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CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL, Sheboygan, Wis., February 22, 1954.

CHAIRMAN, HOUSE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE,

New House Office Building,

Washington, D. C.

DEAR SIR: The Sheboygan Central Labor Council, comprised of 30 locals, endorsed the petition of the city of Sheboygan and area industry and other interested agencies, from the very beginning, in support of an improved Sheboygan River navigation channel.

As stated previously, our organization and its membership is vitally interested in the stability, as well as growth of employment and prosperity for the entire Sheboygan area. We recognize that the implementation of this condition is dependent upon a continuing development of all resources. For that reason we support this program, which will eliminate an inadequate channel and which in the final analysis will result in more jobs and revenue to the community. This revenue obviously will in turn reflect upon the well-being of the State of Wisconsin and the Nation as a whole.

We honestly petition your honorable body for early favorable action, which will bring about the availability of a practical Sheboygan River channel, which can contribute to the local, State, and national economy.

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DEAR SIR: We the members of Branch 102, National Association of Letter Carriers, Sheboygan, Wis., wish to take this opportunity of giving full endorsement to the petition for a deepened and extended Sheboygan River navigation channel. A segment of community economy and the future growth of our city is dependent upon full utilization of all our facilities, particularly transportation. We believe that the development of our channel is not only desirable but essential. In past years industry has been forced to close down permanently because of inability to compete in the regional and national markets.

Shipment of raw material and finished products has served to penalize industry in this community.

Very truly yours,

DON W. GRAMS, Secretary.

UPHOLSTERERS & FURNITURE WORKERS LOCAL UNION No. 133,
Sheboygan, Wis., February 20, 1954.

To Whom It May Concern:
In behalf of the officers and members of the Upholsterers and Furniture
Workers, Local 133, Sheboygan, Wis., we are vitally concerned with our harbor.
It is of great importance to our industries and places of business.

The harbor is used for the receiving of shipments of lumber in the manufacture of furniture. As you know, Sheboygan is serviced by only one railroad, namely the Chicago & North Western. There are great possibilities of our harbor if it is kept in a navigable condition. Dredging of our harbor is important because if left even for 1 year without dredging, the use of our harbor is almost nullified.

We would appreciate it a great deal if the above stated facts were taken into consideration for this coming spring.

Yours very truly,

GOTTLIEB GOLDMAN, Secretary.

TOWN RIVER, QUINCY, MASS.

Mr. ANGELL. We will proceed then to the next project on our agenda, which is the Town River, Quincy, Mass.

Congressman Wigglesworth is interested in this project. I do not know whether he is here or not.

Colonel Milne, you may proceed with your presentation when you are ready.

Colonel MILNE. Mr. Chairman, the report on Town River is contained in House Document No. 108 of the 83d Congress, first session, as authorized by a resolution of the House Committee on Rivers and Harbors, dated December 2, 1946.

Town River is a small tidal stream lying wholly within the city limits of Quincy. It empties into the Weymouth Fore River, some 2.8 miles above the mouth of that river, and is part of the Greater Boston Harbor area.

The area surrounding Town River is one devoted primarily to manufacturing. The existing Federal project provides for a channel 24 feet in depth and 150 feet wide from the Weymouth Fore River extending up the Town River and ending in a turning basin some 1,000 feet long and 400 feet wide and approximately 18 feet deep; a smaller channel 15 feet in depth extends above the existing turning basin.

In the year 1952 there were over 600,000 tons of commerce traveling on this waterway. The commerce was primarily made up of petroleum products.

Local interests have indicated considerable difficulty in navigating Town River due primarily to its lack of depth and narrow width.

As this committee knows so well, since 1940 there has been a complete change in the characteristics of the merchant marine fleet of the United States. Whereas this channel prior to the World War was adequate for the type of ships that utilized it, today it is woefully inadequate for the modern T-2 and T-3 tankers.

Because of these difficulties local interests requested that consideration be given to widening the channel deepening it to 30 or 35 feet, and to increase the width of the turning basin by 150 feet.

The Chief of Engineers investigated the requirements very thoroughly and made a detailed study of a channel depth of 30 feet. However, he felt that the existing and prospective commerce did not justify deepening the river to 30 feet. He did find, however, that improvement of the existing channel from 24 to 27 feet and increasing its width from 150 to 250 feet was economically justified, and he has recommended that. He also recommends that the existing turning basin be deepened to 24 feet and be enlarged by approximately 150 in width. Those recommendations were furnished to the State of Massachusetts. They indicated that the 27 feet was not completely to their liking and they also took some exception to the local contribution required. However, they did indicate they would accept the recommendations of the Chief of Engineers.

The Bureau of the Budget indicated they have no objection to the transmittal of this report to the Congress.

Based on the estimated cost at the time the document was prepared, the Federal cost is $450,000, and the non-Federal cost $150,000, for a total of $600,000.

Those costs revised to the fall of 1953 show a Federal cost of $525,000 and a non-Federal cost of $175,000, for a total of $700,000.

Based on the revised costs the annual charges are estimated at $29,300, of which $4,600 represents increased maintenance charges. Based on the revised costs, the benefit-cost ratio is indicated to be 5.0 to 1.

Local interests would be required to contribute in cash 25 percent of the cost of construction, which is currently estimated at $175,000. In addition they will be required to furnish suitable spoil-disposal areas, bulkhead those parts of the spoil-disposal areas that lie below high water, and hold and save the United States free from damages. The local interests have indicated their willingness to comply with these items of local cooperation.

The difficulties to navigation are entirely those attributable to lack of depth and lack of width. The type of tanker that utilizes the Town River is predominantly the T-2 and T-3 tanker, which draws about 30 feet loaded. Because of the inadequate depth, fully loaded tankers are unable to navigate the channel. Instead they come through the port of Boston proper, lighter at that harbor and then proceed with a reduced load up the Town River. In addition, they are delayed due to low tides, weather conditions, and a generally inadequate channel. We have estimated that the average delay for each tanker that utilizes this waterway is about 15 hours per vessel trip. When you think that a T-2 tanker costs about $100 an hour to operate, that can become a sizable amount of money that is lost on each vessel trip in Town River.

The improvement we have recommended will not eliminate all of the delays now experienced by navigation. It will permit all of the T-2 and T-3 tankers to load to full draft and come in the waterway. They will still have to wait for periods of high tide.

We estimate with this improvement the delays will be reduced from 15 hours to approximately 3 hours. All in all then the deepening of the existing channel to 27 feet will produce benefits which in our opinion are in excess of the annual costs, and we believe that this modification is very well justified.

Mr. ANGELL. Colonel Milne, the benefit-cost ratio is a very high ratio, is it not?

Colonel MILNE. It is an extremely high ratio, sir.

Mr. ANGELL. Is there a cash contribution included in the nonFederal contribution of $175,000?

Colonel MILNE. Yes, sir.

Mr. ANGELL. What is that?

Colonel MILNE. The cash contribution?

Mr. ANGELL. Yes, sir.

Colonel MILNE. In our analysis of the benefits that would accrue as a result of this improvement we considered that there was a fairly sizable element of local benefits. It has been our policy wherever the benefits are local in contrast to general in nature that we do require a local cash contribution. We came to the conclusion that about 25 percent of the cost would represent the portion of the benefits that we think are local rather than general.

Mr. ANGELL. What type of benefits do you estimate are local? Colonel MILNE. The improvement would provide a channel 27 feet

deep to the vicinity of the Quincy Oil Co. That is the principal terminal that would benefit from this improvement. The SoconyVacuum Oil Co. utilizes Weymouth Fore. The Lincoln Oil Co. brings their oil in on shallow-draft vessels. It is really the Quincy Oil Co. that would get the greatest benefits. It is not a single operation. There are several companies that are distributing from that terminal. However, because the benefits were largely attributable to that one terminal we considered a cash contribution was advisable.

Mr. ANGELL. Thank you, Colonel.

Are there any questions on my left?

Mr. MACK. This project will serve a tremendous population, I

assume.

Colonel MILNE. Yes, sir. The population of Quincy in 1950 was over 83,000.

Mr. ANGELL. Are there any questions from members of my right? Mr. FALLON. What is the relationship to Boston, Colonel Milne? Colonel MILNE. Actually the Town River is a tidal stream flowing into Weymouth Fore, which is really part of Boston Harbor proper. This small-scale map shows that Quincy is about 20 miles south of Boston.

Mr. ANGELL. When the committee visited Boston Harbor last fall we went out on the bay, but weather conditions were such that we had no opportunity to see this particular area.

Colonel MILNE. I think, Mr. Chairman, you were on the Weymouth Fore, but I do not believe you got to the Town River.

Mr. ANGELL. We had to turn back, although we started that way, because of the weather conditions.

Are there any further questions?

(No response.)

Mr. ANGELL. Thank you, Colonel Milne.

We have with us, and he is interested in this project, I understand, Mr. Fred E. Bergfors, president of the Quincy Oil Co. of Quincy, Mass.

Mr. Bergfors, the committee is very glad to hear you, sir.

STATEMENT OF FRED E. BERGFORS, PRESIDENT OF THE QUINCY OIL CO., QUINCY, MASS.

Mr. BERGFORS. I would like to have the executive vice president of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce testify now. I did not know the Army engineers would go into all these details, but it saved me time. If you would let me proceed that way it would be appreciated.

Mr. ANGELL. We will be very glad to do it that way. You may proceed in any way you wish. You may give your name in full to the reporter.

STATEMENT OF WILLIAM A. O'CONNELL, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, QUINCY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, QUINCY, MASS.

Mr. O'CONNELL. My name is William A. O'Connell, executive vice president of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce, Quincy, Mass.

Quincy is the largest municipality in Norfolk County and also larger than any municipality in its sister county, namely, Plymouth

County. Quincy is the natural trading and distribution point for both counties. In fact, in order to reach Plymouth County from Boston, 90 percent of the transportation must go through Quincy. The Quincy Chamber of Commerce considers that its organization services both of these areas.

The population of these areas has been growing rapidly.

Town River has been periodically deepened, as you know. The deepening was, of course, to provide navigation for changes in ship construction and design.

In 1907 it was dredged to 4 feet.

In 1930 it was dredged to 10 feet.
In 1940 it was dredged to 24 feet.

In 1920 the population of Norfolk County was approximately 200,000.

In 1930 the population of Norfolk County was approximately 300,000.

In 1950 the population of Norfolk County was approximately 400,000.

In 30 years the population of this area has approximately doubled— 200,000 in 1920; in 1930 it was over 300,000 and in 1950, 400,000.

The present trend from cities to the suburbs is now accelerating this growth.

Presently, consumers receive most of the products from Boston. This is time-consuming and also costlier.

The Town River area is a natural area for the development of commerce. Inasmuch as you did not have the opportunity to visit the Town River I think these photographs will be of help to you in visualizing this area.

Map No. 12: This is an air view looking north with the Procter and Gamble plant in the foreground and at the mouth of Town River on the westerly side.

The Socony-Vacuum Oil tanks are on the left, the Quincy Dry Dock and Yacht Corp., sometimes referred to as Bakers Yacht Basin, is in the center. The latter corporation was recently acquired by the Bruton Development Corp. of New York and it has extension plans to renovate the property immediately. These plans, in part, call for the construction of a deep-water berth 700 feet long and 100 feet wide. The Bruton Development Corp. has just acquired the Rolphe waterfront property too, comprising of over an acre of waterfront land.

The Quincy Oil Co. tanks are in the upper center section, and in the upper right over 100 acres of vacant land owned by the city of Quincy.

Assessed value of Procter and Gamble is $1,500,000.

Assessed value of Socony-Vacuum Oil is $681,000.

Both of these plants are kept in good appearance. They generously support civic programs.

The next air view, No. 29: This view shows a tanker unloading at the Quincy Oil Co. Colonel Milne just referred to that location. More important, however, is the view of the so-called Broad Meadows section comprising over 100 acres owned by the city of Quincy and available for proper industrial development.

Picture No. 6 shows Town River looking south.

Broad Meadows is located at the left center.

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