Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-16
House Committee
Approves Ship Canal
Across New Jersey
Slee, 900, 900 Project
Would Fill Lost Link
In Coastal Waterway
b. ne Associated Press.

By ne Associated Press.
The House Rivers and Harbors
Committee approved today bill
by Majority Leader Mccormack
authorizing construction of
ship canal across New Jersey.
The measure was amended. how
ever, to authorize s199 600 900 Fed
eral expenditure instead of the
sl87 100000 originally sought. in
order that New Jersey would be re-
lieved of any expenditure for pur-
chase of right of way and reloca-
ton of bridges.
The Mccormack bill does not ap-
propriate the funds. but merely
authorizes the War Department to
proceed with construction when
funds are provided by Congress.
Chairman Mansfield would not
disclose the vote by which the bill
was approved, but said there was
some opposition" in the commit
tee.
Will Seek Floor Vote
Mr.. Mansfield was authorized by
the committee to take necessary
steps to get permission from the
Rules Committee to bring the meas
ure to a floor vote
The canal is advocated to fill in
the missing link in the Atlantic
intercoaStal waterway system It's
completion would provide a deep
water protected channel from New
England TO Norfolk, Va. to connect
with a Shallow-Water canal from
there to Corpus Christi, Tex.
Army engineers teStifying before
the committee last week estimated
1t would require four years to COM
plete the canal They said they did
not know when work could be
started.
New England interests want the
canal to provide a protected route
to their area for shipment of fuel
oil. Coastal vessels they say, now
are exposed to U-boats in the At
lantic in passing New Jersey.
Fear Effect on Drinking Water.
Most opposition to the canal came
from within New Jersey, though the
Port Of New York Authority also
opposed its construction at this time
New Jersey opponents said they
feared salt water would seep into
the canal and endanger drinking
water supplies.
Mr.. Mansfield said the cost of
rieht-of way acquisition was esti-
mated at s2,l000O0 and the cost of
relocations at about slo,000,000.
Some committee members at pub
lie hearings also questioned the
wisdom of such a huge expenditure
while the Nation is at war and ex-
pressed doubt the necessary pri-
critics or manpower would be OBJ
tainable.
The canal would run from Bor-
dentown on the Delaware River to
Sayreville on the Raritan River,
about IS miles.
It was learned later from mem
Der of Congress who did not wish
TO be identified that the committee
vote was IA to and carried on
party lines.
Florida Canal Opposed.
Meanwhile, opposition to includ-
ing any appropriation in the rivers
and harbors bill for construction of
new $4,000 900 cross State Flor
ida barge canal was voiced today by
Representatives Dondero, Repub-
lican, Of Michigan and Peterson.
Democrat, of Florida.
At the conclusion of a closed ses-
sion of House appropriations sub
committee the two made known
some of the testimony they had
given
Mr.. Dondero said he reiterated his
previously expressed opposition to
building the canal at this time, stat
ting 1t could not be built within 10
months as its hackers have argued,
and that TO divert manpower and
materials TO building it would be to
lose sight of the main issue before
us, the need of winning the present
conflict
The canal as a medium for barge
movement of petroleum products to
the fuel-short East would not allev-
tate the situation. Mr. Dondero said.
For each ton of steel employed in
pipeline. he said "a barrels of oil
can be shipped daily. while for each
ton OF steel used in barges, only Al
barrels of oil could be shipped.
Mr., Peterson said he stressed that
the existing waterway between Stu
art and Fort Myers, Fla, should be
more fully utilized before funds are
expended in building another canal
across the upper portion Of the
peninsula.