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itself with difficulties outside the agency. The President named him as Chairman of the Interagency Council so he has a platform from which he can look at the programs of the National Science Foundation and other programs throughout Government that are relevant to education-those of the Office of Economic Opportunity and the Department of Labor particularly.

The same is true with health and scientific affairs. Philip Lee will concern himself with health programs in this Department. For example, when there is discussion between the Food and Drug Administration and NIH in research on toxicity, Philip Lee will sit down with them and work out with them their joint concerns.

The same is true with individual and family services which is the label we have used for all of the various social services that concern the individual and family. This Assistant Secretary will deal with the programs of the Social Security Administration and the Welfare Administration. He will also be concernd with outside activities, OEO, and housing and urban renewal.

If I may come back to the very top layer, there is only one of these various boxes I want to mention, and that is the Special Assistant on Civil Rights. We have brought in a very able, responsible, effective man, Pete Libassi, and he will try to make some order out of our attempts to administer the law.

REGIONAL OFFICES

Finally, I would like to call your attention to this box marked "Regional Offices." As you know we have nine regions and nine regional directors. They have often felt neglected in the past. They felt less neglected when we had a coffee hour for them yesterday and the President dropped in. It is my intention to upgrade these regional offices.

Senator HILL. How many do you have now, Mr. Secretary?

Mr. GARDNER. We have nine, and to me they play a very important role. I want to give more emphasis to the grassroots impact of our programs. When you see them at the grassroots you see them from a very different perspective and you see how all of these programs hit a given community, and you get the feedback from the program actually going into operation.

So these people are very valuable to me and I hope to give them a significant role in the organization.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ACTIVITIES

Senator HILL. Mr. Secretary, speaking about that environmental health, it is not for this committee to make a determination as a committee at all, but I had some serious questions in my mind. Your medical authorities and your doctors are all under you. You do not have that kind of activity within the Department of the Interior, do you?

Mr. GARDNER. I looked into this very carefully. When I first arrived in Washington, Stewart Udall came to see me and apprised me of conversations which had been held and I said, "Well, I propose that we adjourn this conversation and take it up 3 months from now when I know a little bit more about this Department." He was kind enough and all concerned were kind enough to hold off for 3 months until I took a very thorough look at what went on in the water pollu

tion control activities and in the other environmental activities in our Department.

One of the things I pressed our health people on most strongly was what this move would mean to them. They assured me that it would not diminish our concern for the health side of these activities. We will continue to be in environmental health.

Senator HILL. You will?

Mr. GARDNER. Yes, sir.

Senator HILL. I think it is so important. You have the medical authorities, and you have the doctors, and it seems to me they have a tremendous part to play in this field.

Senator COTTON. They will be taking any of your people with them? Mr. GARDNER. They will be taking our people concerned with water pollution and enforcement side of water pollution.

Senator COTTON. Are you replacing them in any way?

Mr. GARDNER. No. Our people who are working on the research side, for example on the toxicity of various agents in water will continue in that work. We are talking about putting the environmental health center into the NIH and hope to get a real start on that program which, as you know, has languished. So we really hope on the health and research front we are going to have a more vigorous

program.

Senator HILL. More vigorous that you have had in the past which you very much need?

Mr. GARDNER. Yes, sir.

INCREASE IN EMPHYSEMA

Senator HILL. I have been watching the increase in emphysema. I come up Constitution Avenue every morning behind buses, trucks, and automobiles pouring out the carbon and nitrous oxide

Senator COTTON. We get some right in the Senate Chamber.

Senator HILL. I think it is a pretty important thing now. I do not think we can separate our environmental health from our medical and scientific people. I think it is a tremendous mistake to do that.

LEGISLATIVE LIAISON

Mr. GARDNER. I am very eager that our environmental health activities be strong and we relate them to what is going on in the Food and Drug Administration and in the Agriculture Department.

Senator COTTON. I am not saying this humorously, but seriously. Who handles legislative liaison?

Mr. GARDNER. The Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Ralph Huitt.

Senator COTTON. He not only inspects the proposed legislation, but he also deals with all of the complaints and sorrows of Senators and Congressmen?

Mr. GARDNER. Yes, sir.

Senator COTTON. Mr. Chairman, despite the fact that I may have been very vehement at times in this presentation, I would like to add my words to those of Senator Bartlett. I think this has been a enlightening and helpful testimony and I would like to com the Secretary.

Mr. GARDNER. I appreciate that, and I want to say, Mr. Chairman, that with all of the difference of opinion, not an unfair word was said on your side.

Senator HILL. I want to thank you on behalf of this committee, Mr. Secretary, and the members of your staff for your very fine presentation. As Senator Barlett has said, it has been most informative, most helpful, and a very able presentation and we certainly deeply appreciate it.

Thank you.

HISTORY OF THE 1967 ESTIMATE

Senator HILL. The Department has furnished us, in compliance with our request, a table showing item by item the amount requested by the various units of the Department from the Department, the amount approved by the Department and submitted to the Bureau of the Budget and the action of the Budget Bureau. This table will be included in the hearings at this point for the information of the committee and of the Senate.

(The table follows:)

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FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION

History of 1967 estimate

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