and beach preservation. Of course, in South Jersey we only consider him second to our Congressman because Congressman Hand, having been a mayor of one of our resort cities at one time, has lived with this problem of erosion.

Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. May I in reply say to the witness that I too got a key to Atlantic City.

Mr. CASEY. You are always welcome Congressman, and you can have many more.

Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Thank you very much.

Mr. ANGELL. He is a young man and may be a mayor yet.

Mr. CASEY. The Corps of Engineers made a complete study in which Atlantic City cooperated in the cost of. They have gone into this thing in a very satisfactory manner as far as we in Atlantic City are concerned. In their experimental station at Vicksburg, Miss., they built a replica of our city and with their scientific devices they created the conditions that might exist there, and they have come up with a report which, if carried out, we believe will solve our problem of beach erosion.

The thing has become very serious with us and the city has passed its borrowing capacity. We are in the position where we had to do things in an emergency and could not wait for the money to come along, so we spent what money we have. If I may I would like to show these two pictures to the committee to show you how our beachline has receded in recent years.

It has become very serious because along that beach there is over $100 million worth of ratables. In the State of New Jersey we boast about 23 million people coming to our State and 15 million people filtering into Atlantic City. The new Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike we believe will increase the number of people coming to our city, so the preservation of the beach becomes one of the most important things to us because it is the lifeblood of our community.

From the national defense standpoint, the channel the colonel referred to leads into a Coast Guard station which is very important for this. Adjoining that is a Naval Reserve station which, in the event of an emergency would be called into activity. Through the channel runs the oil barges which supply New Jersey with its gas and oil, and where the State already built a harbor of refuge. We are trying to develop that into an area where we can encourage boats to come into our resort city, and which in the case of emergency would be a very strategic point of operation, we believe. That is, from the Navy standpoint.

From the Army standpoint we have demonstrated our ability by taking care of 100,000 troops in our hotels. We have the best hotels of a convention city. It is crowded. There are 15 million people who come to our city. On a given Sunday during the season we will bathe up to 300,000 people on our beach.

So, if we do not have a beach we lose that attraction to the public. We think the Army engineers' program and their policies are darned near perfect. What little we have done along their suggested lines of procedure has been successful, but we need an overall job done; and that overall job can only be done when moneys have been expended to the extent that the colonel referred.

As to scientific data and the like of that, we have had the full cooperation of our State organization. The commerce and navigation committee of our State has been cooperative. The city engineers made a very complete study identical to that of the United States Army engineers. We think we have the solution of our problem. The only thing lacking is the money to go ahead with it.

Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Would you yield for a question?

Mr. CASEY. Yes.

Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. You mentioned these large numbers of people who came to Atlantic City for recreation. Have you any evidence as to what States of the Union they come from? As I understand it, they come from every State of the Union.

Mr. CASEY. I understand from every State of the Union, because I know some of our national conventionists come from every State of the Union because some of them, like the electric-light companies, bring them from all over.

Mr. Walton made a statement about our city being incorporated in 1854. Next year we have a centennial celebration-we will be 100 years old and we would like to have a beach to show it off.

Mr. ANGELL. Have you completed your statement?

Mr. CASEY. I have, sir.

Mr. ANGELL. Are there any questions on my left, or on my right? Mr. STEED. Mr. Casey, do you feel enough work has already been done to demonstrate conclusively to you that this program is the answer to your problem?

Mr. CASEY. It absolutely is. I was amazed when I saw the replica down at Vicksburg some 17 years ago. Everything the Army engineers predicted has happened; and what remedies we have put in have corrected the condition to the extent possible. In the Brigantine Channel, if we can correct that most of our problems will be at an end. When we build the groins we will have a bathing beach at Maine Avenue and we will not have to depend on the principal beach which extends from Maine Avenue to Longpoint.

Mr. ANGELL. Are there any further questions?

Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. May I ask another question?
Mr. ANGELL. Yes.

Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Is the community prepared to finance this project?

Mr. CASEY. We are, sir. We are ready and willing, and hope we are given the opportunity, along with the State. They are willing,

too.

Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Along the lines as suggested by the Corps of Engineers?

Mr. CASEY. Yes, sir.

Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Thank you very much.

Mr. HAND. The city put up 50 percent of the plan and are ready, willing, and able to put up two-thirds of the cost of construction. My city engineer is the next and last witness.

Mr. ANGELL. Mr. Swinton, we are very glad to hear you.

STATEMENT OF GEORGE R. SWINTON, CITY ENGINEER,

ATLANTIC CITY, N. J.

Mr. SWINTON. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, the engineering on this subject of beach erosion cannot be a dry discourse. We are right up to our necks in water. We engineers who deal with it find that it becomes more interesting and less dry as we get involved in it.

The passage of the proposed bill, H. R. 1031, as introduced by Congressman Hand, authorizing the prosecution of the work of improvement for purposes of beach-erosion control at Atlantic City, N. J., would be the culmination of the most interesting 8 years of Federal legislative program work.

In 1945, in appearing before a similar committee, which was considering the passage of what was then H. R. 2033-which I believe became Public Law 727, which is the enabling act of the proposed subject bill today—I made the following remark, among other things:

There is an urgent need for the guidance of a national technical authority in the study of the problem of beach-erosion protection. Millions of dollars have been expended in the past with unsatisfactory results. Expenditures could be more intelligently made if a scientific knowledge of the methods of protecting the different beaches could be developed.

And that is what resulted by reason of the passage by Congress of Public Law 727 in the 79th Congress. The city of Atlantic City has in every way proceeded since the passage of that bill to comply with the requirements and recommendations of that act.

Likewise in 1945 I would like to quote, if I may, from the statement of the then Secretary of War, Mr. Henry L. Stimson, to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors that was considering the passage of the enabling act:

As only a small percentage of the shores of the United States is at present owned by States and municipalities, or other political subdivisions, and as protection of such publicly owned property is needed and economically justified for only a small percentage of the total, it can be safely assumed that enactment of the bill will result in placing but little additional burden upon the Federal Treasury.

This quotation I consider of great interest. The Secretary of War at that time continued by saying:

However, enactment of the bill would give some encouragement to increased public ownership on the shores of the United States, and the improvement and protection thereof. The War Department believes that the preservation and development of publicly owned beaches are worthy objectives.

As stated before, the city of Atlantic City has made every effort to comply with the requirements of Public Law 727 of the 79th Congress. It is clearly stated and, of course, it requires no repetition in the report of the Army in House Document 538.1

As I said, this study has resulted in a broad, thorough, technical control by a national authority, namely, the Corps of Engineers and the Beach Erosion Board. The city of Atlantic City, or its engineers, would never have had the facilities, knowledge, means, technique to develop the study that has been made. We now feel that we are the benefiters of something Congress provided; and we comply, as is clearly stated in the report, with all of the requirements of the act.

I emphasize that our beaches are part of the public domain and we consider and hope that in every way we comply in the mind of you gentlemen.

Another thing of vast interest and in line with a question asked by one of the Congressmen of a previous witness, is that the small amount of work that the city and State finances to date have allowed the city to accomplish, all of which work accomplished to date is entirely in accordance with the report and the recommended projects set forth in the report, has proven without a question of doubt to us, who are handling the engineering, that the report is sound. The sooner we can finance and complete the remaining parts of the project the sooner the benefits will result to the city of Atlantic City.

If there are any questions, gentlemen, we will be glad to assist you. Mr. ANGELL. Are there any questions on my left, or on my right? (No response.)

Mr. ANGELL. Thank you, Mr. Swinton.

Mr. HAND. Mr. Chairman, if I may make a brief statement I would like to do so now.

Mr. ANGELL. Very well.

Mr. HAND. I should just like to refer to one paragraph of the transmittal document by the Chief of Engineers, which is paragraph 5 which says:

The proposed measures will protect and improve the inlet and oceanfront beaches of Atlantic City. Benefits from direct damages prevented, and recreation to the general public amply justify the proposed protective works. The shore is almost entirely publicly owned and the public interest involved warrants Federal participation of the extent of one-third of the total cost in accordance with the policy stated in Public Law 727, 79th Congress, approved August 13, 1946.

The Bureau of the Budget likewise said that the project was amply justified.

I mention once more that the benefit-cost ratio is estimated at 16 to 1, which is one of the highest that has ever come to my attention. I have just one brief sentence in conclusion. That is, in spite of the fact that New Jersey as a whole is the sixth greatest industrial State in the United States, nevertheless the fact remains that recreation and our seashore resorts are the No. 1 industry in actual dollars in the State of New Jersey.

So, we are all very vitally interested in this situation. Atlantic. City particularly, and shore resorts in general, are in truth national assets because we are not talking about the protection of these places for local population uses but talking about preserving them as great parks and recreation centers for all of the people of the country. Thank you for your past attention to this program and problem, and thank you very much for fitting into your busy schedule this hearing this morning.

Mr. ANGELL. May I ask you, Is there any opposition from any source to the project?

Mr. HAND. On the contrary, as far as I know there is almost complete local enthusiasm for it, and they are ready, willing, and able to spend their own money to the extent of two-thirds of the total cost in cooperation with the Federal Government.

Mr. ANGELL. Do you have further witnesses who desire to be heard later when we take up the question?

Mr. HAND. I have witnesses that could be heard if the committee desired it, but I think these witnesses have well presented our case, which is even presented better, actually, by House Document 538.

Mr. ANGELL. Without objection, if there are any additional witnesses who desire to submit statements for the record we would be glad to have them do so.

Mr. HAND. Thank you very much.

Mr. ANGELL. Then that will conclude the hearing on H. R. 1031. (Whereupon, the hearing in the above entitled matter was concluded.)