98 



Mr. William H. Lewis, I am William H. Lewis of the port of New 

 Orleans. I am pleased to learn that there are other representatives of 

 port agencies present at this meeting. I was apprehensive when I first 

 signed in for this meeting that I would be alone in speaking for the 

 port interests. 



I would like to say that we in the port of New Orleans subscribe 

 heartily to the statement that has been submitted to you by the Port 

 of New Orleans Authority. I would however like to extend my remarks 

 not necessarily in the context of this particular panel discussion, 

 although some of my remarks are stimulated by remarks presented 

 by Colonel Goodsell. 



' Certainly representing our port I must reach a point of considerable 

 apprehension for the port industry in the general approach that is 

 being made in this discussion and possibly that approach made in the 

 committee report. 



We detect a lack of representation and consideration of the port 

 industry both in the committee findings and in the conference discus- 

 sion. We are concerned with the apparent overriding consideration of 

 the pure scientific, the purely theoretical, the conservationist en riron- 

 mental and esthetic aspects and the absence of the commercial and 

 industrial and port considerations. 



Obviously we are in many areas at a swing of the pendulum which 

 must give more coiisideration to these conservation, enviromnental 

 and esthetic aspects and to the recreational aspects of our economy and 

 our society. 



However, we detect that this may be done at the expense and the 

 burden of our beneficial activities that are producing our economy, 

 our wealth, our income, that permit us to indulge in these other 

 activities. 



For a long time the waterway projects of our Nation have stood by 

 themselves in the measure of benefited coast. We fuid now, however, 

 that these projects are being buixlened by the side effects without a 

 measure of the economic benefits that may carry those side effects. 

 I would submit that in our State of Louisiana, as Dr. St. Amant has 

 mentioned, we do not have a lack of planning. We do not have a lack 

 of organization. 



Wnat Dr. St. Amant lacks are the funds to carry the activities of 

 his department, tlie activities that he is attempting to perform within 

 his own limitations. Rather than having grants-in-aid for studies of 

 which we have too many, I submit that the means for him to perform 

 his duties would accomplish his purpose and would avoid the burdens 

 that are placed upon the other waterways aspects, the other waterway 

 management activities. 



We also detect in this trend a layering of agencies as Colonel Good- 

 sell has mentioned to merely pyramid one agency upon the other, 

 thereby lengthening the chain of study, of review and approval for 

 those meritorious projects which v\-e are seeking and need within our 

 port industry for the improvement of other waterway activities. 



We also detect here a trend to change the responsibility from well 

 proven existing agencies such as the Corps of Engineers to others 

 that are unproven in the field and certainly will require a period of 

 adjustment, of education, both of those agencies and of the public 



