PUBLIC WORKS APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1957

4.2. Congress. House.

HEARINGS

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS.)
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

EIGHTY-FOURTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS APPROPRIATIONS
CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri, Chairman

LOUIS C. RABAUT, Michigan
MICHAEL J. KIRWAN, Ohio
JOHN E. FOGARTY, Rhode Island
JOHN J. RILEY, South Carolina

JOE L. EVINS, Tennessee

EDWARD P. BOLAND, Massachusetts
JAMES C. MURRAY, Illinois

DON MAGNUSON, Washington

GLENN R. DAVIS, Wisconsin
BEN F. JENSEN, Iowa
JOHN PHILLIPS, California
H. CARL ANDERSEN, Minnesota
T. MILLET HAND, New Jersey
JOHN TABER, New York

CARSON CULP, Staff Assistant to the Subcommittee

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TESTIMONY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, INTERESTED
ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS (PART 1)

UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 1956

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri, Chairman

KENNETH SPRANKLE, Clerk and Staff Director

R.V.3. 5Mr 57

PUBLIC WORKS APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1957

BEFORE THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON
PUBLIC WORKS APPROPRIATIONS

HON. JOHN J. RHODES, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM
THE STATE OF ARIZONA

Mr. KIRWAN. The committee will be in order.

We have with us this morning Congressman Rhodes, of Arizona. Mr. RHODES. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I am going to be very brief this morning because I think the subcommittee knows quite a bit about this particular project.

Last year, we had residents of the State of Arizona and the commanding officer of Williams Air Force Base here to testify on this project. The project was approved by the Army engineers too late to get in the budget last year; however, it is in the budget this

year.

The Whitlow Ranch Dam would impound a stream that is dry about 360 days out of the year. The 5 days that it is not dry, it does considerable damage. When we get a torrential rain on the watershed, as we did 2 years ago, this little stream comes down and spreads across the desert.

It not only inundates some fine farmland but it endangers Williams Air Force Base.

I was stationed there from 1941 to 1945, and on several occasions I had to wade through water to get on the base. The base is protected by dikes but in this last flood Queen Creek apparently changed its course, so if it floods again, the course is very likely to be much closer to Williams Air Force Base, which will put much more of a strain on the dikes and could possibly result in a situation where they would lose a lot of property and damage a lot of airplanes. Those airplanes, as the committee knows, are worth quite a bit of money, and since the cost of this dam is not great, very likely one flood which broke into Williams Field would result in more loss to the Government than the cost of this dam.

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I am hoping when this bill comes up, it will contain the amount suggested by the Bureau of the Budget for the planning and development stage of this particular project.

Mr. KIRWAN. Does that complete your statement?

Mr. RHODES. Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. PHILLIPS. How much of this is caused by the change in the drainage area?

Mr. RHODES. There has been some change. However, Queen Creek has historically flooded that particular area.

The main changes have occurred by the damming up of other washes which come off the Superstition Mountain. When you develop desert area and make it into farmland, you are likely to fill in some of the natural water courses. This has been done not only by private individuals but by the Government. The Government has an auxiliary field north of Williams which is probably the worst offender. The water hits this dike and bounces back onto farmland, inundating it to a greater extent than it would be flooded in its natural

state.

Mr. PHILLIPS. What funds are you requesting for fiscal year 1957 ? Mr. RHODES. Presently, $100,000 for planning and development. Mr. KIRWAN. Thank you for appearing before the committee.

CIVIL FUNCTIONS PROJECTS IN HAWAII

WITNESSES

HON. ELIZABETH P. FARRINGTON, A DELEGATE TO CONGRESS FROM THE TERRITORY OF HAWAII

BEN NUTTER, CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF HARBOR COMMISSIONERS, TERRITORY OF HAWAII

WILLIAM J. HULL, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, TERRITORY OF HAWAII

C. H. BURNETT, JR., GENERAL MANAGER, KAHULUI RAILROAD CO., MAUI, T. H.

CAPT. J. W. BERTRAND, LIHUE, KAUAI, T. H.

Mr. KIRWAN. The next witness will be Mrs. Farrington of Hawaii. Mrs. FARRINGTON. Mr. Chairman, I am Elizabeth P. Farrington, Delegate to Congress from Hawaii. I appear today to support three requests:

(1) The Kawaihae porject on the Island of Hawaii, Territory of Hawaii. This is not in the President's budget.

(2) An item for $570,000 to complete Nawiliwili Harbor on the Island of Kauai, Territory of Hawaii. This is included in the budget. (3) An item for $500,000, for structure repair at Kahului Harbor on the Island of Maui, Territory of Hawaii. This is also in the budget.

KAWAIHAE HARBOR

The Rivers and Harbors Act of May 1950, authorized the construction of a deep water harbor at Kawaihae, Island of Hawaii. This island is 6 times larger than the Island of Oahu where Honolulu is situated. Kawaihae Harbor has become an extremely critical need to the requirements of the United States Army, Pacific, and the econ

4

omy of the Territory. Since the President submitted the budget the requirements of the United States Army, Pacific, have become increasingly critical. The Department of Defense is acquiring 100,000 acres of land in this vicinity for training areas and General Clarke, Commanding General, United States Army, Pacific, has written a letter indicating the urgency of the project.

The economic need for the harbor is also becoming more and more apparent. The Island of Hawaii, the Territory's "big island," has but one port, the port of Hilo, repeatedly threatened of closure by lava flows. On the far side of the island, where Kawaihae Harbor is located, is an area comprising several districts: Kona, Waimea, and Kohala are a few of the principal ones. These are agricultural districts providing food products and employment. Sugar, coffee, truck crops, and beef are principal items.

Mr. Ben Nutter, superintendent of public works and chairman of the Board of Harbor Commissioners of the Territory of Hawaii, and Mr. W. J. Hull, a consulting engineer and representing the Chambers of Commerce of Hawaii and several other organizations, are here at my request to present the project in detail.

To support the two items already in the budget I have invited here today Capt. J. W. Bertrand, representing the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Hawaii, Matson Navigation Co., and the Kauai Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. Charles W. Burnett, Jr., representing the Kahului Railway of Maui and the Maui Chamber of Commerce.

NAWILIWILI HARBOR

There is an item in the budget of $570,000, for Nawiliwili Harbor on the Island of Kauai. This project is for the completion of the enlargement of the turning basin and deepening of the entrance channel. For safety and for economical operation this is a very important project.

KAHULUI HARBOR

The Kahului Harbor item of $500,000 is for the repairs to the breakwater on the Island of Maui which was severely damaged by storms. The damage creates a hazardous condition in the harbor.

In concluding my statement, I hope the committee will make a thorough study of these three projects, support the items already in the budget, and after a careful study of the Kawaihae project include the amount of funds requested to start the construction of this harbor, which has been pending for 6 years since its authorization by Congress. Mr. KIRWAN. Did the Corps of Engineers ask the Bureau of the Budget for any money for the Kawaihae Harbor project?

Mrs. FARRINGTON. They would not tell us unless one of you ask them, but I understand they did.

Mr. KIRWAN. You understand they asked for money for this project?

Mrs. FARRINGTON. Yes, sir.

Mr. KIRWAN. The Bureau of the Budget cut it out?

Mrs. FARRINGTON. Yes, sir, but the Armed Forces have come up with this important need. I understand the Budget Bureau did cut it out.

Mr. KIRWAN. But the Army engineers did ask for the money?