During the time Commodity Credit funds have been available, numbers of cattle tested has increased from 10 million to nearly 17 million per year; numbers of calves vaccinated has increased from 4 million to nearly 6 million per year, and there are today 914 certified brucellosis-free counties compared to 311 at the close of the calendar year 1953.

The present brucellosis eradication program is a cooperative State-Federal effort. In addition, the program has the full support of the National Brucellosis Committee an organization representing all segments of the livestock and meat industry. The goal of having the entire Nation declared as a modified-certified brucellosis-free area by 1960 cannot be reached without the continued support of the Congress through the appropriation of necessary funds.

Because of the highly gratifying success of the present program, the American Veterinary Medical Association feels it would be unwise at this time to make any change in the program as to its administration or source of funds.

While other arrangements for the appropriation of Federal funds have been suggested, the failure of the Committee on Agriculture to report favorably on legislation supporting funds for the extension of the brucellosis eradication program for an additional 2-year period, could have serious implications.

The American Veterinary Medical Association therefore urges that the committee report favorably on this legislation.

STATEMENT OF HON. JACK WESTLAND, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE 2D DISTRICT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

Mr. Chairman, I am appearing before this committee to support extension of the school milk program and the extension of the brucellosis eradication program.

The school milk program, in my opinion, serves two purposes. It makes milk available for youngsters and it also helps to cut down the dairy surplus by increasing the consumption of fluid milk. I can't think of a better place to put our milk surplus than in the stomachs of our youngsters and our men in service.

If this program is extended, schools throughout the country will have an opportunity to encourage children to drink more adequate quantities of milk through participation in the special school milk program. I know that schools in my district which are participating will want to continue the program. I believe that other schools, which have not been able to enter the program, will enter if given further opportunity.

Milk is a near perfect food and is an essential part of children's diets. Yet many children just don't drink the amount of milk they need for good health and sound growth. The school milk program should continue to be available to assist elementary and secondary schools to make our abundant supply of milk available.

School superintendents have reported their pupils like to drink milk in school. If the schools can continue to provide milk at an attractive price, more and more children will have the opportunity to drink this vital dairy product which they need.

Parent-teachers associations, civic groups, and service clubs have endorsed the school milk program. Dairymen support the program, not only because it provides an opportunity to drain off some surplus, but also because they know the value of milk to our Nation's physical well-being.

1 believe, as they do, the health of our citizens, especially the children's, is of utmost importance.

The success of the program can readily be seen in the progress which has been made in a bit more than 3 years of operation. It has grown from 1954 when 41,000 schools participated in the program to more than 71,000 in 1957. The first year about 450 million half pints of milk were served to children in the program. In 1957 this number increased to almost 1,850 million half pints. Since the program started, almost 2 billion pounds of fluid milk have been consumed. In my own State of Washington, program progress has been spectacular. The number of schools participating rose from 730 during the first year of operation to more than 1,100 last year. The number of half pints of milk served increased from 8.4 million in 1955 to 25.9 million last year.

The President's budget for the coming fiscal year includes a request for extension of this program at the same level of assistance as we have this year. I am convinced that this program and the other programs, such as the Veterans'

Administration and Armed Forces programs, to provide wide distribution of our chief dairy product, should be extended.

And now, Mr. Chairman, a few remarks in support of the extension of the brucellosis eradication program.

Excellent progress has been made against this disease since the end of World War II, particularly since 1954 when Congress provided additional funds for the current campaign. My own State of Washington has been a leader in this important campaign to end this disease. The State was one of the first to receive a modified-certified brucellosis-free certification. This was on June 2, 1956.

It was a result of a continuing buildup of confidence and support by the livestock and dairy industries in the cooperative brucellosis eradication program, together with the support of practicing veterinarians. The cumulative cost of reaching this goal has involved several millions of dollars. It has been a continuing program of owner education. I believe that if the program should slow down at this point it would mean losses in money spent by the Federal, State, and county governments and a step backward in terms of owner education. Those persons in my district who are vitally interested in the livestock and dairying industries are deeply concerned over proposed curtailments of the program. They believe the threatened loss of momentum of the present program will endanger the entire effort, and the State of Washington may even lose its modified-certified brucellosis-free status.

It is for these reasons, Mr. Chairman, I favor the extension of the brucellosis eradication program.

I want to thank you and to express my appreciation for being given the opportunity to appear before this committee in support of the extension of these programs.

Mr. ABERNETHY. Now, are there any other insertions? I have called the list of all witnesses appearing on the sheet before me this morning, and tomorrow we will hear from Dr. Clarkson of the Department of Agriculture relative to the brucellosis item appearing in the bill.

We will stand in recess until tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock. (Whereupon, at 12 o'clock noon, the subcommittee adjourned, to be reconvened at 10 a. m., Thursday, February 27, 1958).

23205-58

EXTEND AND EXPAND MILK PROGRAMS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1958

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMODITY SUBCOMMITTEE ON DAIRY PRODUCTS

OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE,

Washington, D. C.

The subcommittee met pursuant to notice at 10 a. m., in room 1310, New House Office Building, Hon. Thomas G. Abernethy (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Present: Representatives Abernethy (presiding), Johnson, Krueger, and Tewes.

Also present: Representative Jennings; John Heimburger, counsel; Mabel C. Downey, clerk.

Mr. ABERNETHY (presiding). The committee will come to order. We meet this morning for the purpose of hearing the Department of Agriculture and others relative to the brucellosis campaign.

We will make a part of the record at this point a letter dated February 25, 1958, received from M. R. Clarkson, Deputy Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, together with attachments. (The letter and attachments referred to are as follows:)

Hon. THOMAS G. ABERNETHY,

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE,
OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATOR,
WASHINGTON, D. C., February 25, 1958.

House of Representatives.

DEAR CONGRESSMAN ABERNETHY: In accordance with our telephone conversation of February 25, there is attached certain financial and program data relating to the expanded brucellosis program. There is also attached for your ready information a copy of the Department's report on H. R. 8152 to the chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, which relates in part to the accelerated brucellosis eradication program.

We will be glad to furnish any additional information you may wish.
Sincerely yours,

M. R. CLARKSON, Deputy Administrator.

BRUCELLOSIS ERADICATION PROGRAM

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.

The funds for the accelerated program and funds available under the appropriation for the regular brucellosis program are shown by the following tabulation:

The authority for transferring funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation for an accelerated program expires June 30, 1958. A supplemental appropriation to reimburse Commodity Credit Corporation for the costs of the 1957 accelerated program is being requested for fiscal year 1958. An appropriation to reimburse the Corporation for the cost of the 1958 program will be requested in the 1960 budget.

PROGRAM OPERATIONS

Considerable progress was made in all fields of operation during fiscal years 1955-57. Most of the testing service required was provided by practicing veterinarians employed on a fee basis. While Federal indemnities were paid in most States at a rate not exceeding $25 for grade animals and $50 for purebred animals, it was held below this level, or eliminated entirely, in a few States. Although the majority of the States also made indemnity payments to owners for reacting cattle, there are four States in which neither State nor Federal indemnity was paid. There was an encouraging decrease in the percentage of reactors disclosed in cattle tested and an increase in the percentage of reactors slaughtered.

There has been an encouraging increase in the amount of area work leading to certification in the various States. Most of the States are doing everything possible to encourage owners to participate in area programs so that eradication gains may be held and further expanded. The fact that 95 percent of the reactors found during the fiscal year 1957 were reported as slaughtered, indicates that owners are becoming more 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 an area cleanup basis. The number of counties certified during the year exceeded any previous year. The percentage of reactors and infected herds disclosed through tests decreased. There was a continued increase in the number of herds screened by the milk ring method. The brucellosis ring test made it unnecessary to blood test individual cattle in many herds. Good progress has been made in brucellosis eradication since the beginning of the accelerated program in October 1954, as shown by the following tabulation:

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. Although this 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.

Area work leading to certification is underway in 34 States.