AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN ALASKA

Last year the committee recommended and the Congress approved an appropriation of $144,940 for the initiation of a broad program of agricultural research in Alaska. The committee believed that the Territory of Alaska had become, and would for a very long time remain an important link in the chain of our national security. It was authoritatively reported to the committee by the military authorities having jurisdiction of the subject matter that, of the agricultural products used by the armed forces in Alaska, a very small percentage was locally grown. The Alaska-grown products used constitute but about 15 percent of the total of such products required there by the military arm. A group of research scientists of the Department had spent the previous summer in Alaska investigating, at the direction of the committee, the agricultural potentialities of that region. This group had reported to us that the agricultural land there was ample to increase production far beyond the Army requirements in the category of crops already being produced in Alaska. They advised, however, that the local soil and climatic factors were fruitful of very serious problems which only a well-laid-out, long-time plan of fundamental research could be expected to cope with. Dairy farming has already been developed to a very respectable scale, but there are almost unlimited potentialities for its expansion. The white potato is produced there in great abundance and is of very high quality. Leaf crops, such as cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, celery, Brussels sprouts, and the like are also successfully and profitably grown. Most of the root crops, such as carrots, beets, turnips, onions, and many others are also grown in abundance. Some of the small fruits, such as strawberries and raspberries are also grown for the market. Experiments have indicated the possibility of production of some of the small grains if varieties suitable to the soil and climate can be developed, and much success has been had in this field. Corn of course, cannot be grown in this northern latitude, but the dairy farmers produce excellent hay and ensilage from a mixed growth of oats and Canadian peas. Enough has been done to date to demonstrate great potentialities for agriculture in Alaska if proper technical guidance and research are applied to the problem. The limiting factor of transportation cost puts Alaska very definitely out of the equation, for the present and probably for a long time to come, of production for the world market. It is important, however, both to the occupying military forces and to the civilian population that agricultural production be very greatly increased. Otherwise, both the civilian and the military populations may, from time to time, become the victims of the stoppage of water communications such as occurred recently during the prolonged seamen's strike when Alaska was for weeks confronted with near-famine conditions.

The Honorable Robert P. Patterson, then Secretary of War, advised our committee that one of the most important military factors in connection with the armed occupation of regions distant from the home base is that of an adequate local supply of agricultural products. This would have been painfully impressed upon our national consciousness if, during the recent war with Japan, the enemy attempt to cut off our sea communications with Alaska had been successful.

The bill carries an appropriation of $185,940 for the continuation of the research program established a year ago. It also provides authority to contract for buildings, facilities, and equipment in a sum not to exceed $300,000. The latter sum is substantially below the estimate of $481,500 for construction this coming year which was also submitted to the committee at its request. The committee believes, however, that it will be in the interest of the program to proceed a little more slowly and that any further construction required in the future can be more intelligently planned and carried out in the light of the experience had with the smaller sum.

The land and facilities of the Alaska Agricultural Experiment Station will continue available for the use of the Secretary of Agriculture in connection with the research program. Were this not the case, a very much larger sum would be required for construction for the carrying out of the research program already established under the Department.

OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS

Payments to States.-The bill as reported carries the full amount of the appropriation of $7,161,268. The budget estimate proposes an increase in the fund authorized by title I of the Bankhead-Jones Act of June 29, 1935. The current appropriation under this act is $2,661,268; the budget estimate is for $2,997,560, which represents an increase over 1948 of $336,292. The purpose of the increase, as explained to the committee, is to overcome the increased cost for wages, salaries, equipment, and supplies which have developed in recent years. The hearings disclose that the appropriations made for the Bankhead-Jones Act are available only for the researches authorized by that act. The hearings also disclose that the researches carried on under the Hatch Act, the Adams Act, and the Purnell Act are lacking in sufficient funds to the same extent and for the same reason as in the case of the Bankhead-Jones Act. The committee believed it would not serve a very useful purpose to place researches carried on under the latter act in position of advantage over the work done under the other acts and has therefore disallowed the budget increase. Federal Experiment Station, Puerto Rico.-This is a Federal experiment station and is to be distinguished from the Territorial station which received an allotment from the appropriation made for payments to States and Territories discussed above. It is at the opposite end of the island from the Territorial station. It serves as a tropical outpost for general researches by the Department in connection with agricultural problems of primary importance to the mainland. By reason of its geographical location, year-round operations are possible, which is of special importance in breeding work since a greater number of generations of plants being experimented with may be produced each season. An example of work highly useful to mainland agriculture is the breeding work on sweetpotatoes. In recent years, the committee has provided increases for this item because of rapid deterioration of wooden structures originally erected there. Both the elements and insects, such as termites, have caused great destruction. The budget estimate for 1949 carries an increase of $10,000 for the replacement of roofs on three of five wings of the main office and the

laboratory building, which are in very poor condition. It is contemplated that the old roofs will be replaced by permanent material such as concrete slabs, and corrugated iron painted with red lead.

BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY

Animal husbandry.-The budget estimate of $1,405,500, which is carried in the bill, represents a continuation of the important experimental work in animal husbandry and animal and poultry feeding and breeding at the same level as it is being carried in the current year. An increase of $211,500 for repairs and reconditioning of facilities at field stations is offset by nonrecurring items for such repairs and reconditioning at numerous field stations carried in the act for the current year, which results in a net increase in the bill for 1949 of $82,100 over the appropriation for 1948.

Diseases of animals.-The work carried on under this title is of the very greatest importance to livestock of every kind on the farms and the ranges of the country. The committee believes that this Bureau is entitled to very high praise for the worth-while work it is doing to protect American agriculture from the ravages of disease which might otherwise wipe out whole sections of livestock industry. The committee has provided the budget estimate of $1,055,000, which contemplates maintaining the same level of work for the coming year as in the current year. It carries an increase of $50,000 for repairs, reconditioning, etc., of facilities at the agricultural research center, offset by the elimination of a nonrecurring item of $40,000 for physical improvements carried in the 1948 Appropriation Act.

Eradicating tuberculosis and Bang's disease.-The bill carries the budget estimate of $6,250,000 for eradicating tuberculosis and Bang's disease, which is a reduction of $500,000 below the amount appropriated for 1948. The decrease is made up of two items, namely (1) à decrease of $125,000 due to anticipated reduction in the incidence of infection of tuberculosis in cattle, of which $25,000 is a decrease in operating cost and $100,000 a decrease in indemnities; (2) a decrease of $375,000 due to inability to obtain sufficient veterinarians to carry on the Bang's disease eradication program in new areas. Because of this inability, most of the work will consist of retesting in areas where there is a low incidence of infection and where active efforts toward accreditation are being made.

Inspection and quarantine.-The bill carries the budget estimate of $1,225,000 for inspection and quarantine which is $197 under the appropriation for 1948. Last year the committee made a substantial reduction in the budget estimate of $340,000 for this item. When the bill was in conference, evidence reached the conferees that the Bureau intended to meet the reduction by closing the work of a number of the stockyards where but one or two of the inspectors had been maintained, while maintaining at unreduced levels the work at some of the larger stockyards, each having a number of inspectors. The conferees did not approve the Bureau's method of meeting the reduced appropriation and included in the bill a provision requiring the Bureau to maintain service during the fiscal year 1948 at all stockyards having such service during the last quarter of the fiscal year 1947. Because of the strengthening of inspection and quarantine work under funds provided for the foot-and-mouth disease, the Bureau reports it has been able

to carry out without difficulty the terms of the provision inserted. by the conferees. The committee has reinserted the provision carried in last year's bill which will prevent the closing of the work at any stockyard should conditions arise under which the Bureau might feel the necessity to do otherwise.

Meat inspection.-Last year the bill carried a statutory provision requiring the packers to pay the cost of Federal inspection of meat and meat-food products processed for interstate and foreign commerce. The action of the Congress in adopting this provision in no wise changed the requirements of the law for the inspection of meat and meat products. It in no wise changed the relationship of the Federal meat inspectors to the Government or to the meat packers. The inspectors have continued as Federal employees. Their salaries are paid by Federal check against the United States Treasury, the only difference being that the checks are drawn against a special fund in the Treasury known as the meat-inspection fund instead of against the general fund.

When the bill was first reported to the House last year, some alarm was evidenced by some of the meat inspectors because they had been led to believe, erroneously, that if the provision in the House bill should become a law they would cease to be Federal employees and would become instead employees of the packers. Many well-meaning persons having only a general public interest shared this alarm, believing that the inspectors would be beholden to the packers and that that would impair the quality of their inspection service and might incline them to favor the interest of the packers rather than the interest of the consuming public. The inspectors referred to feared the loss of their civil-service status and of their retirement rights. These fears were of course all unfounded and the Department, at the request of the committee, took the necessary steps to clarify the minds of the inspectors on this point. The committee is pleased to report the appearance this year of their good friend and former colleague from New York, Col. Charles I. Stengle, the legislative representative of the American Federation of Government Employees, who assured the committee that the employees generally throughout the meat-inspection service were entirely satisfied under the new plan and were unanimous in their verdict that the plan was working successfully.

Quite naturally, the representatives of the meat-packing industry vigorously opposed the provision reported by the committee last year and did everything within their power to persuade the House to agree to the Senate amendment striking out the House provision and restoring the cutomary provision for meeting the cost of the meat-inspection service out of the Federal Treasury. Dr. Miller, Chief of the Meat Inspection Division, reported to the committee this year the gratifying success with which his office had been able to work out a schedule of fees necessary to recover from the packing industry the cost of the Federal inspection. It is a notable fact that our committee has no request whatever this year for a hearing on the part of any representative of the meat packers. This might indicate that serious opposition to the new plan has presently subsided. However, it is noted that on March 2, our worthy colleague, the gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Gillie, introduced a bill which would relieve the packers of the cost of meat inspection and reimpose that cost upon the Federal Government.

Dr. Miller reported the actual cost of meat inspection under the new plan has averaged about one-twentieth of 1 cent per pound of the carcasses slaughtered.

Virus Serum Toxin Act.-The budget estimate of $365,000 for work under the Virus Serum Toxin Act is $50,000 above the amount appropriated in the act for 1948. The committee has reduced the increase by $25,000, allowing in the bill the sum of $340,000. This is the sum estimated a year ago for the fiscal year 1948 and the committee believes this should be sufficient to cover the needs of this service in an ample way.

Eradication of foot-and-mouth and other contagious diseases of animals.-Large sums were appropriated in the last session of the Congress to combat the menace of foot-and-mouth disease, now rampant in the southern portion of the Republic of Mexico and which threatens to invade the United States unless it is adequately controlled. The original program for this work was on the basis of complete eradication, involving the complete destruction of infected animals. Such a program requires, of course, a very large sum for the payment of indemnities. It also involves a very serious problem in human behavior. Dealing with a population uninformed as to the seriousness of the disease and jealous of their property rights to the cattle owned which must be destroyed under the program, the Department was confronted with a problem of the gravest import. Only the Mexican Government could exercise the authority for the destruction of the cattle. The cattle in the infected area are not, as a rule, beef cattle, but are draft animals and possibly some milkers. A good percentage of the animals stricken with the disease recover. The Mexican natives know this, which makes it difficult for them to see why the cattle must be destroyed. The sentiment of the native Mexican became so strong against the program that the Mexican Government declared it could no longer carry on a destruction program. In recent months there has been a modification of the whole plan. The northern quarantine line is to be maintained. Infected cattle found within a distance of the quarantine line which threaten a break-through are to be destroyed. Otherwise the program is confined to maintenance of the quarantine. The effort will be to prevent the infection of the beef-cattle areas of northern Mexico, which are of vital economic importance to the United States since they are the source of much of our domestic beef supply.

From the inception of the program in Mexico to February 28, 1948, the Mexican Government has contributed $1,949,875 to the MexicanUnited States Commission for operating expenses. Also, according to reports of Mexican officials, their Government has contributed field and administrative personnel with related expenses amounting to $613,752, and supplies and equipment valued at $96,960, as well as direct payments of $1,555,400 as indemnity for small animals (swine, sheep, and goats) slaughtered prior to October 3, 1947, after which date all indemnities were paid by the joint commission. In addition, the Mexican Government has provided military forces for maintenance of quarantine lines around the infected area and for other protective measures, the cost of which is not known.