paying for transportation of pig iron that is made within a few miles of this point, Rockwood [indicating], $4.25 a ton to ship it to points on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. When this Harts project is completed it will reduce the rate to $2.50 a ton to St. Louis and other points in the Middle West.

The CHAIRMAN. You speak of prices being reduced at different points. What will be the rate on coal when this improvement is completed?

Mr. AUSTIN. I think it will be cut about 30 cents a ton to Knoxville, Loudon, Lenoir City, and other points on the upper Tennessee River, and as a result the railroads will meet that rate. We have a city of 90,000 people at Knoxville, largely engaged in the manufacturing business, and there is a very large manufacturing business at Lenoir City, and also at Loudon, and these plants now pay from 50 cents to 75 cents a ton to haul coal sixty-odd miles. This east Tennessee coal field is 300 miles nearer New Orleans than the West Virginia and Pennsylvania coal fields. We do not ship a ton of coal into the lower Mississippi Valley, because we have water competition to fight. We can not meet the water competition of Pittsburgh, because our river is not improved. We have the finest kind of steam coal and domestic coal. It is not a question of the quality of the coal, because as a soft steam and domestic coal ours is equal to the Pittsburgh and West Virginia coal.

Now, we have five or six thousand men quarrying and polishing marble in the district I represent. It costs as much to ship a ton of marble to St. Louis as a ton of pig iron. With this improvement we are going to put our iron furnaces, our coal mines, and our marble quarries on water transportation, and as a result we are going to enlarge the market for our products. Now, here on the Little Tennessee River [indicating] they are constructing the largest aluminum plant in the world.

Mr. HUMPHREY. You mean an aluminum reduction plant?

Mr. AUSTIN. Yes, sir. The raw material is being shipped in there from Arkansas and from Georgia. The raw material of aluminum ore is found in Alabama, lower east Tennessee, and northern Georgia. Now, they have just completed a part of the plant at Maryville, and they are obtaining their electric power from the Ocoee River until they can complete their dams on the Little Tennessee [indicating].

Now, that plant and all the other plants will be benefited by the improvement of the Tennessee River. When I was at Knoxville during the holidays I found that every boat on the upper Tennessee and its tributaries, 29 of them, were tied up because they were unable to use the river on account of the low stage of the water. One of the largest boats, the T. L. Brown, was tied up at Lenoirs City for more than a week with produce for Knoxville. That was at the very season of the year when there is a great deal of traffic on the river which should reach the markets.

Mr. BOOHER. Does that frequently occur?

Mr. AUSTIN. It occurs when the river is very low-every year-but this improvement mentioned in the Harts' project will enable us to have those boats plying on the river every day in the year. We are exceedingly anxious to have this first dam proposition put on the continuous contract basis, because we think it will expedite its con

We are

struction, and it will save some money. The estimated cost is $1,200,000, and we have $500,000 available to begin work. not asking any money from this Congress for that lock and dam, because we have a sufficient amount to carry us through next year; but before we begin that work the engineer thinks we ought to have an opportunity to submit the plans and specifications to outside contractors to see whether there is a chance to build the lock and dam for a much less amount.

The CHAIRMAN. I understand you to say something about certain lands which are liable to be flooded by this dam and the necessity for making some arrangement about that. To what extent will that flooding take place? The outside estimate is $315,000. That is the amount recommended?

Mr. AUSTIN. Yes, sir. The surveys have not been made yet, as I understand, and no condemnation has been ordered, because there was a delay of almost a year in finding a suitable site.

The CHAIRMAN. How near to the point originally contemplated have they located the dam?

Mr. AUSTIN. Oh, just a short distance; a few miles.

The CHAIRMAN. So that the flooded district will not be materially increased or decreased.

Mr. AUSTIN. No; I do not think it will, from what the engineers tell me about it. I thank you for giving me this hearing.

TRINITY RIVER, TEX.

COMMITTEE ON RIVERS AND HARBORS,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Wednesday, January 21, 1914.

The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. Stephen S. Sparkman (chairman) presiding.

The CHAIRMAN. This meeting was called to-day partly for the purpose of hearing Members and others interested in the navigable waterways of Texas, or at least some of them. Since Mr. Burgess is from that State and also a member of the committee, I will ask him to arrange the order of the speaking.

Mr. BURGESS. I supposed there would be no hearing on the Trinity River project, because I believe that is all settled.

I might say, however, that Mr. R. E. Cowart, of Dallas, is here, and he would like to address this committee briefly in regard to that

matter.

STATEMENT OF MR. R. E. COWART, OF DALLAS, TEX.

Mr. COWART. Mr. Chairman, the last bill as it passed the House provided for the construction of two additional locks and dams and located them, and when the bill got to the Senate committee they were not satisfied with the location of the locks, and they appropriated $250,000, and in that they directed that two additional locks and dams be located.

The district engineer, Maj. Jackson, after making a survey of the river, located the two locks and dams, Nos. 3 and 5, in section 1. The CHAIRMAN. As I remember the matter in a general wayMr. HARDY. On page 2292 of the report of Maj. Jackson in regard to this matter you will find reference to it.

Mr. COWART. The language of the law is this:

Improving Trinity River, Texas: Continuing improvement with a view to obtaining a depth of six feet between the mouth and Dallas by the construction of locks and dams heretofore authorized and locating two additional locks and dams, $255,000; continuing improvement and for maintenance by open-channel work, $15,000; in all, $270,000.

In pursuance of that the district engineer located two additional locks and dams, and money appropriated for the continuance of the work as authorized would not meet that situation.

Mr. BURGESS. Oh, yes; I think it will.

The CHAIRMAN. The locks and dams for which sites were bought under the last appropriation act were Nos. 3 and 5?

Mr. CowART. Yes, sir; for all those sites. The city of Dallas is required to furnish the site.

The CHAIRMAN. Where have they located them?

82256-14