McClellan, and Martin. Also present: Senator John Sparkman.

Col. W. S. Moore, Col. W. E. Potter, Lt. Col. H. Gee, Office of Chief of Engineers, Department of Army.

Senator HOLLAND. The subcommittee will come to order.

I note present two Members of the House of Representatives, and unless there is objection I will take up the projects in which they are interested for first hearing.

First we will have the Bayfield Harbor, Wis., project.

Congressman O'Konski, would you like to have the engineers explain the project first or would you like to be heard first? Mr. O'KONSKI. I would like to have them explain it first. Senator HOLLAND. All right, Colonel Moore.

BAYFIELD HARBOR, WIS.

Colonel MOORE. Mr. Chairman, the report on Bayfield_Harbor, Wis., published in House Document No. 260, Eighty-first Congress, is in response to a resolution adopted February 6, 1945, by the River and Harbor Committee of the House of Representatives.

Bayfield Harbor, Wis., is on the south shore of Lake Superior, 77 miles by water east of the southern entrance to Duluth-Superior Harbor and 16 miles north of the deep-draft harbor at Ashland, Wis. It lies on the west side of a natural channel extending in a north-south direction between the mainland and the Apostle Islands.

Bayfield had a population of about 1,200 in 1940. Its main industries consist of five fishery companies, which receive fish by boat and ship by rail or truck; a canning company; and a fruit growers' cooperative. There is also considerable activity in general merchandising, poultry raising, recreational fishing, and the tourist business. Two ferries operate between Bayfield and La Pointe on Madeline Island, 2 miles southeast of Bayfield where there are about 240 all-year residents and an additional number of resorters during the

summer.

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No improvement of Bayfield Harbor has been authorized by Congress. An enclosed boat basin about 900 feet long by 500 feet wide has been created by repairs and extensions to the north city pier, by repairs to the south city wharf, and by construction of a breakwater pier extending northeasterly from the city wharf. Costs have been $210,600, of which $134,300 were Federal by the Works Progress Administration and $76,300 were local for the city pier, its extensions, and other structures forming the basin. The project was not fully completed due to exhaustion of funds. Depths alongside the basin piers vary from 4 to 12 feet. The basin is open to the public without charge. At the present time it is not sufficiently protected to give safe mooring to small craft during northeast and southwest storms. Water-borne commerce of Bayfield Harbor consists of fish and miscellaneous freight. Automobiles and trucks are transported by ferry between Bayfield and La Pointe on Madeline Island and passengers are ferried to La Pointe and to fishing grounds around the Apostle Islands. Commercial fishermen are reported to have an investment of $300,000 in fish nets and accessory gear. For the ten years 1938 through 1947, commerce of the harbor fluctuated between a low of 2,365 tons in 1943 and a high of 10,068 tons in 1938, and averaged 3,966 tons annually during that period. The commerce during 1947 consisted of 3,008 tons of which 1,917 tons were fish and 1,091 tons were supplies and miscellaneous freight. Vessel traffic into the harbor during that year consisted of 7,500 round trips of craft drawing up to 13 feet.

Local interests request extension of the existing city pier ell and breakwater pier at the eastern side of the municipal harbor basin, dredging of the municipal harbor basin to a depth of 10 to 16 feet, construction of a parapet on the lakeward sides of the city pier ell and the breakwater pier at the eastern side of the harbor basin, and removal of a submerged crib near the southwest corner of the municipal harbor basin.

They claim that the improvements are necessary for the protection of shore installations and for safety and convenience of general navigation.

The district engineer recommends that the Federal Government adopt a project for improvement of the harbor at Bayfield, Wis., by extending the existing city pier ell and city breakwater approximately 118 feet each, constructing parapets about 2 feet in height on the outside walls of the city pier ell and city breakwater, dredging the municipal harbor basin to a depth of 10 feet, and removing a submerged crib in the basin, subject to certain conditions of local cooperation.

The Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors concurs generally in the views and recommendations of the reporting officers. The benefits which are predominately general in nature, are more than sufficient to justify the construction of the improvement by the United States. The Board therefore recommends adoption of a project for Bayfield Harbor, Wis., to provide a small-boat harbor by extending the existing city pier ell and city breakwater pier approximately 118 feet each, constructing parapets about 2 feet in height on the outside walls of the city pier ell, a portion of the city pier, and the city breakwater pier, dredging the municipal harbor basin to a depth of 10 feet, and removing a submerged crib in the basin, all generally in accordance with plans of the district engineer and with

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