HOUSE ACTION

Senator KILGORE. In other words, of the $434,000 requested, the House allowed $339,000?

Mr. HEWITT. That is correct, sir, in rounded amounts as shown on the chart; and we are asking for restoration of $95,400.

Senator KILGORE. Of all the projects, only 8 received full allowance, of which 4 of them were operational, pure and simple?

Mr. HEWITT. Yes, sir.

Senator KILGORE. That left only two of the others on which a full allowance was given, is that right?

Mr. HEWITT. Well, the House did not make the allocation of funds here, but we have apportioned them to give the best results we can. Senator KILGORE. Based upon the cut, that is the only way you could apportion it and still keep things moving, or at least static?

Mr. HEWITT. Some of these others might be reduced, but if they are reduced, the general effect would be the same. We are trying to do the best we can to prevent the project from running down.

EFFECT IF HOUSE ALLOWANCE IS SUSTAINED

Senator KILGORE. What would be the effect if you do not get the restoration?

Mr. HEWITT. The effect will be that the project will further deteriorate; and if it continues to do so, eventually, in case of flood or something like that, we will have a tragedy down there.

Senator KILGORE. In other words, it is not a question of a static situation. It is a question that you must either go ahead with the work or go back eventually?

Mr. HEWITT. Yes, sir. You can see from the appropriations which we have had in previous years, that we have been going downhill all along. We want to come back and put the projects on a going basis. Senator KILGORE. All right. Is there anything else, sir?

RIO GRANDE EMERGENCY FLOOD PROTECTION

Mr. HEWITT. I have one other item, sir, which has to do with the Rio Grande emergency flood protection.

We have asked for $20,000, which is not a great deal. However, the House saw fit to disapprove that request.

I might say in regard to emergency flood protection that we have $121,112 balance at the present time. If we have a serious flood in a particular area, $121,112 is not going to do much; nor is $20,000 additional. We are going to have to depend upon the Congress to reimburse any other appropriations which we spend to prevent a disaster.

Senator KILGORE. And the Rio Grande is a potential source of flash floods?

Mr. HEWITT. Very much. We had a flood last year above Falcon, which ran about a million second-feet, which is a tremendous amount of water.

If we get one of those below Falcon, the $121,000 or the $20,000 is going to do no good at all.

Senator KILGORE. We will suspend for 5 minutes.

AMERICAN SECTIONS, INTERNATIONAL COMMISSIONS

STATEMENTS OF OUTERBRIDGE HORSEY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AND NORTHERN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS; EDWARD B. WILBER, BUDGET OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF STATE; LEN JORDAN, CHAIRMAN, UNITED STATES SECTION, INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION; AND VERNON J. MacKENZIE, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE

RESTORATION REQUESTED

Mr. WILBER. Mr. Chairman, the next item relates to the appropriation "American sections, international commissions." Our estimate submitted to the House was $260,000 whereas the House allowed $245,000. We are requesting restoration of that $15,000 reduction, Mr. Chairman.

I might indicate that those reductions would affect the following subunits or sections: The International Boundary Commission would be affected by $4,600.

Senator KILGORE. That is the Canadian boundary?

Mr. WILBER. Yes. The International Joint Commission would be affected insofar as its United States Section is concerned, by $4,800, and the special and technical investigations of this Commission would be reduced by $5,600.

Senator KILGORE. What is that second one?

Mr. WILBER. The International Joint Commission, again the United States and Canada, again dealing with technical matters, Mr. Chairman.

AMENDMENT AND JUSTIFICATION

The record will show at this point the amendment requested and the justification data filed in support thereof.

(The information referred to follows:)

Page 10, line 1, strike out "$245,000” and insert "$260,000,” the estimate, or an increase of $15,000.

EXTRACT FROM HOUSE REPORT (P. 5)

"A total of $245,000 is included in the bill for payment of the United States share of the expenses of the International Boundary Commission, the duty of which is to see that the United States-Canadian boundary line is marked in accordance with existing treaties, and of the International Joint Commission which participates in studies of smoke pollution and makes investigations regarding water utilization and pollution along the United States-Canadian boundary. The amount allowed is the same as for the current fiscal year and is a reduction of only $15,000 in the amount of the budget estimate."

JUSTIFICATION

The $15,000 which the Department is requesting the Senate to restore is required for the following:

(a) $4,600 for the International Boundary Commission.

(b) $4,800 for the International Joint Commission.

(c) $5,600 for Geological Survey.

JUSTIFICATION

This increase is essential to maintain present minimum level of administrative activities of the United States consistent with treaties. The first 2 increases requested are needed to fund the full complement of established positions on the United States sections of the 2 Commissions. Vacancies occurred in both 1954 and 1955, one of which was the Chairmanship of the International Joint Commission. No vacancies are expected in 1956. The International Boundary Commission recently recruited a trainee engineer to fill a position vacant since 1953. Travel and other administrative costs to support these positions are being absorbed.

The special and technical investigations conducted by Geological Survey have in recent years been curtailed to provide only the most urgent studies. This increase is requested for a major maintenance and relocation project proposed on Milk River where extensive development has occurred in Canada. It is essential to participate in the joint operation to assure that United States users receive their appropriate share of the water resources of the area.

59824-55-37

The treaty of 1925 between the United States and Great Britain in respect of Canada provides that the United States and Canada shall jointly maintain an effective boundary line between the two countries; that is, keep the boundary monuments in repair, establish additional monuments, marks, and buoys where necessary, keep the boundary vistas cleared of timber, keep the boundary maps revised, and do such other work as may be necessary to maintain the demarcation of the line.

Approximately one-fourth of the boundary line traverses densely timbered areas. An important part of the demarcation of the line through these forested areas is the boundary vista, a cleared strip 20 to 30 feet wide. This vista must be cleared of new growth of timber as an aid to customs and immigration officials and other law-enforcement officers. Some 8,100 monuments marking the line must be kept in repair, and from time to time additional monuments must be established. detailed location of the line is shown on 255 topographic maps of the boundary. These maps must be kept currently revised to meet changing conditions along the border and this information made available to the customs and immigration officials of the two countries.

The

In order to properly maintain the boundary as stipulated by the treaty, each country employs a small number of permanent engineers. Each spring these engineers employ temporary field hands to carry out the work. The number of the temporary employees varies, but should average 15 for a period of about 4 months each year.

During the fiscal year 1954, approximately 452 miles of boundary were covered, 1,038 monuments, reference monuments, and triangulation stations inspected, 15 monuments and reference monuments repaired, 10 monuments moved, 3 new monuments established, 27 monuments repainted, 3 special surveys made, and 78 miles of vista cut. In addition, approximately 20 miles of brush in the boundary vista along the Washington-British Columbia line was cleared by chemical means, the iron towers of the range marks at Boundary Bay and Point Roberts, Washington-British Columbia were scraped and repainted, and lighted buoys marking the boundary were maintained in Lake Erie.

Field work scheduled for fiscal year 1955

The work being done in the fiscel year 1955 comprises (1) the inspection and repair of monuments and the reclearing of the boundary vista along the "Highlands," Maine-Quebec boundary, being done by the United States Section; (2) similar work on another part of the "Highlands" boundary by a Canadian party; (3) similar work along the New York-Quebec and Vermont boundary line by a party from each section of the Commission, the United States party working east to a junction with the Canadian party working westward; (4) several small jobs of replacing reference monuments on the St. John River, Maine-New Brunswick boundary, reclearing lines between range marks on Passamaquoddy Bay near Eastport. Maine, and making plane-table surveys of several new roads on