Mr. KOENIG. It is very small. Mr. ABERNETHY. Are there further questions? Gentlemen, we certainly thank you. We will now hear from our colleague, Mr. Laird. STATEMENT OF HON. MELVIN R. LAIRD, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF THE STATE OF WISCONSIN Mr. LAIRD. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to have this opportunity to discuss the special milk program and brucellosis program with my former colleagues on the Subcommittee on Dairy Products. The special milk program legislation was developed by the House Committee on Agriculture as part of the Agricultural Act of 1954. In 1956, as a member of this subcommittee, I participated in the action to continue the original program for another 2 years and to extend it to camps and other child-care institutions. I also am sponsoring legislation which calls for another 2-year extension. I am here today to give my support to such an extension. SEVENTY THOUSAND SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTIONS PARTICIPATING IN PROGRAM I believe the results of the special milk program have already exceeded our expectations-and the program is still growing. I understand that over 70,000 schools and institutions are now participating, with excellent results in obtaining increased consumption. Schools are achieving these increases in a number of ways. They are making milk a "best buy" for children through a reduced price policy. Many are offering children a chance to buy milk at recess periods as well as at lunch time. In some areas, children can buy milk in one-third quart containers instead of the usual half-pint sizes. The larger container, I understand, is especially popular among high-school boys. PROGRAM INCREASING MARKETS FOR FLUID MILK The special milk program is demonstrating that children will drink more milk at school, if it is readily available and if it is reasonably priced. As a result, we are increasing markets for fluid milk. It also means that we are helping our young people to consume the amount of milk they need for sound health and sturdy development. I know that Department of Agriculture representatives have reported to you on the nationwide progress of the program. I, therefore, would like to tell this subcommittee about program operations my own State. in WISCONSIN FIRST STATE TO PUT PROGRAM IN OPERATION Wisconsin was the first State to sign an agreement with the Department of Agriculture for the operation of the special milk program back in the fall of 1954. The Lodi School District in Wisconsin was the first school system to actually participate in the program. Remarkable progress was made in a 3-year period. Last year, over 3,700 Wisconsin schools were participating in the special milk pro 23205-58-3 gram. Milk is now available to about 95 percent of the children enrolled in public schools in Wisconsin, as a result of the combined operation of the school lunch and special milk programs. In the past 3 years, milk consumption under the school lunch and special milk programs almost doubled in Wisconsin public schools, increasing from about 40 million half-pints in 1955 to about 76 million half-pints in 1957. Under the special milk program alone milk consumption in Wisconsin schools increased from 21 million halfpints in 1955 to over 53 million half-pints in 1957. And, we hope to improve upon that record this school year. RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS SIMPLIFIED Nationwide, as operating experience has been gained, the program has been simplified for school officials. Each school is able to try to increase milk consumption in the way best suited to the local situation. Recordkeeping requirements for schools appear to be at a minimum. The reimbursement method guarantees the school against financial losses when it sells milk to children at below cost. All of these things are important to a busy school administrator. If additional simplifications are possible, I hope they will be made. Unless the special milk program is continued, I believe there will be a substantial reduction in milk consumption in Wisconsin schools, as well as in other schools throughout the country. This, in turn, would result in a larger expenditure by the Commodity Credit Corporation for the purchase of surplus manufactured dairy products under the price-support program. I do not believe any one of us wants either one of these things to happen. NEED FOR CONTINUATION OF BRUCELLOSIS PROGRAM The job of brucellosis eradication is only partially completed and it needs to be finished as rapidly as possible. Eradication efforts in certified areas need to be continued to further reduce the incidence of the disease and place those areas closer to the final goal of eradication. As of June 30, 1950, it is expected that 51 percent of all counties in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands will have qualified as modified-certified brucellosis-free areas. Much preliminary work has already been carried out leading toward the establishment of brucellosis-eradication efforts on an area basis. With the high interest on the part of the livestock industry for brucellosis eradication there is need to expand area work into many other parts of the country. Factors contributing to the progressive decrease of bovine brucellosis include the continued removal of a large number of reactors, increased resistance established in otherwise susceptible cattle by extensive calf vaccination, and widespread use of the brucellosis ring test, a screening procedure which can be used effectively to identify dairy herds in which brucellosis probably exists, thereby eliminating much of the blood testing previously required. METHOD OF FINANCING THE ACCELERATED PROGRAM Under section 204 (e) of title II of the Agricultural Act of 1954, Public Law 690, approved August 28, 1954, provision was made for $15 million annually to be transferred from the Commodity Credit Corporation for the purpose of accelerating the brucellosis-eradication program. This section was further amended by Public Law 465, approved April 2, 1956, to increase the amount for the fiscal year 1956 to $17 million and the amount for each of the fiscal years 1957 and 1958 to $20 million. State and Federal funds for the accelerated program during fiscal year 1955-58 are shown by the following tabulation: Federal indemnities were paid in most States at a rate not exceeding $25 for grade animals and $50 for purebred animals. There has been an encouraging increase in the amount of area work leading to certification in the various States. The modified-certified brucellosis-free status means that the infection has been reduced to not more than 1 percent of the cattle in not more than 5 percent of the herds. The fact that 95 percent of the reactors found during the fiscal year 1957 were reported as slaughtered indicates that owners are convinced that it is not profitable to permit brucellosis to remain in their herds. Extensive gains were made during fiscal year 1957. Additional States inaugurated work on a real clean-up basis. The number of counties certified during the year exceeded any previous year. Good progress has been made in brucellosis eradication since the beginning of the accelerated program in October 1954, as shown by the following tabulation: Although certification means that the area is comparatively free of the disease it is still necessary to continue the work to further eliminate infection and eventually to completely eradicate it. As a member of the Subcommittee on Dairy Products, I participated in the action to enlarge the authority to expend money for the brucellosis program in 1956 and I have introduced legislation which calls for another 2-year extension of this important program. Mr. ABERNETHY. Thank you very much, Mr. Laird. Mr. ABERNETHY. We will next hear from our colleague, a member of the subcommittee, Mr. Johnson, of Wisconsin. STATEMENT OF HON. LESTER JOHNSON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE NINTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF THE STATE OF WISCONSIN Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. Chairman, the legislation I have introduced in H. R. 10324 consists of an expansion and extension of the special milk program for children for another 2 years; extension of the program providing milk above normal needs for the Veterans' Administration facilities and the Armed Forces for another 2 years, and a 2-year extension of the present program for eradicating brucellosis. Under this legislation, milk is provided for children in our schools and nonprofit institutions and nonprofit summer camps. It expires at the end of the current fiscal year unless extended by Congress. It should be explained that Congress, not the Department of Agriculture, created this program in 1954 through authorization for the Commodity Credit Corporation to use funds to increase milk consumption by children in schools. Under legislation I introduced in the House in 1956, the school milk program was broadened to provide for children in nonprofit childcare institutions and summer camps. Present language authorizes milk for children in nonprofit schools of high-school grade and under and also covers children in nonprofit nursery schools, child-care centers, settlement houses, summer camps, and similar nonprofit institutions devoted to the care and training of children. I am happy to know that extensive use is being made of that program. The importance of the program can be shown in that during the last fiscal year children consumed almost 1,800 million half-pints of milk which was distributed through normal channels. That is 967,500,000 pounds of milk, and since about 5 billion pounds of milk were purchased as surplus under the support program last year, the milk used in the school milk program was about 20 percent of the milk surplus. It is also about 1 percent of the year's total production. You will note that my bill would extend to the Coast Guard and to cadets and personnel of the United States Merchant Marine Academy the privilege now enjoyed by other military services drawing upon CCC surplus stocks for milk, butter, and cheese above those purchased for normal needs. At present the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine Academy are not on the list of those eligible to participate in the use of the surplus. Despite the fact that the Secretary of Agriculture charges up the cost of this program as a dairy program loss, I think that Congress will continue to endorse, as it has in the past, the essentially sound idea of encouraging the use of milk by schoolchildren. The response to the school milk programs has been excellent. I feel confident that they have made important contributions to the health of this country's schoolchildren as well as helping balance their diets and encouraging expanded use of dairy products. Mr. ABERNETHY. The next witness I have listed is Mr. Alex Dickie. Is he in the room? Mr. GARBER. Mr. Abernethy, we suggested certain changes in the administration of this program in the summer camps. The summer camp program is coming right at us pretty quickly, and we are wondering whether the new suggested changes are all right. Mr. ABERNETHY. You mean in the recommendations on the bills? Mr. TEWES. The suggested changes instead of the historical record. That is in the last part of the statement. Mr. ABERNETHY. Well, did you suggest appropriate amendments? Mr. GARBER. No. It is administrative detail in which we simply wanted your approval. Mr. ABERNETHY. Well, we don't have any control over that. We might talk with you about it. Off the record. (Discussion off the record.) Mr. ABERNETHY. Thank you, gentlemen. Mr. Dickie. Mr. SHIPMAN. Congressman, I am Mr. Shipman, of the National Farmers Union office. Mr. Dickie was called out of town. We have Mr. Leonard Kenfield, who is a member of our national executive board. Mr. ABERNETHY. Do you have a statement you wish to submit? Mr. KENFIELD. Yes. Mr. ABERNETHY. Just have a seat and proceed, sir. All right, Mr. Kenfield. STATEMENT OF LEONARD KENFIELD, MEMBER OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, NATIONAL FARMERS UNION; PRESIDENT, MONTANA FARMERS UNION Mr. KENFIELD. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is Leonard Kenfield. I am president of the Montana Farmers Union and a member of the national executive committee of the National Farmers Union. I appreciate the chance to appear before your committee in behalf of our organization on the school milk program. The rising spiral of total elementary and high school enrollments continues in the present school year. School enrollments are up for the 13th consecutive year. This year, the United States Office of Education estimates, it will reach a total of 43,135,000-1.8 million more than last year, 5 million more than 3 years ago. This estimate covers both public and nonpublic schools at all levels. The giant share of the increase is in elementary schools, expected to enroll 1 million more children than last year. The outlook for next year and the years ahead is for the continuation of the rising spiral of school enrollments at all levels. This means that just to keep Federal reimbursements at the current levels of 3 and 4 cents per half-pint of milk, additional funds are needed. The present school milk program is authorized under section 201 (c) of the Agricultural Act of 1949, as amended by section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1954, and as further amended by Public Law 465 passed in 1956. It is significant that the congress increased the funds for the program in 1956. And with current milk production and school enrollment at alltime high there is more than ample justifica |