It was developed by the testimony that the farmers, in a great many instances, were compelled to mortgage their crops, livestock, and machinery to secure moneys to produce the crop in 1930 and then to borrow additional moneys to produce the crop of 1931, and owing to the unusually low prices, they were unable to repay those loans. At the present time many of the farmers have no money and are unable to borrow further through local agencies for the purpose of meeting their payments to the Government, and unless relief is granted, many will be forced to abandon their farms and join the great army of unemployed. On account of bank failures on some projects, many settlers have no credit facilities.

This relief legislation is in line with laws heretofore enacted to aid the farmers on other than reclamation and drainage projects, and will permit the water users in the arid regions to carry on their activities with the hope that prices next year will be sufficiently high to enable them to retrieve their losses. By reason of the fact, that there is an excessive snowfall in the mountains of the West, there is every reason to believe that all of the projects will have an ample water supply for producing next year's crops.

In this connection it is well to refer briefly to what has been accomplished under the reclamation law. According to the Commissioner of Reclamation, Dr. Elwood Mead, in his testimony before the subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations December 15, 1931, there are 40,354 irrigated farms on the 26 Federal reclamation projects, with a population of 165,956. There are located on these projects 213 cities and towns with a population of 472,723. There are 688 schools, 724 churches, and 120 banks with deposits of $134,261,170, and 226,014 depositors.

Commissioner Mead, in his testimony before the Senate Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation stated that they "recognized that due to the low price of crops last year, it had left agriculture depressed and discouraged, and that it was desirable that this be recognized and that some form of relief be extended."

The bill under consideration provides for the temporary relief of water users on reclamation projects which are constructed or are being constructed under the reclamation law.

Section 1 provides that the construction charges for 1931 which were due the 1st of last December shall be deferred until the end of the contract period and that 50 per cent of the construction charges for the current year shall be similarly deferred.

Section 2 provides that this deferment shall apply to individual water users who are not on projects where districts or water users' associations have assumed the joint obligation for payment.

Section 3 provides that the water users' organization and the individual water users shall resume payment of charges in accordance with existing contracts at the end of the period for which deferment has been granted.

Section 4 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, in his discretion, to permit the adjustment of construction and operation and maintenance charges heretobefore deferred, on the basis authorized in sections 1 and 2 of this bill.

Section 5 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to supply water for irrigation purposes to districts or individuals who are delinquent in their payment for the calendar year 1930 or years prior thereto.

Section 6 provides that any irrigation district or water users' association which has contracted to pay construction charges and is not in arrears for more than one calendar year may authorize the delivery of water to any individual water user who may be delinquent in his payments to the district or association.

Section 7 provides that any profits accruing to the water users or district from the sale of power shall be deducted from the amount of any payment extended under the provisions of this bill, and that any such credits in excess of the construction charge shall be applied as now provided by law and contract.

Section 8 provides that any payments of construction charges for the year 1931 which have been made heretofore, shall be credited upon succeeding payments as they become due, including maintenance and operation charges.

Section 9 provides for the deferment of the repayment of the moneys advanced to the reclamation fund under the act of June 25, 1910, and the act of March 3, 1931, until July 1, 1935.

O

FEBRUARY 1 (calendar day, FEBRUARY 3), 1932.-Ordered to be printed

Mr. Fess, from the Committee on Foreign Relations, submitted the

following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 2377]

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, having had under consideration the bill (S. 2377) authorizing an appropriation to defray expenses of participation by the United States Government in the Second Polar Year Program, August 1, 1932, to August 31, 1933, reports the same without amendment and recommends that it do pass.

FACTORS IN THE PARTICIPATION OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL POLAR YEAR PROGRAM

Twenty-six nations have already arranged to take part in the scientific program designated for the Second International Polar Year. The program will include observations on several different scientific subjects which have practical application in every-day life. It is certain that the majority of the nations will study the following: The magnetism of the Earth; the aurora or polar lights; the natural electric currents which flow in the Earth's crust; the electric condition of the atmosphere; the relation of radio transmission and reception to all these phenomena and to the condition of the surface of the sun and, finally, meteorological conditions to great heights in the atmosphere.

From past studies scientists have developed definite relationship between disturbances in magnetism, disturbances in the natural earth currents, displays of polar lights, changes in conditions of radio transmission and reception, and changes in the so-called "spots" on the sun's surface. We know much about the relation of these subjects to each other in temperate or tropical regions of the earth; we know extremely little about this relation as it exists in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. It is particularly unfortunate that our knowledge

for the cold regions should be so limited, because, with the magnetic poles located in those regions, the magnetic disturbances and earthcurrent changes are very great there and the aurora are also especially active, brilliant, and persistent. The effects of these on radio conditions must be significant there.

There are two features of the polar year program which are especially important. One is the region in which the work is to be done, the other is the extensive program of simultaneous observation of several elements according to a well systematized schedule. There is nothing which can in so short a time as one year add more to our knowledge of the things which affect our practical electrical equipment (radio, telephone, telegraph, and cable power supply) than can the simultaneous study of several of the natural magnetic and electric elements which in the past have had to be studied separately or, at best, in groups of two or three.

The second important feature is the concentration of observations in the cold regions of the globe. Not until these cold regions are made to supply scientific data in quantities comparable with those obtained from other regions can we complete our picture of the processes which underlie the effects which we observe. The second polar-year program will go far toward helping in this direction.

It must not be forgotten that this polar-year program has by now become irrevocable, except in the event of direct calamity. Too many nations have already made extensive preparations for the work to permit its being dropped except under very special circumstances. There is at present not the slightest prospect that it will be dropped. The present plan is that the United States of America shall provide funds for a polar-year station at Fairbanks, Alaska. The request for $30,000 has been made with full realization that adverse economic conditions demand that the amount shall represent the irreducible minimum for carrying on the work at that station.

Fairbanks, Alaska, occupies a key position in the distribution of polar-year stations. There are no other stations near by-in fact, unless Fairbanks is occupied as a station, about one-fourth of the Arctic region will be totally neglected. If the United States should not plan to occupy this station, it would greatly affect and reduce the value of the entire program. Alaska belongs to the United States, this Government has a department which can handle the work very capably for us, our position among nations is of importance to us, and, economically, we are probably not worse off than are other nations that are participating. It does not seem that these factors should be overlooked in any decision which shall bear upon our participation.

The passage of this legislation is recommended by the President in his message to Congress of December 10, 1931, which follows: To the Congress of the United States:

I commend to the favorable consideration of the Congress the inclosed report from the Secretary of State, to the end that legislation may be enacted authorizing an appropriation of $30,000 for participation by the United States Government in the second polar year program, August 1, 1932-August 31, 1933.

HERBERT HOOVER.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

December 10, 1931.