nursery schools, child-care centers, settlement homes, summer camps, and similar nonprofit institutions devoted to the care and training of children can continue to provide for them the nutritional benefits available under the program.

We appreciate the subcommittee's interest in this and other matters of concern to dairy farmers and we thank you in their behalf for your interest.

Special milk-Average reimbursement rate per half pint, half pints reimbursed annually, and participating outlets fiscal years, 1955–65

School milk program: Number of outlets participating, number of half pints reimbursed and obligations by States, 1964-65

Senator MONDALE. Thank you so much, Mr. Healy, for your very fine and able statement. I wish to commend you and the National Milk Producers Federation for your leadership on this issue.

Mr. HEALY. Senator Mondale, may I add one more thing for the record?

Senator MONDALE. Yes.

Mr. HEALY. My organization consulted with Senator Proxmire and you and other sponsors of this bill many times in its drafting, and contrary to the point which has been raised by the Secretary of Agriculture, there was absolutely no intention on the part of the sponsors, as we understood it, and on the part of our organization to change the method of distributing these funds. And, perhaps, if that is not clear

to the department, then maybe some mention in the report would prove to be helpful, because it works well the way it works now.

Senator MONDALE. From what I can determine the language may be a little unclear on that, but I agree with you that no one intended to change the administrative channeling of these funds. It is working very well.

Mr. HEALY. Very well.

Senator MONDALE. And I see no reason for changing it now.

I appreciate your observation on that.

Mr. HEALY. Thank you.

Senator MONDALE. Without objection we will keep the record open through Monday to permit the filing of further statements.

We stand in recess subject to the call of the Chair. Thank you. (Whereupon, at 12:10 p.m., the subcommittee was in recess, to reconvene subject to the call of the Chair.)

(Additional statements filed for the record are as follows:)

STATEMENT OF ANDREW J. BIEMILLER, LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR AND CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS

The AFL-CIO wishes to express its support for S. 2921 introduced by Senator Proxmire to provide a special milk program for school children.

We are fully in accord with the purposes of the bill, and we support the authorizations of $110,000,000 for fiscal 1967, $125,000,000 for fiscal 1968 and $120,000,000 for 1969 and thereafter.

We are indeed pleased that the House of Representatives has restored to the 1967 Agriculture Department appropriation funds to equal the 1966 fiscal year appropriation of $103 million for the school lunch program, but we also feel that making this program permanent and boosting the appropriation to more meaningful levels is necessary.

We strongly believe that to cut funds for these programs inevitably means that local school boards must either charge students more for their milk, or institute means tests to segregate out the neediest children, or eliminate the program entirely. None of these is a realistic alternative in our view.

To increase the price of milk to the school children inevitably cuts down the participation in the program. In Jefferson County, Colorado, one of the nation's wealthier suburban areas, an increase in the price of milk from 2 cents to 3 cents resulted in a drop of 18% in milk consumption on a per pupil basis. Other studies in other communities show a range of 15 to 40 percent decrease in participation with rising prices.

Without wishing to belabor the point, we simply want to stress our belief that providing milk for school children is one of the best ways of improving the nation's health. We urge the committee to report the bill favorably and we hope it will be promptly enacted into law.

STATEMENT OF HON. FRANK CHURCH, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF IDAHO

Mr. Chairman, a simple addition of the number of Senators sponsoring S. 2921, the proposed "Children's Special Milk Act," is indicative of the determination of the Senate to maintain and expand the special milk program, one of the most successful programs undertaken by the Federal government.

When the National School Lunch Act was passed in 1962, the Congress declared that "It is the policy of Congress, as a measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation's children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food." If the proposed budget is to be any guide of how committed we are to this policy, then apparently we have weakened our commitment. Yet the participation of school children in the special milk program has increased substantially (an average of six percent growth per year in Idaho). Therefore, I believe that the Congress should go beyond simply repairing this year's damaged budget; I believe we should insure against school milk cuts in the future. That is why I am an active co-sponsor of S. 2921, which would make the special milk program permanent.

It is true that a new program will be launched to extend the special milk program to children in greatest need who do not now have any program. It is also true that local school districts would make a heroic effort to compensate for any reduction of special milk program. While I want to see the benefits of our bountiful agriculture extended to more children, I am completely opposed to returning this burden to the local school districts. It is neither necessary nor proper. believe the school milk budget should be increased and made permanent, not reduced.

In response to a joint resolution of Congress, the President designated the week of October 10, 1965 as "National School Lunch Week." In his proclamation the President stated, "The program is an outstanding example of a local-state-federal partnership to protect the health and well-being of the Nation's children and thus to strengthen the national security." I agree wholeheartedly and urge favorable action on S. 2921 which is commensurate with the views expressed and the actions taken by the Administration only last fall.

STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN C. CULVER, REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF IOWA

Mr. Chairman, I wish to thank you and the distinguished members of the subcommittee for affording me this opportunity to submit testimony on the importance of the special school milk program.

At a time when we are increasingly stressing the vital significance of educational excellence and physical fitness, it is certainly most necessary to insure that this successful program is continued. It was designed as a nutritional program, not a welfare one, and I am convinced that this emphasis should not now be changed. Since these programs were first established, we have not only been feeding our school children, but we have been establishing sound and lasting nutritional habits as well. Longer school days, longer bus routes, and the employment of mothers away from home make the role of the school milk and lunch programs more important than ever before.

I was therefore deeply disturbed by the budget bureau's proposed reduction in funds for the special milk program by almost 80 percent for the coming fiscal year, and at that time I introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to extend the program with an adequate appropriation to assure the continued availability of milk at a moderate price for consumption in our Nation's schools. During fiscal year 1964, over 50 million half-pints of milk were served to students in the State of Iowa under this program. Last year, in Cedar Rapids alone almost one million half-pints were served through the special milk program, and in one month more than 26,800 half-pints were distributed to school children in Dubuque. The effect of the proposed cuts would almost certainly impose further strains upon already overburdened property taxes and local school budgets, as well as increasing the cost of milk to our school children. Officials of the Iowa school lunch program have predicted that such action would result in many school administrators dropping the special milk program altogether.

I am pleased that the House of Representatives has seen fit to provide $103 million to the school milk program in the agricultural appropriations bill which we passed last month, and I am hopeful that the Senate will take similar action in the immediate days ahead.

It is, however, equally important that we consider this extremely successful and popular program on a long-term basis so as to eliminate the confusion which came about this year with the recommended budget cuts which threatened the continuation of the whold program.

I therefore urge your favorable consideration of legislation in this area so that that in the coming years school children will continue to receive the benefits of this highly successful program, which has been so important to our overall educational effort.

FOND DU LAC, Wis., May 12, 1966.

CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, MARKETING, AND
PRICE STABILIZATION,

Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry,
Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.

DEAR SIR: Pure Milk Products Co-operative supports the prompt enactment of Senate Bill No. 2921 to make permanent the School Milk Program. This Organization represents some 15,000 dairy farmer members in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. Many supply Grade "A" milk to fluid milk distributors throughout Wisconsin and nearby markets, as well as milk for the various manufactured dairy products.

The School Milk Program has been and will continue to be of tremendous value in meeting the nutritional needs of millions of school children, many of whom would go without the needed consumption of pure and wholesome milk. It has gone far to improve dietary standards of students who otherwise would have settled for snacks and soft drinks, which fall far short of recommended nutritional needs. The School Milk Program has been of untold value in improving the health of many American children and young people who have had the opportunity to participate in the Program.

We urge favorable consideration of Senate Bill No. 2921 which would make the School Milk Program a permanent one and provide adequate financing of the program.

Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,

Wм. C. ECKLES,

General Manager, Pure Milk Products Co-operative.

STATEMENT OF HON. HIRAM L. FONG, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE

OF HAWAII

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you very much for providing the opportunity to make a statement in favor of S. 2921, Children's Special Milk Act, of which I am a cosponsor.

I want to commend you for scheduling these hearings on what I consider one of the most important health and nutrition measures before Congress this year. I welcome the occasion to express my support for this milk program which is so beneficial to our Nation's school children.

Since the Special Milk Program first began in 1954, it has become one of the most successful and least controversial school health programs.

It has provided literally billions of cartons of "nature's perfect food"-milkfor millions of school-age youngsters throughout America.

It has grown approximately 5% a year because of both increased school enrollment and increased participation.

Official estimates show 24 to 26 million children in 92,000 to 93,000 schools, child-care centers, summer camps, nurseries, and other child-care institutions received more than three billion half-pints of fluid milk in fiscal year 1965 alone.

Each child paid three to four cents on the average for a half-pint of milk costing six to eight cents total. Many needy children received milk free. The milk was distributed during recesses and other times of the day.

For years, the School Milk and School Lunch Programs, where milk is also served, have operated efficiently and effectively. They are noncontroversial. Schools in all the States are familiar with these programs. Administration functions smoothly.

There is no doubt the milk program has been a significant factor in improving the diet and health of millions of school children.

There is no doubt that good nutrition enhances the learning capacity of young people. Well-balanced school lunches and supplemental milk provided under the Special Milk Program have certainly contributed to good nutrition for students. As we all know, under present law, the Special Milk Program will expire June 30, 1967.

ADMINISTRATION MILK PROPOSALS DRASTIC

As we also know, the President has proposed an 80% cutback in the Special Milk Program presently authorized. In addition to a drastic cut in funds, the President seeks a drastic change in the direction of the program.