made in the theory and design of cyclotrons so that one is indeed abl to make a cyclotron in this range. Dr. SAWYER. The record should show that we have the plans read to do this. Dr. DENNISON. We have the plans ready to do it. There is n question but what it can be made successfully. Enough preliminar work has been done to assure this is the case. Mr. BOLAND. Off the record. Dr. SAWYER. We certainly appreciate your courtesy. THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1960. TEXAS CITY PROJECT WITNESSES HON. CLARK W. THOMPSON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS JACK LAWRENCE, GALVESTON COUNTY COMMISSION EMMETT LOWRY, CITY COMMISSIONER, TEXAS CITY Mr. RABAUT. Mr. Thompson, we understand you are here on the Texas City project. Mr. THOMPSON. Yes. I also have three other projects; planning funds for part of the Intracoastal Waterway, and I will ask permission to file a statement on that. Mr. RABAUT. Without objection, it will be inserted in the record at this point. (The statement referred to follows:) STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE CLARK W. THOMPSON GULF INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY (CHANNEL TO PALACIOS, TEX.) (NAVIGATION STUDY) M. Chairman, Congress has previously authorized a navigation study of the gulf Intracoastal Waterway channel to Palacios, Tex., to determine the advis ability of enlarging the existing navigation channel and incorporating a locally constructed turning basin into the Federal project. I am advised that the cost of this study is only $4,000, and though the project was not contained in the budget recommendations I earnestly trust that the committee will incorporate it in the bill. The cost of this survey is small indeed-certainly in contrast to the benefits which can be expected to accrue from the improvement of a project identified with the gulf Intracoastal Waterway system, a transportation facility which has achieved the highest ratio of benefits to costs of any waterway in the Nation. The port of Palacios is centrally located on the intracoastal canal system in Texas. Not only will it benefit from, and contribute to, the important tonnage moving over the waterway when its facilities are improved, but it can be expected to generate considerable commerce locally and to serve more effectively as a haven of refuge for small craft. Mr. Chairman, I strongly recommend that the committee approve the appropriation of $4,000 so that this important navigation study can be undertaken without delay. MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL Mr. Chairman, the Matagorda ship channel from the Gulf of Mexico to Point Comfort, Tex., was authorized in the 1958 Rivers and Harbors Act. It met the riteria of and had the approval of the Bureau of the Budget. That the Bureau still approves the project is indicated by their current recommendation that you appropriate $266,000 to continue final planning. This sum is to be spent on completion of a model study at Vicksburg, Miss. The chief of engineers believes that it may take all of the next fiscal year to complete this study. On the other hand, it is also possible that the engineers will reach their conclusion before the end of this calendar year. In that event, it will be feasible to start construction and certainly there is no reason why the various facilities at the upper end of the channel such as the turning basin, wharves, etc., should not be commenced. If the model study is completed at an early date, and if the chief of engineers then states that he can use construction money, I shall ask, on behalf of the local interests, that they be permitted to turn over some of their funds to the Corps of Engineers for the starting of construction. I invite to your attention the present approval of the Bureau of the Budget and to your own past financial assistance. Certainly a final model study would not have been authorized by the Bureau if it did not expect to see the project through to its conclusion. In the interest of time, therefore, I request consideration of the foregoing proposal to permit local interests to advance money upon completion of the model study and provided the chief of engineers states that such funds can be profitably expended. STATEMENT OF MATAGORDA COUNTY NAVIGATION DISTRICT NO. I CONCERNING U.S. CORPS OF ENGINEERS' STUDY OF THE GULF INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY CHANNEL TO PALACIOS, TEX., AND THE TURNING BASINS AT PALACIOS, TEX. Matagorda County Navigation District No. I unqualifiedly recommends that the U.S. Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, district office at Galveston, Tex., be authorized to forthwith complete and/or make a study to determine the advisability of enlarging the existing navigation channel and to incorporate the locally constructed turning basins in the Federal project. It has been estimated that the cost of such study is only $4,000. The project has, for several years, been an approved one by the Rivers and Harbors Committee of Congress. This navigation district is certainly cognizant of the fact that a great number of barges and vessels using the port of Palacios and the navigation channel have experienced difficulty in navigation. That with the deeper draft vessels which have been using the facilities of recent date and which are expected to use such facilities in the future, the need is certainly great for the requested study at this time. The harbor at Palacios, Tex., during hurricane and storm seasons serves as a haven of refuge for fishing craft, petroleum industry craft, and other commercial vessels, as well as pleasure craft. This harbor was constructed and is maintained solely by and with local taxes and funds. Matagorda County Navigation District No. I would respectfully request that the Congress approve an appropriation of at least $4,000 so that this navigation study can be made at once. L. G. MARGERUM, Chairman. Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Chairman, the only oral testimony is in connection with the Texas City hurricane protection program. The county commissioner of that area, Mr. Jack Lawrence, is here and will present the request. He will be supplemented by City Commissioner Lowry. I would like your permission to file a statement of my own, which is primarily the opinion of the division engineer concerning the feasibility of some construction funds on this project. Mr. RABAUT. Without objection, it will be placed into the record at this point. (The statement referred to follows:) STATEMENT BY REPRESENTATIVE CLARK W. THOMPSON (TEXAS CITY HURRICANE PROTECTION PROGRAM) Mr. Chairman, to supplement the statement of Commissioner Jack Lawrence of Galveston County and other statements in behalf of the Texas City flood control project, I invite your attention to some testimony which was heard in the Finance Committee of the other body a few weeks ago. The chairman was questioning General Whipple, the division engineer, concerning various phases of the project. He noted that the benefit-cost ratio had increased from 4.3 to 1, from 4.4 to 1 and that the Federal cost of the overall project had increased by $40,000 to a total of $6,280,000. The general explained that the increase in cost was due to the price-level increase and that this same factor had increased the benefitto-cost ratio. The chairman then asked him whether he would have a construe tion capability on this project during fiscal year 1961. He noted that the funds requested (and budgeted) amounted to $169,000, to complete preconstruction planning. The general agreed that the Engineers could use $200,000 to complete their plans and specifications and $165.000 to initiate a contract for an interior drainage pumping unit. Thus, he stated, the engineers do have construction capability for this (purpose) in fiscal year 1961. The chairman then asked a most significant question. He said: "Speaking as an engineer, would you say that the project is of sufficient importance to warrant us to proceed with construction"" The general answered: "Yes, sir; I do. This Texas City is extremely vulnerable. It is in an area on the Texas coast vulnearable to storms. There is no part of the city which is above 15 feet above mean sea level, which is approximately the height reached by hurricanes in that area. It is a good many miles across even lower land to get to safety. We think these people are extremely vulnerable. They are on the Galveston Bay and certainly there will be terrible disasters if we should have a repetition in this area of previous storm tides that have occurred in the past." Further testimony by General Whipple brought out the fact that the local people are getting the requirements of the Corps of Engineers as to rights-ofway, etc.; that they are extremely interested in the project and that no diffi culties from the local interest are anticipated. He ended by saying that he was confident they would also make the promised financial contribution and that they are ready to pay it upon the initiation of construction. Mr. THOMPSON. To introduce them and merely to clear it in my own mind, I might quote very briefly from that statement. This comes from a colloquy which was had before the Public Works Subcommittee of the opposite body on the other end of the Capitol. The division engineer had been asked whether construction funds could be used in fiscal 1961. He noted that the funds requested in the budget amounted to $169,000 to cover preconstruction planning. The general agreed that the Engineers could use $200,000 to complete their plans and specifications and $165,000 to initiate a contract for an interior drainage pumping unit. So, he stated that they do have construction capabilities in fiscal 1961. The chairman asked this, and I think it is most significant. He said: Speaking as an engineer, would you say that the project is of sufficient importance to warrant us to proceed with construction? The general answered: Yes, sir; I do. This Texas city is extremely vulnerable. It it is an area on the Texas coast vulnerable to storms. There is no part of the city which is above 15 feet above mean sea level, which is approximately the height reached by hurricanes in that area. It is a good many miles across even lower land to get to safety. We think these people are extremely vulnerable. They are on the Galveston Bay and certainly there will be terrible disasters if we should have a repetition in this area today of previous storm tides that have occurred in the past. Now, Mr. Chairman, I would like to introduce to you CommisSoner Jack Lawrence, who will tell you why we need this. Mr. RABAUT. We shall be pleased to hear from Mr. Lawrence at this time. STATEMENT OF MR. JACK LAWRENCE Mr. LAWRENCE. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I am here officially representing Galveston city and seeking an additional appropriation for the Texas seawall and levee project, which Was authorized by Congress in 1958. This project has been in process since 1944. In all of the discusSons with the engineers they have warned us that we would be in great danger if we had storm tides comparable to those in 1900 and 1915. I think in the 1900 storm we lost 6,000 lives and property damage exceeded $25 million, based upon the costs at that time. This project carries a better than 4 to 1 benefit-cost ratio, which as you gentlemen know is very high. It is my understanding that the budget in 1961 contains an item for $169,000. I am also reliably informed that the Corps of Engineers of Galveston County has a construction capability of using an additional $200,000, and we most respectfully request that this committee add this $200,000 additional appropriation, giving us a total budget item of $369,000. In 1947 Galveston County submitted a bond issue for $4.5 million. $1.5 million was allocated to this project. Just recently Galveston County submitted a bond issue of $2.5 million, which gives us a total of $3 million which will more than fulfill Galveston County's obligation based upon the action of Congress in authorizing this project. Galveston County is most anxious that actual construction of this project be started immediately, and is willing to advance to the Corps of Engineers such sums of money based upon the terms of the action of this Congress authorizing this project. Under present conditions now existing in Texas City certain sections are not eligible for FHA loans because of most elevations. The Texas seawall, a levee project, contains the provision for the inclusion of two pumps. We are most anxious for these pumps to be installed at the earliest possible time, thus relieving this situation and permitting the obtaining of FHA loans, and also which will break the bottleneck of construction in Texas City. Gentlemen, we have discussed this problem with FHA representatives many times and they have informed us that the minute construction is started on this project they will guarantee and definitely take another look at Texas City, and I am sure we will be in a position to obtain FHA loans. Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to thank this committee for allowing me to appear before you today and to thank you for any consideration you can give us which will certainly be appreciated. Mr. RABAUT. Thank you very much. Mг. THOMPSON. Now. Mr. Chairman, I would like to present to the Committee Commissioner Lowry who will add a word to what Comissioner Lawrence has told you. Mr. RABAUT. Mr. Lowry, we shall be pleased to hear from you. 54265-60-pt. 4- 49 STATEMENT OF MR. EMMETT LOWRY Mr. Lowry. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I do appreciate the opportunity to appear before you. I am appearing on behalf of my mayor who has suffered a heart attack, Mayor Goddard, who appeared before you in years past, and on behalf of the people of Texas City to urge you to give further consideration to our urgent need for your aid in storm protection for Texas City. We are certainly grateful for the consideration you have given us in the past, but we are very fearful of the tremendous damage that Texas City and its people and its homes and industries can suffer in the event we have high storm tides again as we have had in the past. To elaborate a little on Mr. Lawrence's presentation, our really pressing problem at the moment, of course, involves the situation where construction has practically stopped throughout the city because of subsidence that we have had there which has lowered our elevation so low that FHA will not guarantee further loans or new construction. Although we have homes that were largely financed by FHA, some of the loans are still in effect and have not yet been paid off, and when these people try to sell these homes, FHA will not even reinsure them nor loan larger amounts on them that are needed for the new purchases, which has really hurt many of our homeowners there. We have been assured by the FHA that the moment that actual field construction has begun on our storm protection system, that they will be able and will give us loans again on both new construction and on the older construction, based upon the anticipation of the completion of this storm protection. Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Chairman, if the $200,000 item is approved by this committee, it will be spent for the first of two pumping plants. We would be perfectly willing to put that money up ourselves, but we cannot do it according to the rules of this committee unless construction funds have been advanced. However, we have the money and we have it in the bank and are ready to go ahead to construct that pumping station even though the Texas City storm protection program did not go through, which is unthinkable, because it has been administratively approved and budget approved all the way through. So I leave you with the request that you do give us some construction funds against which we will place our full amount of contribution in your hands and we will break the FHA bottleneck and we will get this whole program going. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate your courtesy very much. May I file with you a telegram which I have received from our county judge, who could not be here today because he is in the midst of handling a criminal docket this week? Mr. RABAUT. Yes, sir; it will be inserted into the record at this point. (The telegram referred to follows:) Sorry, court session prevents my personal appearance before your committee April 7. The Corps of Engineers at Galveston has constantly warned of great danger to Texas City and vicinity from a storm such as that of 1900 or 1915. For nearly 16 years the commissioners court, ably assisted by city officials of Texas City and Texas City Chamber of Commerce, have worked diligently to protect this area before such a storm should strike again. Congress has author |