the time may not be far off when this high degree of pollution may overtax the facilities of our water-works department and produce a widespread epidemic of water-borne disease.

Flies and disease.-Reliable scientific evidence indicates that scum and sewage deposits along our streams are a potential source of danger. Flies, after crawling about on such highly infected material, may enter nearby homes and infect the food, and thereby cause sickness. A study entitled "Bacillary Dysentery as Observed Among Normal Children in Huntington, W. Va.", by Dr. George M. Lyon (printed in the American Journal of Diseases of Children, vol. 49, February 1935), proved that prolonged humid weather brought about an increased infestation of flies and in turn a greater prevalence of dysentery among children.

Effect of pollution on recreation. The condition of our streams is a serious detriment to recreation possibilities in this area. In a climate such as ours, with high humidity and intense heat during the summer months, water sports, including swimming, form an especially desirable form of recreation.

Unfortunately, there are no natural lakes in the Cincinnati area, the only bodies of water being rivers. The excessive pollution of the Ohio River makes it so dangerous for swimming that the board of health has for several years had to notify the inhabitants of this area of this danger and warn them against swimming in the rivers. The minor streams, now contaminated to a lesser degree, are year by year becoming more dangerous for swimming. It is fully established by medical science that there is great danger in swimming in a polluted stream. Any of the raw water may contain the bacilli of typhoid fever, dysentery, or other diseases.

Organizations conducting health camps in this area have found it necessary at great expense to construct pools, largely because of the fact that the adjoining streams are unfit for swimming purposes. The photographs attached hereto show four of these swimming pools, constructed and maintained at a cost of thousands of dollars.

Exhibit 1.-Camp Meacham pool, Y. M. C. A., Ohio River.

Exhibit 2.-Camp Lenmary pool, Y. W. C. A., White Water River. Exhibit 3.-Camp Catherine pool, Girl Scouts, Little Miami River. Exhibit 4.-Camp Friedlander pool, Boy Scouts, Little Miami River. The pollution of the Ohio and its tributaries to a large degree restricts water sports. Even the use of boats is rendered undesirable by the odors arising from filth constantly dumped into the river. There is no fishing in the Ohio, and little in the smaller streams because fish cannot live in highly polluted water.

In communities adjoining rivers elsewhere in the country the banks are developed for parks and recreation purposes to the great advantage of the health, comfort, and pleasure of the people of the community. Such a program is envisioned for Cincinnati by the Cincinnati planning commission and the recreation commission, but the fulfillment of their hopes in this direction is greatly retarded by the condition of the water.

HUDSON BIERY, Esq.,

CINCINNATI, OHIо, May 19, 1936.

Chairman, Committee on Stream Pollution,

Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, Cincinnati, Ohio. MY DEAR MR. BIERY: I find that the pressure on me of urgent professional work is such that I cannot go to Washington to participate in the hearings to be held tomorrow and Thursday by the House Committee on Rivers and Harbors and the Senate Committee on Commerce on the Hollister and Barkley group of bills on stream pollution. I keenly regret this, for, as you know, I am most interested in the stream-pollution problem and was looking forward to taking part in these hearings.

It is as chairman of the Ohio Valley Regional Planning Commission that I am sending you this communication, and wish to add that you are at perfect liberty to read or present this communication to the said committees.

As you know, the Ohio Valley Regional Planning Commission was organized under the sponsorship of the National Resources Committee. Its function is to act as a regional planning agency for the Ohio River Basin, to assist in the making of a general plan for the conservation and development of both the water and land resources of that basin, and to assist, in a purely advisory

capacity, in the coordination of the various functional developments of the Ohio River Basin, including prevention of pollution, flood prevention, water supply, reforestation, land-use classification, and so on.

This commission owes its birth to the pressing nature of the problem of the pollution of the Ohio River and its tributaries. As the Ohio River flows along or through six States, and its tributaries through two or more States, the regional nature of the pollution problem is so obvious as to require little elaboration. The sources of the pollution, the effects of the pollution, and the solutions of the pollution problem are so regional in their nature as to justify the attention of the Federal Government and the assistance of the Federal Government in the planning and the carrying out of the necessary works and measures. As so many States are affected and as some of the legislation needed to cope with pollution-producing agencies is of a nature which falls within the legislative jurisdiction of State legislatures and the administrative jurisdiction of State administrative departments, obviously an adequate program requires not only Federal legislation providing for Federal participation in the planning and administration, but also Federal assistance to the States in the planning and carrying out of a program for adequately dealing with the problem. In short, Federal, regional, or interstate, and State action, both legislative and administrative, are imperatively needed.

As stream pollution so closely affects the sanitary qualities of the water supply, the subject is an urgent one. Indeed, the creation of the regional commission, of which I am chairman, was occasioned by the pressing nature of the Ohio River pollution problem. The Ohio is the source of the drinking water of over 5 million people. Our commission is composed of six members, namely, the five chairmen of the five State planning boards of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana, together with myself as district chairman under the National Resources Committee. It has a number of committees, of which one is composed of the five official sanitary engineers of the said five States. This committee made a report to the organization meeting of our commission which demonstrated that sources of pollution, both domestic and industrial, exist all along the river in all of the five or more States; that the problem is pressing and urgent, in that the stagnations which take place during times of drought or low-flow conditions and the accumulation of sewage sludge behind the dams in the Ohio River and in the pools in the tributaries are rapidly increasing the difficulties of water purification, and the existing conditions indicate that the time is not far distant when the necessary purfication of the water supply of the cities and towns along the river may become impossible or prohibitive unless steps be taken early for the making and carrying out of comprehensive and coordinated plans for works and measures for the prevention of the continuance and increase of the pollution of the Ohio River and its tributaries.

Very truly yours,

ALFRED BETTMAN, Chairman, District No. 5, N. R. C., Chairman, Ohio Valley Regional Planning Commission.

Mr. BOLTON. Do I understand this pollution has to do only with industrial pollution or does it cover agricultural pollution as well? Mr. BIERY. It covers all forms of pollution.

Mr. DONDERO. I think one of the most serious reasons advanced by the gentleman is the one as to the making of good beer.

Mr. BIERY. That is a good reason.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Biery, can you tell us what the city of Cincinnati does with its sewage?

Mr. BIERY. Mr. Chairman, the city manager of Cincinnati is here and will speak for himself.

The CHAIRMAN. All right, we will let him speak about that. Now, the Members of Congress here, do you desire to be heard, or will you remain throughout the hearing?

Mr. O'Neal.

STATEMENT OF HON. EMMET O'NEAL, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF KENTUCKY

Mr. O'NEAL. All I have to say is, I recognize the extreme danger of the present situation and I am heartily in favor of these bills.

Mr. PARSONS. What does the city of Louisville do, or what has it done, with reference to its sewage?

Mr. O'NEAL. A sewage plant is in contemplation, but nothing has been done. Our problem is more acute than Covington and Cincinnati, because they are all suburbs of Louisville.

Mr. SPENCE. A gentleman who has been president of the Louisville Chamber of Commerce is present and has a statement to make. The CHAIRMAN. We will hear from him in due time.

STATEMENT OF HON. BRENT SPENCE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF KENTUCKY

Mr. SPENCE. Mr. Chairman, of course, what the committee desires is practical and constructive ideas, and I cannot come through with any ideas of that kind. I merely will try to express to you the great interest the people have in stream pollution. My district consists of nine counties, and eight of those counties border the Ohio River. They extend from 40 miles above Cincinnati to almost the corporate limits of Louisville, and the Ohio River is the source of the water supply of almost all those people. I remember when the Ohio River had great recreational value. I remember when the migratory waterfowl stopped to rest on the Ohio River. You never see them do that any more. I have lived almost all my life in sight of the Ohio River and I think the only flying thing, if conditions continue as they are, that will be interested in the Ohio River will be the buzzard.

We used to be firm in our conviction that running water purified itself and the people believed that, but the Ohio River is no longer a running stream. It is locked and dammed. It is a cesspool. I remember the poet, years ago, speaking of the beautiful and fine town that is represented by our colleagues, Mr. Hollister and Hertz, said that it was the queen of the West and its garlands were tressed on the banks of the beautiful river. We could no longer call it a beautiful river, and the complications that have arisen have been even greater than I thought. You have no idea what a calamity it would be if you could not make good beer from the waters of the Ohio River.

I do not think you could put your minds to anything that would be of greater service to the people than the elimination of stream pollution, and, while by scientific processes, they do now make this water potable, if the conditions continue, we do not see how even that condition can be maintained. And the most of the people of the Ohio Valley are dependent upon the Ohio River for their source of water supply.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Hess, do you desire to make a statement at this time?

Mr. HESS. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. You may proceed.

STATEMENT OF HON. WILLIAM E. HESS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF OHIO

Mr. HESS. All I have to add, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, is that I hope some action will be taken by your committee this session on these bills. I think it is very important. We from the districts that border the Ohio are very much interested in all of the bills and sincerely hope that some action might be taken before the session adjourns. That is all I have to add to what has been said.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, Judge McCormack, do you desire to be heard?

Mr. HOLLISTER. He just stepped out, Mr. Chairman. He will be right back. You might ask the next gentleman.

The CHAIRMAN. The next on the list is Mr. Dykstra.

Mr. COLDEN. May I say a word of introduction for Mr. Dykstra? The CHAIRMAN. Yes.

Mr. COLDEN. Mr. Dykstra was, at one time and for a number of years, a citizen and public official of the city of Los Angeles. Under that sunny and favorable environment, he blossomed out to be a very influential and very active citizen. What effect Ohio has had upon him. I cannot say, but I do want to vouch for his standing and his integrity as a citizen of Los Angeles.

Mr. BOLTON. Cleveland could have something to say about it. We are very fond of Mr. Dykstra.

The CHAIRMAN. I notice he left both of your cities and went to Cincinnati.

STATEMENT OF MR. C. A. DYKSTRA, CITY MANAGER OF THE CITY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO

Mr. DYKSTRA. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I appreciate very much this reference to the city in which I was born and the city in which I was sunburned. I hope to get back to both places occasionally and have done so ever since being in Cincinnati.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Dykstra is the city manager of Cincinnati. Now you may proceed.

Mr. DYKSTRA. I think some exhibits are being passed to the committee, to which I wish to refer. What I shall have to say is short, but I am afraid not so very sweet, gentlemen, and I will confine myself to a discussion of just one item and that is the pollution of the Ohio River in Cincinnati and its effect upon the water supply of Cincinnati.

I have in my hand just a brief statement from the sanitary engineer in charge, belonging to the United States Public Health Service, the office of stream pollution, in Cincinnati.

If I may read here a short paragraph for the record, it will give a general picture of the problem of stream pollution, and then this exhibit may be used as the concrete example:

The Ohio River drainage basin, with an area of 200,000 square miles, had, in 1930, a total population of 18,000,000 persons, of whom 8,000,000 lived in cities, and of which number 6,000,000 discharged their sewage through sewage systems directly to surface waters. These same waters are used by 52 million people as the source of their public drinking supply. The specific population

group affected, to which this exhibit refers, is that of the Cincinnati metropolitan area comprising 750,000 people. Above them on the watershed live 8,000,000 people, of whom about 4,000,000 live in the towns, and, of this number, 34 million discharge their sewage directly into the source of the Cincinnati drinking supply.

Moreover, this watershed population is increasing rapidly. From 1915 to 1930 it increased 37 percent.

Now, of course, to this domestic sewage pollution must be added the great volume of industrial wastes, referred to by the chairman already, and that volume of industrial wastes about doubled the pollution effect which the human population itself has.

That is a statement from a Public Health authority of the United States located in Cincinnati.

Now, as to this chart, gentlemen, which I wish to put in as an exhibit, this is a chart prepared by the Cincinnati Water Works, showing monthly-if you will refer to it-by months and by years, and I think if you will refer to it you can follow the argument very easily, showing the average thousands of Bacillus coli made from the chemists' surveys in our filtration plant. It shows, for instance, the enormous growth in sewage pollution in the last few years, and indicates the effect of the canalization dams in the Ohio River upon pollution.

Mr. PARSONS. Did you find out how great an increase is due to the canalization of the Ohio?

Mr. DYKSTRA. In some part it is due to the canalization and in some part to the increasing amount of waste which goes into the Ohio River.

The CHAIRMAN. The dams in the Ohio are what are known as the removable type, are they not?

Mr. DYKSTRA. That is right.

The CHAIRMAN. They allow the whole bed of the river to scour when they are down?

Mr. DYKSTRA. Yes; but during the period of the scouring you have the whole stream stirred up, you know, and if you will notice the operation of that scouring process on this chart you will see the effect upon the B. coli count.

Mr. DONDERO. That increase in the pollution, do you think it is due to domestic sewage or is it due to industrial waste?

Mr. DYKSTRA. Both, without question.

Mr. DONDERO. You do not know the proportions, do you?
Mr. DYKSTRA. I should say 50-50.

Mr. DONDERO. An increase in both?

Mr. DYKSTRA. Yes.

Mr. DONDERO. In the industrial waste and in the population? Mr. DYKSTRA. Yes. If you will note, for instance, the years 1930 and 1935, they are, one of them on the bottom and the other in the middle of the top of the page, you have a very great variation in the pollution as encountered at our filter plant. The year 1930 was a year of very low water. During that period you have the settling in the basin, and, in the year 1935, one in which it stirred up tremendously. In 1930 the prolonged drought was responsible for the effect you see here because of the natural setting. In 1935 the stirring up of the river with the raising of the dams, as suggested by the chairman, and the lowering of them from time to time, gives you