In postwar period oil companies will use these ships because of speed and efficiency. Example: Present 80,000- and 100,000-barrel tankers move oil, Sabine district to Jersey coast, at approximately 20 cents per barrel. New T-2 type tankers move oil to same destination for approximately 121⁄2 cents per barrel. Due to changed war conditions, tankers should be allocated to lift 1,000,000 barrels of high-octane gasoline and Diesel fuel oil per month from the Cities Service Refinery alone.

This port cannot compete with other Gulf ports having proper depths unless the above request for improvement is granted.

Industries now operating on channel: Continental Oil Co. (high-octane gasoline refinery), Cities Service Refining Corp. (high-octane gasoline refinery), Mathieson Alkali Works (caustic soda, soda ash, synthetic salt cake), Defense Plant Corporation (ammonia, nitric acid, butadiene), Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. (latex plant), Kelly, Weber & Co., Ltd. (fertilizer plant).

Oil companies using channel: Continental Oil Co.; W. T. Burton; Shell Oil Co.; Magnolia Petroleum Co.; Union Sulphur Co.; Cities Service Refining Corp.; Barnsdall Oil Co.; Fohs Oil Co.; Gulf Refining Co.; Standard Oil Co.; Sun Oil Co.; The Texas Co.

Mr. LARCADE. I ask, Mr. Chairman, that Mr. Pyburn be heard at this time.

Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. I would like to state, before Mr. Pyburn is heard, that several members of the committee had an opportunity to visit Lake Charles last summer and to review this project and also to enjoy the hospitality of the fine people who are so ably represented here by Congressman Larcade. This committee was deeply impressed with the activities of the Lake Charles area and with the importance of this proposed deepening of the waterway in that district.

Mr. LARCADE. We were fortunate in having two visits by members of this committe in that district. We regretted that it was not possible for you to be present on one occasion when we started out on this inspection trip before the last visit of members of this committee to which you refer. General Robins and a number of members of this committee had an opportunity to visit Lake Charles and make an inspection of this project, and I am sure that General Robins was glad to pass on this information and his recommendation to his successors who have approved this project.

Mr. PYBURN. Mr. Chairman, we are very interested in this project, and it is a most important one. However, representatives of the Lake Charles Dock Board, the chief engineer, and Mr. Shutts are here and they have statements on this particular project.

Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. Do you have a statement to present? Mr. PYBURN. No, sir; not on this matter. They have all the information, I am sure, that you need. The chief engineer of the dock board is here and is prepared to make a statement.

Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. Mr. Shutts, would you like to make a statement at this time?

Mr. SHUTTS. Yes, Mr. Chairman.

STATEMENT OF ELMER SHUTTS, CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE PORT OF LAKE CHARLES, LA.

Mr. LARCADE. Mr. Shutts is not only the chief engineer of the port of Lake Charles, but is also the parish engineer for the parish of Calcasieu and the city of Lake Charles, as well as a member of the Highway Commission of the State of Louisiana. He has been most helpful in connection with the port of Lake Charles and the Calcasieu River Channel since the time it was first proposed and has more or less vised not only the building of the port but of the channel too.

super

Mr. PYBURN. Mr. Chalkley, who is vice president of the dock board, is here.

Mr. LARCADE. I intended to call upon him later.

Mr. SHUTTS. I am here representing the port authority of the port of Lake Charles as consulting chief engineer.

In 1926 Lake Charles constructed its own deep-water channel 75 miles from Sabine Pass to Lake Charles, through the Sabine River in this waterway [indicating on map]. The cost of this channel plus the cost of the port facilities at Lake Charles amounted to $7,500,000, which amount was paid by local taxpayers.

So successful was this port that in 1928 Congress, through the Corps of Engineers, took over the Calcasieu ship channel, thus relieving the local taxpayers of that burden.

In 1934 the tonnage over this channel had developed so rapidly that it became apparent that it was necessary to have a direct channel out of Calcasieu Pass to cut the distance from 75 miles from the open sea to 33 miles. This project was approved by Congress in 1937. It was completed in 1941 in time for Lake Charles to receive the benefit of $225,000,000 worth of industrial construction which greatly aided in the war effort.

The industrial plants consist of high-octane refineries, butadiene plants, synthetic-rubber plants, magnesium, ammonia, chlorine, caustic soda, soda ash, and other products manufactured there.

Last year it became apparent that the project depth of 30 feet was insufficient to accommodate the heavy traffic from the oil companies. The oil companies and the Maritime Commission have adopted the policy of using the T-2 type deep-draft 140,000- to 150,000-barrel tankers, which require a 32-foot 10-inch draft.

I have here a statement showing that from March last year to March this year 4,200,000 tons of petroleum products moved out of this port in nearly 400 ships.

I would like to file a statement showing that many of those ships were forced to go out with partial cargoes and either proceed to destination without a complete cargo or stop at some other Gulf port where 34 to 35 feet of water was available to complete the cargo.

This places the people using this channel at a disadvantage. We therefore plead with you to deepen this channel from 30 to 35 feet in order to accommodate deeper draft ships.

I would like the privilege of filing a statement from Mr. Frith, director of the port of Lake Charles, showing the number of dry-cargo ships and the tonnage of over 300,000 tons of dry cargo that moved out in some 65 ships, many of which needed additional depth.

I would like to file, also, a statement from the port authorities showing the total number of ships that went out of this port drawing 28 feet 6 inches or over. You can see from the statement that there is a tremendous volume of ships that went out with partial cargoes.

I would like also to file a statement from the Union Sulphur Co., Inc., of Sulphur, La., requesting this deepening.

We have present with us representatives of the Cities Service Refining Co., represented by the superintendent of the marine division, and the vice president of that company. We also have a representative of the Continental Oil Co., which company also has a high-octane refining plant at Lake Charles which exports a considerable amount from that port.

Unless there are some questions, that will conclude what I have to

say.

Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. That is a very strong statement which you have made in behalf of the project. Unless there are questions, the various data which you have will be submitted for the record and you may, make of course, any additional statement with reference to the matter that you care to make. Mr. SHUTTS. Thank you, sir.

I believe it is quite important to hear the oil companies whose reprepresentatives are here and who are operating deep-draft tankers, so that they can advise you of their difficulties and just what is necessary to accommodate their shipping out of that port.

(The documents referred to and submitted by the witness are as follows :)

PORT OF LAKE CHARLES, Lake Charles, La., April 11, 1946.

Senator JOHN H. OVERTON,
Member, Rivers and Harbors Committee of Congress,

Washington, D. C.

DEAR SENATOR OVERTON: Attached is a list of both dry cargo and oil vessels navigating Calcasieu River and pass ship channel during the past 12 months drawing 28 feet 6 inches or over.

From information furnished me by the oil companies, many of these oil vessels sailed partially loaded due to the fact that the channel presently only has a depth of 30 feet below mean low gulf.

Vessels drawing under 28 feet 6 inches navigating Calcasieu River and pass ship channel during the past 12 months are not included in the attached list of vessels.

I feel sure that after you have examined this list of deep-draft vessels you will agree with me that the Calcasieu River and pass ship channel should be dredged to 35 feet at the earliest possible moment.

If there is any other information your committee desires, I will be very glad to furnish it to them.

Yours sincerely,

ALVA P. FRITH, Director of Port.

Consolidated statement of all traffic, Port of Lake Charles, year 1945

Vessels navigating Calcasieu River and Pass Channel during last 12 months drawing 12 feet 6 inches or over, period April 1945-March 1946

Vessels navigating Calcasieu River and Pass Channel during last 12 months drawing 12 feet 6 inches or over, period April 1945-March 1946-Continued

Vessels navigating Calcasieu River and Pass Channel during last 12 months drawing 12 feet 6 inches or over, period April 1945-March 1946--Continued