Dr. B. T. SHAW, TEXAS ANIMAL HEALTH COMMISSION, Austin, Tex., February 2, 1962. It is agreed that at least 50 percent of the cost of the production, irradiation, and release of flies in the screw-worm program in the Southwest will be provided by the State, Southwest Animal Health Research Foundation, and local sources. M. C. PUCKETT, Chairman. Dr. B. T. SHAW, AUSTIN, TEX., February 2, 1962. The Joint Texas Legislative Committee appointed to work with the Southwest Animal Health Research Foundation as authorized by the House Concurrent Resolution 8 is deeply interested in the control of the screw-worm in the Southwest and will organize and proceed with its duties in the immediate future. Senator CULP KRUEGER (For the House Committee). NOTE. The Southwest Animal Health Research Foundation was organized by livestock producers of the Southwest. The Texas Animal Health Commission is the State agency having responsibility for animal disease control and eradication work in Texas. VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS Dr. CLARKSON. The Southwest Animal Health Research Founda tion, an association of ranchers, farmers, and others in the interested States, already has voluntary contributions amounting to $1,750,000 to help finance the program. These funds are being used in part to provide a center for large-scale fly production. Surplus Federal facilities at the Moore Air Force Base at Mission, Tex., have been obtained on a permit basis for this purpose. The State of Florida has loaned to the Department some of its equipment that was used in the fly production center at Sebring, Fla. Other needed equipment will be furnished by the Department. These arrangements are similar to those made in connection with the Southeast program. SURVEYS AND INSPECTIONS As Inspection teams are conducting surveys in Texas to determine the incidence of the fly, and the effects of the release of the sterile flies. Surveys are also being conducted outside of the fly release area to determine whether flies may have overwintered in other areas the weather becomes warmer the infestation in northern Mexico along the Rio Grande will increase. Texas has established an inspection line along U.S. Highway 90 which generally runs along the northern border of the fly release area. All livestock moving through the line are inspected, and if found with wounds, are treated for screw-worms. A similar inspection line will be maintained along the western New Mexico State line. We are working with the Mexican officials to obtain their assistance at both national and local levels in making surveys to determine the existence of screw-worms in the vicinity of the border and to extend the release of sterile flies over a narrow strip of Mexico to prevent migrations into the United States. This work will benefit both the Mexicans of the area and the livestock industry of the United States. Mexican officials have expressed interest in the program, and are willing to cooperate to the extent of facilities available to them. EFFECT OF HOUSE ACTION As reported by the House Appropriations Committee, the House bill reduces the amount of the Department's request from $3 million to $2,500,000. The Department urges that the Senate restore the full amount of the budget estimate. It would be necessary to apply the House reduction to the portion of the program relating to the production and release of sterile screwworm flies, since it would be impracticable to absorb any part of it on the Federal activities which are aimed at preventing reintroduction of infestation from Mexico and Western States. The budget request of $3 million is the minimum needed for the program. The appropriation language provides for State or local sources to match these costs, and a reduction of $500,000 in Federal funds would probably result in a reduction in matching funds from State and local sources and therefore an overall reduction of as much as $1 million. Such a reduction would seriously jeopardize the success of the program. The more effectively the program can be conducted now, the less will be its ultimate cost. Mr. Chairman, that ends my prepared statement. I will be glad to respond to any questions of the members. PRIOR VIEWS OF THE DEPARTMENT Senator RUSSELL. Dr. Clarkson, I have the utmost sympathy with anyone who is plagued with the screw-worm. With the exception of the chairman of the Supplemental Committee, of the people protected by this appropriation, I suppose my State has had about as much experience with it as anybody. Some years ago, a friend of mine from Texas, Judge Montague, who had some connection with the Cattlemen's Association, discussed this matter with me, and I took it up with the Department. You and Dr. Shaw were running research at that time, and the report I got was that the program was perfectly hopeless; that the conditions were so different from those which obtained in Florida that it would be a waste of money to undertake it. Why does the Department change its position on this matter? Dr. CLARKSON. Well, Senator, we did send comprehensive reports of our survey of the situation and the possibilities of success. We had had no question about the ability to eradicate the fly from any area if the resources were sufficient. The problem was one of establishing and maintaining an artificial barrier to the south of the eradication area in order to prevent reinfestation from farther south. CONTROL BY PROPOSED ARTIFICIAL ZONE Senator RUSSELL. Just a minute. By an artificial barrier, you mean scattering these screwworms over an area large enough where other screwworms could not be blown or fly over it? Dr. CLARKSON. That would be an essential part of it, yes, sir; and also the control of livestock moving through that zone, so that they would not be carriers of infestation. Senator RUSSELL. How wide and how long would this artificial control zone be? Dr. CLARKSON. It would have to extend from the Gulf along the border up to and including the New Mexico-Mexican line; and during the warm weather parts of the year, there would have to be the use of flies along that entire line; and during the colder months, the flies would not survive in the higher altitudes in western Texas and southern New Mexico; so that the distribution of flies then would be limited to the southern part of that line. We do not know how wide this would have to be, Senator. That is one of the imponderables-just how wide an area it would take to maintain an effective barrier. Senator RUSSELL. What is to keep the fly from flanking you on the zone you have outlined, there? Do they not have flies in Arizona and California? What is to keep them from coming around from there and getting in behind the artificial barrier as you outline it? Dr. CLARKSON. The western portion of the area we are talking about is on the New Mexico-Arizona line. There, the altitudes are considerably higher. The winter temperatures are much lower. And in most of that area in southern New Mexico and in western Texas, the flies will not normally overwinter, so that we have the help of the climate to kill them out each year. Then we are in the process of establishing inspection stations along the Arizona-New Mexico area at crossings where livestock may be shipped from west to east, as we have been doing in the last several years along the Mississippi River, to prevent livestock from carrying larvae of the flies into the protected zone. The Senator RUSSELL. Of course, that would not hit all the flies. flies that are being blown, or going on their own locomotion, would not stop at the inspection stations. We would stop the longspread by movement of Dr. CLARKSON. Yes; that is quite true. distance spread. We would stop any local animals. And our experience with the line along the Mississippi has given us considerable confidence in this. Senator RUSSELL. Can flies fly across the Mississippi River readily in the face of the prevailing winds? QUARANTINE AND FOLLOWUP ACTION Dr. CLARKSON. Yes. We have had outbreaks in the State of Mis sissippi each year. With Federal-State cooperation and the complete cooperation of the livestock people, I hasten to add, we have been able to snuff out each of those outbreaks. This past season we had a rather substantial series of outbreaks in Tennessee and down through Alabama and Georgia, which was sort of an end run. That was the first time such a thing had happened, and we are taking measures to see that that does not happen again. Apparently the screw-worm went across with livestock in the area of Memphis, which was above our quarantine line. We feel from this experience that surveillance in the area to snuff out any outbreaks of flies which may come from normal flight across the line, and the close inspection and treatment where necessary of livestock, will stop infestations from the West. PREVALENCE OF THE SCREW FLY Senator RUSSELL. The Mexicans have this fly the year round, do they not? Dr. CLARKSON. Yes, sir; except in the higher altitude areas along our border, where, during the winter months, it does die out. Senator RUSSELL. You mentioned Mexico in your statement. they concerned about this? Are Dr. CLARKSON. Yes, sir. They have given authority to destroy flies on their side of the line. They have given assurance of some help on surveys on their side of the line. We are working with them to get them, we hope and I believe we will, although this is not promised yet to assign some inspectors to help out on their side of the line. Senator RUSSELL. It seems to me if they would be willing to go into this program, it would greatly enhance the chances of success, if you could drive this thing down to the upper part of the Isthmus of Panama, where there is a relatively narrow strip along there. I can see how it would be possible to control it. Now, we went in with them on the eradication of the hoof-andmouth disease. Of course, I must confess we defrayed a little disproportionate part of the cost of that program, 12 or 15 to 1. But if they would really come into it, I could see where this program would have great hopes of success, because we would get you down there to where you would have a narrow enough strip of land to where you could successfully patrol and keep the sterile flies in there. Dr. CLARKSON. Wherever we stop, we would have the problem of establishing and maintaining an artificial barrier, because we know of no natural barriers anywhere. Senator RUSSELL. But it is not nearly as far across the Isthmus, down there, or even up at Guatamala, as it is across the whole border, here, all the way from Brownsville across to the California coast. Dr. CLARKSON. That is quite true. We would have a narrow neck of land, which would be much more easily controlled. The cost, however, of eliminating this fly throughout all of Mexico would be tremendous. COST IN FUTURE YEARS Senator RUSSELL. What do you estimate it is going to cost yearly to maintain this zone, if your plans do succeed? Dr. CLARKSON. Of course, these are preliminary estimates, but we think it will cost $12 million a year. It is costing us now $750,000 along the Mississippi, plus some inspection costs and some costs of eliminating these occasional outbreaks. Senator RUSSELL. This would have to be much more intensive than along the Mississippi, would it not? Dr. CLARKSON. Yes, sir. And our estimate is that it would be about double that cost. I am not able to say with any certainty that that would be it; but we have the advantage of the western part of the area that would have to be covered since it is rather high. In normal winters and in cold winters the fly would not overwinter in a substantial area. But there is no question about it that intensive activities would have to be carried on year-round in the southern parts of the border, where the fly would overwinter each year. FUTURE LOCAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO PROGRAM Senator RUSSELL. Is it contemplated that the local contributions clause would apply to that, if you succeeded in getting it eradicated? Dr. CLARKSON. No, sir. That is not projected, here. We have not taken that up with the local people. We had projected it on the same basis that we had in the Southeast. There we picked up the cost of the maintenance of the protection, and the States, each and every one of them, have assisted in the inspection work and in the survey work necessary when occasional outbreaks do occur, and I am sure that would be the case in Texas, New Mexico, and the other States involved here. Senator RUSSELL. Well, now, this language-the contribution only applies to the screw-worms that are irradiated; is that correct? Dr. CLARKSON. The language applies to the major cost of the eradication effort. The production, irradiation, and distribution of the flies is the major cost. This does not include the cost of the maintenance of the Federal quarantines on the Arizona-New Mexico line or some additional quarantine costs along the Mexican-United States border. CONTRIBUTIONS BY STATE OF TEXAS AND OTHERS Senator RUSSELL. I suppose the State of Texas has made their funds available. What have they made available? Dr. CLARKSON. The State of Texas has made available some services, but the primary source of funds so far is from a private foundation, the Southwest Animal Disease Research Foundation, which has now collected $1,750,000. We have been assured that they would have a total of $3 million. Then we have telegrams from the official State agency, from the chairman of the Texas Animal Health Commission, and from Senator Krueger and Representative Bartram, of the Joint Texas Legislative Committee. These men had an eight-man committee which has been authorized by the legislature to work on this program and to bring to the legislature whatever the needs may be at the next session of the legislature next January. Senator RUSSELL. That is not exactly matching, when you bring it to the attention of the legislature. Dr. CLARKSON. No, sir; but the funds of the foundation will be sufficient to carry through the next fiscal year for the matching. Senator RUSSELL. You are satisfied, then, that there will be a bona fide matching, and you will not have to pad it with a whole lot of services and scientific help to make it come out even? Dr. CLARKSON. Yes, sir. We expect them to provide funds for financing the activities of their personnel and activity costs. Senator RUSSELL. You think it will be by dollars? Dr. CLARKSON. Yes, sir. Senator CHAVEZ. Where do they cross from the Mexican State of Chihuahua into New Mexico? Dr. CLARKSON. Live stock cross at Columbus, and many of them, of course, cross at El Paso into New Mexico. And some come from farther west, in New Mexico. Senator HAYDEN. I have a telegram handed me by our colleague, Senator Anderson. It is from the New Mexican Cattle Growers |