River and harbor 6-year construction program-Continued Virginia: Whitings Creek. York Spit Channel.. Virgin Islands: St. Thomas Harbor. Washington: Mr. ENGEL. We will take up at this time the item for flood control. SUMMARY OF PROJECTS General, I think we will place in the record at this point the summary of projects. (The summary is as follows:) Mr. ENGEL. Do you have an opening statement, General Wheeler, which you would like to make to the committee? General WHEELER. Yes, sir. GENERAL STATEMENT The approved Budget estimate for flood control, general, for the fiscal year 1949 is $395,940,000. This amount is allocated to the following features of the program: Construction............. Preparation of plans and specifications. Preliminary examinations, surveys, and contingencies. Maintenance of completed projects. Emergency repairs... Salaries, Office Chief of Engineers. Transfer to U. S. Geological Survey. Total... The amount for construction provides for continuation or completion of 162 projects for which funds have previously been appropriated for construction by Congress, and for the initiation of 17 projects. The amounts requested for each of these projects provides for construction progress during the fiscal year 1949 on an efficient and economical basis. Attention is invited to the fact that the total amount for construction is within 5 percent of the amount shown on the 6-year special construction program for fiscal year 1949 furnished your committee during its consideration of the 1948 appropriation bill. The funds requested are required to insure satisfactory and economical progress on these projects now under way or to be initiated in order that we may avoid the danger of shutting down any construction jobs with the attendant loss in efficiency of construction. All of the projects included in the construction estimates have been reexamined. This reexamination has proved that the projects submitted herein are justified on the basis of present-day benefits and costs. The aggregate average annual benefits for the 179 projects included in this estimate total $198,432,000. The analysis of the benefits and costs shows that benefits to the United States during the theoretical life of these projects (50 years) will exceed the costs by more than $4,300,000,000. These are cold figures and do not take into account the benefits resulting from intangibles such as the alleviation of human suffering, protection from loss of life, disruption of community enterprise, nor do they take into account the peace of mind to be afforded the many thousands of American citizens by the knowledge that they have been protected from flood disasters and the assurance that such protection will permit normal development of their communities. No attempt has been made to evaluate the contribution of these flood-control projects to our national defense by insuring uninterrupted transportation and by protecting strategic industrial areas. During the past year we have had two extremely disastrous floods, one in the Mississippi River Basin which caused damages in excess of $500,000,000, and one in the southeastern part of the United States. particularly in the Florida area where damages estimated at more than $34,000,000 resulted. Such damages can be greatly reduced or practically eliminated by the continued construction of flood-protection projects. Congress in its wisdom, has authorized those flood-protection projects demonstrated to be economically justified, it has also continued to appropriate funds for the construction of such projects. The amount contained in the estimate for the preparation of plans and specifications and for preliminary examinations, and surveys represent the minimum amount needed for these features of the program to permit progress at a conservative rate. The amount included for maintenance will be sufficient to maintain and operate those completed projects for which maintenance by the Corps of Engineers is required by law. Detailed justification of the projects included in these estimates are given on the sheets which follow this statement. CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM SIX-YEAR FLOOD CONTROL CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM BASED UPON BUDGET ESTIMATES Mr. ENGEL. I think the statement giving the 6-year program should go into the record. (The statement referred to follows:) |