An omnibus river and harbor and flood-control bill (H. R. 5472) is presently being considered by the House of Representatives. presume that this bill will reach your committee in the near future. It authorizes, among other things, the construction of 62 river and harbor projects at estimated cost of about $46,000,000. It provides additional authorization for the continuation of the adopted navigation project on the Arkansas River. I have no doubt that during the course of these hearings additional projects will be considered by your committee for authorization. There is also included in this bill a number of preliminary examination and survey items authorizing the Corps of Engineers to make additional field investigations, looking toward the submission to Congress of reports on those proposed projects where annual benefits to be produced will exceed the annual charges of interest, amortization, and maintenance. It is important. that this survey program be revitalized from time to time by the inclusion of these items in the omnibus bill. A program of this size goes forward at its optimum rate when all phases of the program progress together. I am confident you will find in H. R. 5472 a balanced river and harbor bill which gives impetus to our construction and survey programs.

FLOOD CONTROL

In my remarks today, I shall concentrate on the high points of the flood-control program and make comments on certain aspects which have come to my attention since the close of the House hearings. The last major Flood Control Act was that of July 24, 1946. The act of June 30, 1948, was intended to cover a small group of projects of high priority and did not include additional authorizations for work in connection with comprehensive river basin plans already approved by Congress. It was the intent of Congress at the time the 1948 act was passed that further action in regard to comprehensive river basin authorizations could be deferred until this present year. We have now reached a point where additional authorizations for basin plans are urgently needed in order to continue work in progress. Also, since passage of the 1948 act, there have been submitted to Congress a number of favorable flood-control reports which, in my opinion, should be authorized at this time.

The House committee report on H. R. 5472 (Rept. No. 969) contains a complete explanation and justification for all the items in the bill. Supplementary material, particularly that presented by local interests, is contained in the printed hearings. Unless the committee wishes information on the specific projects or desires me or my assistants to go into more detail, I propose, therefore, not to discuss, except in general terms, the items contained in the House bill as reported by the House Committee on Public Works.

I should like, however, to call to your attention briefly the over-all picture with respect to flood control and related water resource development which is now in its thirteenth year as a Nation-wide program carried on by the Corps of Engineers under the specific directives of Congress. The program is not only the largest single public works construction activity in the United States, but it is probably the largest single construction program in the world.

As the committee knows, the Federal interest in flood control began on a broad scale in connection with control of the Mississippi River and on a smaller scale in the Sacramento River Basin, long before the beginning of the national flood-control program in 1936. Although the program has been under way for 13 years, appropriations have been made only for the last 11 years. Five years of this period were consumed by war activities during which an aggressive prosecution of civil works was precluded. I am pleased to report, however, despite the short time during which this program has been under way, that a relatively large amount of work has been accomplished and plans have been prepared for a sizable backlog of projects awaiting authorization and appropriation.

The entire flood-control program under the supervision of the Corps of Engineers comprises almost 1,000 projects, including the great project for the alluvial valley of the Mississippi River and the project for the Sacramento River. The present total estimated cost of the program is $7,503,000,000. The authorization for appropriations to date is $3,913,000,000. Through the fiscal year 1949, Congress has appropriated $1,996,000,000. The appropriation for flood-control construction contained in the civil functions, Department of the Army, appropriation bill, fiscal year 1950, as passed by the Senate and now in conference, is approximately $460,000,000 which, when added to the amount already appropriated, would bring the total appropriation close to 2%1⁄2 billion dollars. The amount authorized but not appropriated, therefore, after consideration of the 1950 civil functions bill, would be approximately $1,000,000,000.

With respect to the physical progress on the program, I can report that 256 projects have been completed or essentially completed at a cost of $624,000,000. There are now under construction an additional 223 projects with a total estimated cost of $4,124,000,000. The remaining projects not yet started amount to 512 and have a total estimated cost of $2,755,000,000.

The projects for which authorizations have been made available but which have not as yet had appropriations plus the projects for which additional authorization would be made available in the pending omnibus bill represent a valuable backlog for use in the event that the postwar level of production and employment should decline. These projects have all had thorough investigations from an engineering and economic aspect. They have been recommended by the Corps of Engineers after exhaustive field studies and they have been approved by the Congress after full public hearings and detailed consideration of their individual merits. I can assure you that they represent sound investments for the United States in the protection of lives and property of its citizens. Each project will return to the country benefits in excess of its costs. It is my firm opinion that the present unused authorization for these projects, plus the authorization which will be considered by this committee is needed for these worth-while projects.

To indicate the value of these projects, I should like to point out that flood-control works which the Corps of Engineers has completed or placed in operation between 1938 and 1948 at a cost of $483,000,000 have already prevented damages in excess of $500,000,000. In other words, in the very early part of their life, these projects have already paid out the amount invested in them. Throughout the remainder

of their life, which will range from 40 to several hundred years, they will continue to return profits at no further cost except for maintenance and operation. In addition to the monetary return, the protection of lives and human welfare is of commanding importance. Although it is impracticable to make estimates, I am sure that many lives have been saved by the construction of these projects which otherwise would have been lost, and I know that there have been large intangible benefits.

ment.

I should like to invite the attention of the committee to the fact that flood-control investigations have, of necessity, been expanded to include a great many related features of water-resource developSince the initial flood-control legislation in 1936, Congress has wisely recognized the advisability of over-all comprehensive studies and has instructed the Corps of Engineers to proceed on this basis. All our investigations are approached, and all our projects are designed, with full recognition of the many aspects of river-basin development. In addition to flood control and navigation, we consider water supply, major drainage, power development, pollution abatement, recreation, soil and water conservation, fish and wildlife interests, and all of the multitudinous aspects of sound river basin planning. These projects are designed after full cooperation with the interested States and Federal agencies, and the system under which the Corps of Engineers works, in my opinion, is fully democratic and gives full recognition to the interests and rights of the States and local communities.

In conclusion, I want to thank this committee for the opportunity of appearing before it, and to assure its members that we will cooperate in every way to assist in discharging our mutual responsibilities for the national flood-control program. Colonel Gee will testify specifically on the individual projects and basins, and he and other members of my staff will be available to answer any questions and to assist the committee. I will be available to the committee whenever it desires.

Mr. Chairman, that completes my prepared statement. I will be very glad to try to answer any questions that the committee may have at this time.

Senator MCCLELLAN. General, I am particularly pleased and interested in the statement that you made.

During the course of this entire program since the beginning of the rivers and harbors program back in 1824, and the beginning of the flood-control program, I believe, in 1917 down to date, these projects, I assume almost without individual exception-there might have been one here or there that did not prove economically justified, but certainly taking the program as a whole they have proven not only economically justified but they have in general exceeded in benefit those that were anticipated at the time of their authorization and construction. Is that not generally true?

General PICK. That is generally true, sir, where we have been able to control floods in the basin we have had a wonderful effect in that basin.

Senator MCCLELLAN. And you point out that many of those benefits are intangible; that is, you cannot just simply evaluate them with any great degree of accuracy in dollars and cents.

General PICK. That is right.

Senator MCCLELLAN. And yet, notwithstanding the tremendous progress that has been made in this field of development of resources,

and the benefits that are already self-evident, and at comparatively, I would say, low cost, taking into account the possibilities of this character of development in the Nation, the program has really just gotten started well. With the results achieved thus far, it strikes me that it is only the uninformed or those who are prejudiced and unwilling to see and admit the truth who would refer to this character of improvement as "pork barrel" program or legislation.

I wonder if you do not maintain, as is fully confirmed, I think, by realities of the situation, that these programs, river and harbor developments, the extension or expansion of navigation, and the protective features of flood control in our valleys actually save and preserve human life as well as tremendous property values and thus afford a protection that makes it possible for those valleys to be highly developed, both agriculturally and industrially. And then taking into account further the incidental benefits that follow in the development of hydroelectric power and all of these other related benefits and the preservation of wildlife, and the development of recreation. resources, and so forth, with all of those taken into account, and what experience has demonstrated thus far in the program, is there any other public works construction-you mentioned this was the largest, possibly in the world is there any other public works program of any kind that you know of that in any way begins to compare in benefits to costs as is found in these programs?

General PICK. I do not know of a single one, Senator. I am very much interested in your remarks about the cost.

The cost of flood control and river and harbor development is the cost of the time and no more. In other words, the cost that we are required to pay now is the cost of the time. We are not paying a premium for this work. If prices go down, the cost of these projects go down. In other words, this work is being done economically and soundly, I believe. Those are permanent structures.

I believe that a sound water-development program in the United States is a prerequisite to our ultimate development in this country. I think that the benefits which will accrue from this development will continue to accrue and be added to as the years go by.

Senator MCCLELLAN. Is it not one of the indispensable essential factors in our national economic progress?

General PICK. I am positive of that, sir. I am positive that we have to conserve our water in the United States because there are already indications that there is a scarcity of water in some large areas. There will also be a scarcity of water in other areas.

Senator MCCLELLAN. Now, you point out here in your statement: We have now reached a point where additional authorizations for basin planning are urgently needed in order to continue work and progress.

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We hear a little about a recession, and we like to speak of it as a temporary recession, in our economic field today. We hope it is only temporary. But, assuming it should reach somewhat major proportions and it should become necessary for the Federal Government to again resort to some kind of a spending program that would prime the pump, as we refer to it, or stimulate business at this time and provide jobs for many who otherwise would be unemployed, is this continued authorization and getting projects ready, and having the plans made and available and approved, is that what you are speaking of as essential and needed in the projects in this bill, possibly as well

as others, in order to keep a blueprint of work ahead that is justified and ought to be done?

General PICK. Yes, I am convinced that is true. And I am also convinced if we had such a backlog in the early thirties a lot of this work would have been done now when we were forced to do things in order to create additional employment.

Senator MCCLELLAN. In other words, to build these major projects of course, they might not provide as many jobs because of the cost of material that goes into them. But in the event of another depression my opinion, and I think you would agree with it, is that it is far better to spend more and build more of these major projects to create jobs than it is to spend less and provide jobs that leave nothing of any permanent value when you get the job completed. General PICK. Mr. Chairman, this work has a far-reaching effect. in the economy of the Nation.

You start to build a big concrete dam somewhere. The steel has to be procured, the cement has to be procured, the equipment has to be procured. And it has a far-reaching effect in the economy of the Nation. Everything is brought there, and a lot of people are employed.

Senator MCCLELLAN. It is not just those that are employed on the immediate job?

General PICK. It is not the people on the job but the people that furnish the material that goes into that job.

Senator MCCLELLAN. And it spreads into almost everything?
General PICK. It is very far reaching.

Senator MCCLELLAN. Into transportatoin, raw materials, processing raw materials. It affects generally the whole economy.

General PICK. For instance, a tremendous amount of lumber is used on these projects, a tremendous number of nails, a tremendous number of cables and ropes of all kinds. They have a far-reaching effect. And your equipment is probably built hundreds of miles from the job.

Senator MCCLELLAN. If we are to be ready for and adequately prepared to meet such an economic emergency or distress period as we have experienced in the past, should we ever have such misfortune that it should occur, then legislation of this character is essential in the course of that preparation; is it not?

General PICK. I think that is the sound way to approach the problem, sir, and do worth-while things with the money which it may be necessary to expend in times of hardship.

Senator MCCLELLAN. NOW, I have asked these questions but I do not want to leave the implication that it is my thinking it is only in time of economic depression that such a program should be activated and carried out. But assuming there was never to be in the foreseeable future another economic depression in this country, I would still maintain-I am thoroughly convinced and I believe that you are that a program of this character is also vital to the continued growth and increase in the prosperity and in the productive power and capacity of our Nation.

General PICK. I think it is essential, sir, that we carry out this water-conservation program and eliminate these floods in the United States. I do not think that we can continue to develop-and we must develop in the river basins because that is the place where our