(The data referred to is as follows:) Hon. KENNETH MCKELLAR, UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, February 12, 1946. United States Senate, Washington 25, D. C. MY DEAR SENATOR MCKELLAR: Attached you will find a letter from Congressman Everett M. Dirksen, of the Peoria, Ill., district. You will note that Congressman Dirksen is interested in an item affecting Farm Creek in Tazewell County, Ill. A report from the Chief of Engineers of the War Department accompanies the Congressman's letter. You will note that the Budget Bureau provided $95,000 for the fiscal years 1946 to do preliminary field work, and $100,000 for the fiscal year 1947. In the total amount on page 8 of the bill for advanced planning, it is stated by the War Department Engineers that this preliminary work has been done and all that is necessary now is for them to start construction on the Farm Creek Reservoir project. General Wheeler, therefore, asked the Budget Bureau for $996,000 for this purpose. I understand the situation in connection with this project and believe it to be one in which the recommendations of the Office of Engineers should be carried out as promptly as possible. The territory which will be affected by the improvement is one of the best farming districts in the State which has been seriously damaged by overflows in the past. As I am unable to be present myself, I shall appreciate it if you will give Congressman Dirksen's letter consideration. With high regards, I am, Sincerely yours, Hon. C. WAYLAND BROOKS, C. WAYLAND BROOKS. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., February 11, 1946. United States Senate, Washington, D. C. DEAR WAYLAND: Attached is a copy of the appropriation bill for the civil functions of the War Department as it was reported by the whole Committee on Appropriations. The House made only one change and that was to strike the Florida ship canal, which was carried in the over-all money item on page 6. I am, however, very much interested in having included in the bill on page 8 the sum of $996,000 for construction work on Farm Creek in Tazewell County, Ill. In brief the facts are as follows: The Budget Bureau provided $95,000 for the fiscal year 1946 to do the preliminary field work and also allowed $100,000 for fiscal 1947 in the total amount carried on page 8 for advance planning. War Department engineers, however, advised me that all of the planning has been completed and that construction can begin. General Wheeler, therefore, asked the Budget Bureau for $996,000 to start construction on the Farm Creek Reservoir project, but this item was excluded from the estimates which were sent up to Congress along with 13 other items over the country because the aggregate amount of these 14 items would have exceeded the amount that the President felt could be allocated in the 1947 budget for public works of this nature. The urgency of this item is well set out in the attached memorandum from the Peoria Association of Commerce, and I would esteem it a very considerable service if, when this bill is marked up in committee, you could offer an amendment to the bill which would include $996,000 for Farm Creek Reservoirs under project No. 6 as set out at the top of page 246 of the House hearings on this bill. This amount was requested by General Wheeler. I am attaching page 246 of the House hearings, together with a copy of the bill. No other amendment is necessary than to strike the sign and figure "$110,814,000" as carried on page 8 in line 3 and substitute "$111,810,000." Specific language is not necessary if attention on the Senate floor is directed to the fact that this additional amount is being included for the Farm Creek Reservoir. I hope you can give this attention as soon as hearings get under way before your committee. With best wishes, Sincerely, EVERETT M. DIRKSEN. PEORIA ASSOCIATION OF COMMERCE, Congressman EVERETT M. DIRKSEN, House Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR EV: In connection with our telephone conversation regarding an appropriation of $966,000 for Farm Creek, I should like to submit some data which justifies our opinion that by all means this appropriation should be included in the Budget for the fiscal year 1947 so that work may be done during that fiscal year. I know you will recall that back in 1927 East Peoria was completely flooded from a flash flood on Farm Creek. The Caterpillar, as well as Herschels, Altorfers, and other smaller plants located in East Peoria, and also the homes in East Peoria, suffered a great amount of flood damage. At that time the Caterpillar was down for about 3 months until the machinery could be cleaned, replaced, and the debris cleared away. The Illinois State Water Survey estimated that there was about $4,000,000 worth of damage done then. As you know, in 1943 only the expenditure of around $2,000,000 by the Caterpillar Tractor Co. and other industries in fighting the flood prevented the city of East Peoria and its industries from being flooded. The money expended by the industries was for sand-bagging the levees and I know you will agree that this was a tremendous cost, but it was worth it insofar as the industries were concerned, as all of them were in full war production and beyond that around 23,000 people worked in these industries. If the industries and the city of East Peoria were flooded at that time, the loss in pay rolls as well as flood damage would have amounted to many millions of dollars, because the industries have expanded enormously since 1927 when the damage amounted to $4,000,000. East Peoria will not be safe from floods until the entire Farm Creek project is completed. Unquestionably, this project should be started just as soon as possible so that we may remove the hazard from East Peoria and its industries. As you know, in addition to around 6,000 people living in East Peoria, there are 23,000 people employed in the plants and the investment in these plants and homes is extremely high and should be protected as soon as possible. Our estimate is that there is close to $150,000,000 in industrial and private property in East Peoria to be protected by this project. I doubt very much if there is any place in the entire country where that much property is unprotected from flood hazard with the same amount of danger of a flood. If there is a flash flood in Farm Creek, East Peoria would again find itself in a very serious situation. Sincerely yours, PETER J. NAUGHTON, Executive Vice President. TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF FARM CREEK PROJECT Senator GURNEY. Mr. Dirksen, this $996,000 is part of the total estimated original cost as shown on page 246 of $3,017,200? Mr. DIRKSEN. That is correct. Senator GURNEY. $95,000 has already been appropriated, which would leave approximately an additional cost to complete of $2,900,000? Mr. DIRKSEN. Yes, sir. Senator GURNEY. The $996,000 would be about one-third of what is necessary to complete? Mr. DIRKSEN. Yes. Senator GURNEY. If the $996,000 is spent, then Congress would be obligated for the entire amount, because you would not get full protection without completing the project; is that right? Mr. DIRKSEN. It will take the full $3,017,000 to complete the five reservoirs. Senator THOMAS. Thank you, Mr. Dirksen. (A discussion followed off the record.) Senator THOMAS. Back on the record. We will now recess until 10 o'clock in the morning. (There upon, at 11:45 a. m. Thursday, February 28, 1946, the committee recessed to Friday, March 1, 1946, at 10 a. m. The subcommittee met at 10 a. m., Hon. Elmer Thomas of Oklahoma (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Thomas of Oklahoma, Hayden, Maybank, Gurney, Overton, and Cordon. Senator THOMAS of Oklahoma. The committee will be in order. We have Senator Guffey, of Pennsylvania, before the committee, who desires to call the attention of the committee to some items of the pending bill. CORPS OF ENGINEERS FLOOD CONTROL, GENERAL STATEMENT OF HON. JOSEPH F. GUFFEY, A UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA SUTTON RESERVOIR, W. VA.; AND RIDGEWAY, JOHNSONBURG, ST. MARYS, AND BROCKWAY AND VICINITY, PENNSYLVANIA AMENDMENT OFFERED BY SENATORS GUFFEY AND KILGORE Senator GUFFEY. Mr. Chairman, I offer in behalf of Senator Kilgore, of West Virginia, and myself the following amendment: Page 8, line 5, strike out the sum "$110,814,000" and insert "$112,314,000," and for the construction of a flood-control project at Sutton, on Elk River, in West Virginia, $1,000,000, and for flood-control work at Ridgeway, Johnsonburg, Brockway, St. Marys, in Elk County, Pa., the sum of $500,000. SUTTON RESERVOIR, W. VA. PROJECT CAN GO FORWARD AS SOON AS FUNDS ARE PROVIDED The proposed flood-control project at Sutton on the Elk River in West Virginia, has been surveyed by the Corps of Engineers and recommended for construction. The Congress of the United States has authorized its construction. The Corps of Engineers advise that the Sutton Flood Control Dam is ready to let to contract. Plans and specifications have been drawn and written up. The project carries a top priority in the State of West Virginia from the standpoint of the Corps of Engineers. RIDGEWAY, JOHNSONBURG, ST. MARYS, AND BROCKWAY AND VICINITY, PENNSYLVANIA PROJECT CAN GO FORWARD AS SOON AS FUNDS ARE PROVIDED The Elk County flood-control project in my State is in the same position as that of the flood-control project at Sutton on the Elk River in West Virginia. PROJECTS WILL SAVE LIVES AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS These two flood projects, when completed, will save the people of the territories which they will serve many lives and thousands and thousands of dollars in damage to industry. PROJECTS ELIMINATED FROM HOUSE BILL I am told that these two projects were eliminated from this bill by the House committee considering same on the ground that the bill should be kept to a limit of $110,000,000. I do not think anyone should put an arbitrary figure on the amount which an appropriation bill is to appropriate when by increasing that amount by approximately $2,000,000 the additional expenditure will save lives and production property. URGE COMMITTEE TO INCLUDE ITEMS IN CURRENT BILL I, therefore, urge the Senate to permit the inclusion of these two items referred to by me in this bill. I assure you that they are most worthy. I am very familiar, indeed, with the one in Elk County, because I know the nature of it very well. I have fished and hunted all over that county. EAGLE CREEK RESERVOIR, OHIO RECOMMEND ELIMINATION FROM BILL Now, there are two other projects that Congressman Fulton, of Pittsburgh, will appear against. The one I especially want to appear against is the Eagle Creek Reservoir. I think it should be eliminated from the bill. Congressman Fulton, from my county, will be here later, and he will testify along that line. I indorse everything he says. Senator THOMAS. Is the item in the bill? Senator GUFFEY. Yes, sir; the item is in the bill, $90,000. Senator THOMAS. So what you are recommending is that this committee delete that? PROJECT LISTED AS FLOOD CONTROL AND IT IS REALLY A CANAL AND WATER-SUPPLY PROJECT Senator GUFFEY. Yes; because you see in there it is a misrepresentation: it says "flood control," and it really is canal control, water for the canal and water for the community. |