The improvement of Scituate Harbor has been a continuing process and one in which the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the town of Scituate have invested substantial sums of money during the years. The Federal Government approved of the work undertaken by local authorities and contributed approximately $180,000 in new work and $7,000 for maintenance in the period August 1937 to June 30, 1950. Since that time regular use of the harbor has increased tremendously, overtaxing the existing facilities. There is now an urgent need to improve the harbor to meet the increased demands for its use. Parallel investigations and studies by the Corps of Engineers and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and local interests has resulted in a plan to meet these added requirements. The improvement plan is in harmony with Federal policies and represents an excellent example of effective Federal, State, and local cooperation and sharing of responsibilities.

In addition to the increased usage due to normal expansion of regular harbor activities, there has been an important increase in the use of this harbor by commercial fishermen because of its nearness to recently opened fishing banks. Moreover, the harbor's facilities are overtaxed by the many vessels which seek refuge during storms.

The plan proposed by the Federal, State, and local governments would greatly improve the service of this strategically located harbor, and I would urge this subcommittee to recommend appropriations enabling the Federal Government to contribute its share of the funds necessary to implement this integrated plan. It should be noted that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has already underway a dredging project which is a portion of that plan estimated to cost $62,000. In addition, I am advised that work by other local interests is also underway. The Corps of Engineers advises that the benefits-to-cost ratio of 2.8 is a very favorable ratio and one which should entitle the project to a high priority.

I hope that the subcommittee will see fit to recommend the funds necessary to continue work on this important project.

Mr. ANGELL. We have with us our colleague, John W. Nicholson, who is interested in the project.

We will be very glad to hear from you at this time, Mr. Nicholson.

STATEMENT OF HON. DONALD W. NICHOLSON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS

Mr. NICHOLSON. Mr. Chairman, I realize we have to go into session in a few minutes, but it will not take a few minutes for me to say what I have to say.

Mr. ANGELL. We also have two resident witnesses here, Mr. Robert Tilden of the board of selectmen, and Mr. Robert B. MacKinnon of the Massachusetts Department of Public Works.

Mr. NICHOLSON. Yes, sir. They are here and can answer any questions you might ask them.

The colonel covered the proposition very well, I think, except for one thing. That is, this is a harbor of refuge for boats, because that square up there indicating the location of Scituate shows that there is a sweep all across the Atlantic Ocean and Massachusetts Bay, and there is not another place from Boston to the Cape Cod Canal where a boat can put in in case of a bad northeaster or southeaster. Therefore, that has some bearing on it.

For a great many years all the dredging that has been done in Massachusetts has been done by the State and by the community affected. The Federal Government has given us practically nothing. So far as I am concerned, this is my fourth term and I think we have a little project that was inserted by the Senate and otherwise we would not have gotten that. I realize we have to get an appropriation after you put this in the mill, and I certainly hope that you will. I

have 14 projects now awaiting action, and maybe if we need a PWA or a WPA we will have the plans ready so that we can step in.

I represent from that square and above it into Boston Harbor, all of that coast line around the Hook of Cape Cod and down around through Martha's Vineyard and the island of Nantucket. We do not have too many projects and the ones we have cost in comparison with what we have been spending for rivers and harbors just a snap of your finger. I would like to impress it on you that we have not had anything for a great many years, and this will help out.

I have 25 telegrams here from the board of selectmen in Norwell and the board of selectmen at Marshfield, and several other boards. of selectmen, and some of the newspapers in that district and from other civic-minded people. You can see it is more than a Scituate project. We have already spent in the State and county well over half a million dollars, and it is quite a burden on a small town.

The Governor is in favor of it. As a matter of fact every Governor we have had in Massachusetts has always been in favor of helping out these communities that live on the sea. Years ago we had channels and even had a channel up in my town of Wareham-a 12-foot channel. Now it is all filled in. We used to have three-masted boats, coal barges, and so forth, go up there, but they cannot get in there

any more.

I hesitate to think what would happen if our railroads just happened to leave us, and wonder how we would get our coal and other fuels.

I don't want to take any more of your time, Mr. Chairman. I would like to have you hear a word from the chairman of the Board of Selectmen of Scituate. I would like to let you know what a selectman is. You may not have them out on the west coast. They have more authority than a mayor has, and they practically run the town after the town meetings tell them what to do.

Mr. ANGELL. Thank you.

Are there any questions from members of the committee of Mr. Nicholson?

(No response.)

Mr. ANGELL. If not, we will be very glad to hear Mr. Tilden.

STATEMENT OF ROBERT TILDEN, SELECTMAN FROM
SCITUATE, MASS.

Mr. TILDEN. Mr. Chairman, is it permissible to stand here?
Mr. ANGELL. Yes, sir.

Mr. TILDEN. I will be very brief, because I believe it is near the recess hour.

I have attended a good many hearings in our own statehouse, but this is the first time I have had the pleasure or honor to attend one in Washington, and I shall relate my experiences to the various school classes in my own hometown that I speak to once in a while.

Mr. ANGELL. The committee is very glad to hear you.

Mr. TILDEN. I am sorry the Representative from the Pacific Northwest has left, because I have a cousin in the lumber business in Washington.

Mr. ANGELL. May I say the reason Mr. Mack from Washington left is that he has a matter on call when the House convenes at 12 o'clock, and he had to be there for that purpose.

Mr. TILDEN. Thank you.

As our Congressman stated, we still have selectmen in Massachusetts and other States. I just want to urge the furthering of this Scituate Harbor project. One specific reason is that there is not room enough to tie up all of the yachts desiring to come in. I really feel it is a recreational area, with the exception of what fishing is done, as mentioned by the colonel of the Corps of Engineers. If you had a yacht and wanted to establish a mooring there, I question if our harbor master could accommodate you this summer. He would like to but he just doesn't have the room.

As Mr. Nicholson stated, our harbor takes care of boats all the way up our coast. We had one yacht that requested to come in because they were having some trouble. They couldn't get into any other place, but they got into our harbor all right. For that reason I hope this project can be pushed along.

Mr. ANGELL. Thank you.

Are there any questions by members of the committee?

(No response.)

Mr. ANGELL. If not, Mr. MacKinnon, we will be glad to hear from

you.

STATEMENT OF ROBERT MacKINNON, DISTRICT WATERWAYS ENGINEER, MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

Mr. MACKINNON. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is Robert B. MacKinnon. I am district waterways engineer with the Massachusetts Department of Public Works. your permission may I read a short statement?

Mr. ANGELL. You may. How long is your statement?
Mr. MCKINNON. It will take about 2 minutes, sir.
(The statement of Mr. MacKinnon is as follows:)

With

MASSACHUSETS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS,

DIVISION OF WATERWAYS. Boston, Mass., February 2, 1954.

Reference: Scituate, Mass., proposed Federal project for the improvement of Scituate Harbor.

Hon. GEORGE A. DONDERO,

Chairman, Committee on Public Works,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

DEAR SIR: My department believes that the proposed Scituate Harbor improvement work is highly essential and will result in both general and local benefits through increased use of the harbor for refuge and the stimulation of fishing and boating industries in this locality.

The recreational and fishing boats now using Scituate Harbor have increased in number and size to the extent that the existing harbor channels and mooring basins are no longer adequate in size and depth, resulting in overcrowding. Additional boats seeking to base in the harbor cannot be accommodated. Lack of sufficient depth in harbor channels prohibits full utilization of the wharves and restricts use of the harbor.

Authorization for State participation in this proposed Federal project has been provided by State legislation subject to appropriation. In the recent past this State body has never failed to provide the required contributory local funds

for this type of work and I believe this policy would be continued in the case of the improvement of Scituate Harbor.

Some idea as to the importance which the State, county, and town attach to the continued development of this harbor may best be shown by an examination of Government funds which have been spent in the past on this project. Following are said expenditures:

I wish to record the Massachusetts Department of Public Works as being highly in favor of this project.

I thank the committee for its consideration and will be pleased to answer any questions within my knowledge pertaining to this matter.

ROBERT B. MACKINNON, Engineer, Division of Waterways.

Mr. ANGELL. Thank you, sir, and thank you, Mr. Nicholson. We were very happy to have you gentlemen with us.

If there is nothing further, the committee will stand adjourned. (Whereupon, at 12 noon, the committee adjourned, until 1:30 p. m. of the following day, Wednesday, February 3, 1954.)