HEARINGS BEFORE THE 115. Congress. House SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE FIRST SESSION UNDER H. Res. 262 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COMMITTEE ON IRRI- PART 3 HEARINGS AT COEUR D'ALENE, IDAHO AUGUST 30 AND SEPTEMBER 7-9, 1943 Printed for the use of the Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation 15M144 By Hon. Compton I. White, Chairman The Pacific Northwest is our newest and best frontier-a mighty empire in the making. Rich in all natural resources, it needs only the magic key of power and transportation development to unlock this vast treasure house. The United States Army Engineers reports show that here, in the mighty Columbia River and its tributaries, is approximately onethird of all the potential water power that can ever be developed within the entire United States. With only limited development, the Northwest's contribution to the war effort is very great in ships, planes, and one-third of the aluminum. It's mineral resources are immense-gold, silver, lead, copper, zinc, tungsten, quicksilver, antimony, and many others. Here is the last great stand of virgin timbermost f it Government owned, and much of it is ripe and ready to cut; otherwise it will rapidly deteriorate. The rivers are teeming with fish-royal chinook salmon, steelhead, and trout. The forests and mountains abound in game. There are millions of acres of land, both irrigated and nonirrigated, and much of it richer than the valley of the Nile. Its great seaports and airports are closest to Alaska and the Orient, and this is the dawn of the Pacific era! In the world's history, there are three great eras. First came the Mediterranean era which waned with the discovery of America; then the Atlantic which has reached its zenith; and now the Pacific destined to be the greatest of all. At a time when the United States is staggering under the greatest debt it has ever known, here is the land and resources which, when developed, will contribute in a large measure to relieving this burden of debt by adding new wealth, new revenues, new taxes, and ideal homes for 10,000,000 more of our people. This proposed development is not an extravagance but an economy-a safe and sane investment which will return a thousandfold. In the post-war period the United States Army Engineers, and the Bureaus of Reclamation, Mines, and Roads will undoubtedly be called upon to assume heavy responsibilities in a post-war construction program, and these hearings under H. R. 262 are dedicated to fact-finding to the end that in such future work there shall be no haphazard development but an orderly, well-coordinated, longe-range intelligent program, which will conserve and preserve this great heritage to the American people. To this we pledge our best efforts. |