I am proud that it was the Governor of my own State who, in 1960, called the first conference of Appalachian Governors to consider what steps might be taken in this area. I would like to close my testimony by quoting from a statement issued by Governor Tawes at that time:

Americans cannot afford to be complacent about economic hardship and distress anywhere in the world, much less in the very heart of our own country, nor can we allow ourselves to be defeated by the difficulties of the problems we face. We must move in to tackle them with vigor and determination.

In conclusion, I would like to say I am honored and privileged to join with my colleague, the chairman of this committee, Senator Randolph, who is sponsoring this legislation. I would like to congratulate Senator Randolph for the great leadership he has personally shown in guiding this legislation to a very early hearing only within days of the inaugration, so that we can hopefully expect enactment in the immediate future and the implementation of this program before the year is over. My congratulations, Mr. Chairman, to you personally, and to the members of this committee.

Thank you.

Senator RANDOLPH. Senator Brewster, I am grateful for your remarks with reference to my personal efforts joined with yours and all members of the committee and a very large number of Senators in this

matter.

I think it might be appropriate, Representative Mathias, while Senator Brewster is here, if you wish to make a brief comment—not that I am stressing the briefness except we are moving now to a conclusion.

STATEMENT OF HON. CHARLES MCC. MATHIAS, JR., A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND

Mr. MATHIAS. Thank you very much, Senator. I do appreciate the opportunity to say just a few words. I have introduced the bill as a cosponsor in the House of Representatives. It seems to me to meet some of the very basic needs that we in the Appalachian program have held for some time.

In 1961, we had a western Maryland conference which brought together representatives of industry, labor, agriculture, and government. Basically, the conclusions that we reached after a mature deliberation of our problems of the shortage of job opportunities, other economic dislocations that were being experienced periodically and recurrent was that water and highways, access and water resources, were going to be the two big things which would move us from a material point of view.

I believe that this bill will give us a substantial push forward in these areas and upon consideration, decided to give my full-hearted support to this program in its entirety.

I appreciate the chance to just add these words to those of Senator Brewster. I want to thank the chairman for his many courtesies in connection with efforts in our adjoining States pressing forward to the causes that we both believe in.

(See supplemental statement of Congressman Mathias on p. 204.) Senator RANDOLPH. Thank you very much, Representative Mathias. Senator Cooper?

Senator COOPER. I want to thank our colleague for his testimony and support.

Senator RANDOLPH. Senator Muskie.

Senator MUSKIE. It is always a pleasure to invite Senator Brewster to testify before his colleagues. However, I shall resist the temptation to subject him to questioning at this time.

Senator RANDOLPH. Senator Boggs.

Senator BOGGS. I feel the same as Senator Muskie. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Senator MONTOYA. I have no questions.

Senator RANDOLPH. Senator Brewster, again we thank you very much, and we look forward to not only your support but also to your active participation, if necessary, in the Senate debate.

Thank you very much.

Senator BREWSTER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Senator RANDOLPH. I wish to note for the record the presence in the hearing today of our influential citizens of Martinsburg, Mr. Marlon Eckhard, the postmaster, and Hubert Taylor. We are very happy that they have come today to indicate their interest, and especially now to share in listening to the testimony of the newly inaugurated Governor of West Virginia. Gov. Hulett C. Smith was inaugurated on Monday afternoon in an almost blinding snowstorm. Some 3,000 or 4,000 persons who were there at the capital were impressed by the confidence which he expressed in the future of West Virginia, the courage with which he is ready to face the problems of the State, and in a sense, I think, the compassion which our new Governor has for the human needs of the area.

Governor Smith, if you will testify at this time, we know the committee will be helped by your counsel.

STATEMENT OF HON. HULETT C. SMITH, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA

Governor SMITH. Mr. Chairman and members of the Public Works Committee, it is a great pleasure to be here today on the first full day of this new Federal administration, in the first full week of my term as Governor of West Virginia, in the first full month of the 89th Congress, to discuss a new and promising program designed to accelerate the development of one vital section of this Nation.

Mr. Chairman, you and the other members of the Public Works Committee deserve our thanks and appreciation for calling these hearings so early, for keeping them as brief as possible, and for making every effort to bring the Appalachian regional development bill to a vote by the full Senate as soon as you can.

I trust that the House committee will follow your good example, for this program is of utmost importance to all of the 11 Appalachian States.

And here, I must pay my respects and extend my appreciation to another group of national leaders-the Conference of Appalachian Governors. I understand our chairman testified just a moment ago. The Conference of Appalachian Governors, created just 4 years ago this winter, was dedicated to the principle that the national economy could not be called healthy as long as one vast section of our country

lagged behind in the development of new jobs, public facilities, and full utilization of natural resources.

Their dedication was so intense that they persevered against many obstacles, first to attain a unity of purpose, and then to persuade the Federal Government to join with them in a genuine Federal-State cooperative effort to solve their mutual problems.

Without their efforts, I believe these hearings probably never would have become a reality, nor this bill a possibility. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the members of the conference, past and present.

For my own part, I pledge my cooperation with the other Appalachian Governors as I become the newest member of their organization, just as I pledge my cooperation to you, Mr. Chairman, and to the Federal and State officials who will administer this program.

It seems almost superfluous to say that West Virginia favors the swift enactment of S. 3. My forward-looking predecessor, Governor Barron, testified eloquently to this effect in the hearings you held last year. He was chairman of the two critical years. He and Cohens were most active in the development of the Appalachian Governors

program.

As you know Senator, I have expressed support of Appalachian redevelopment many times to you face to face, in the many years of our treasured personal friendship.

Let me reaffirm:

West Virginia supports the Appalachian regional development bill. As Governor, I think S. 3 is a good bill.

It is realistic.

It goes directly to the heart of many of the problems facing Appalachia. It is attainable, within the time established in the bill. Therefore, I simply and positively support the passage of this legislation.

There probably has never been a bill or an act of Congress which could not have been improved in some way or another. So, I know that you will recognize that I am not casting any reflection whatever upon the general excellence of S. 3 when I propose some constructive suggestions. I hope they might make this bill more workable, more effective, and more responsive to the needs of West Virginia and Appalachia.

First, we are elated that the highway portion of the Appalachian regional development bill, as resubmitted, continues to provide for a broad system of first-class highways and access roads.

The 70-30 matching ratio provided in the bill is truly a major accomplishment-for it gives recognition for the first time to the developmental factor that accompanies highway construction. It also takes into account the difficulty and high costs of building highways in mountainous terrain.

I must say in frankness that even 30 percent of the cost will be difficult to provide in a State such as West Virginia, which lies entirely within the Appalachian Range and has a limited capital base from which to draw revenues for highways. However, we are determined to do our best.

My State road commissioner, Sawyers, has advised me that if this bill is passed within a reasonable time, he can place 16 miles of the Appalachian system under construction before the end of calendar year 1965, and an additional 30 miles during 1966.

He also has scheduled corridor criteria selection, engineering, rightof-way acquisition and construction in such a way that 1967, 1968, and 1969 will be years of immense contract letting for segments of West Virginia's highway network.

I am pleased with this. I am also pleased that the new bills provide for 1,000 miles of local access roads, instead of 500 miles, contained in the previous bill.

While the mileage is increased from 2,850 to 3,350 miles-with 1,000 miles of local access highway-the Federal contribution is left at $840 million, as in the 1964 version of this bill.

Mr. Chairman, constructing more roads with the same amount of money can result in only one thing-lower standards of safety and quality. I assure you that West Virginia's plans have cut projected highway costs to the bare bones. I trust that you can increase the Federal share of this cost to consider this additional 500 miles of access highway.

I want to be recorded officially as taking the position that unless additional funds are provided, we should revert to the original, 2,850mile network, in order to provide roads of a higher quality.

I would also like to call your attention to the next section of the program. The next section of the program I would like to call to your attention is the survey on mine subsidence, strip mine reclamation, and minefield rehabilitation.

The immediate benefits of this section would go only for sealing and filling of underground mines and control of mine fires. What this program means to West Virginia and other coal-producing States is a comprehensive study of mine-land reclamation problems and processes, which will be conducted by the Department of the Interior. The inference is that there is sufficient know-how to fill abandoned mines but not enough knowledge to rehabilitate strip mine scars, and that shaft mines should be filled no matter where they are located but that strip mine banks, even if they are discharging acid wastes into the streams, must be in "use by the public" before they are eligible for assistance.

At present, West Virginia is rehabilitating old strip mine sites and doing a good job of it through our sold conservation districts. But the number of abandoned sites is so vast and our resources available for this work so slim that the task is almost endless.

We in West Virginia sincerely hope that strip mine rehabilitation could be considered at least as eligible as shaft mine closing, without restriction and not contingent upon the land being in "use by the public." The old strip mine sites, unsightly relics of the day of unrestricted exploitation, are painful to behold. But they can be and should be healed, for the benefit of the general public, to help clear our streams, and to allow these lands to again be fitting habitat for wildlife.

Mr. Chairman, this section is worthwhile and has our support with the suggestion I just made. However, since the Interior Department is going to study the entire problem of coal extraction and mining processes, it seems to be that it would also be fully justified in enlarging this section to incorporate a survey of all the mineral resources of the Appalachian region. I believe our sister States in Appalachia would also favor the expansion of this study to include all our mineral resources.

We in West Virginia look to the full development of all our resources to expand our economy and improve our way of life. There is a clear need today for a better inventory of our underground resources in West Virginia, to determine how they might be used to provide a greater economic stimulus.

In coal-the principal energy sources of the region-much is being done through the Office of Coal Research. Much more might be done as a result of the study I am proposing. Other minerals underlie the Appalachians, and not nearly enough is known about their potential for development. For example, certain sections of southern West Virginia and western Virginia have large deposits of a low-grade iron ore. Considerable research has been done to determine whether the mining and smelting of this ore is economically feasible. The Interior Department, with its expertise and vast resources, certainly could contribute to a fuller understanding of these ore deposits and their value.

We have other mineral resources that merit attention:

Great areas of the Appalachians have deposits of high quality limestone. In many areas, this limestone is being quarried and mined. But we need to know more about new applications of this product in construction, the chemical industry, and other fields. We need to determine if untapped markets exist. An expansion of the Interior Department study might fruitfully pursue these questions.

The salt brine and rock salt deposits have led to the growth of a great chemical complex in the Ohio and Kanawha River Valleys. The potential for further expansion of the industry, based on these available raw materials and good transportation systems, needs to be investigated.

Similarly, our famed glass industry grew up largely because of the deposits of natural gas within the region. New techniques and modern extraction methods have increased production of natural gas and crude petroleum in the past several years. The Interior Department might look into whether new drilling and reclamation techniques would enhance the economic benefit of the oil and gas industry of the Appalachians.

The study I am proposing, to run concurrently with the mining study, would require additional funds, but I believe that these would be funds well spent.

Finally, I would like to suggest a series of changes that seem vitally needed in restoring the people of Appalachia to the good life which most Americans already enjoy. I refer to the fields of housing and public facilities.

Although the housing gap is well documented in the report of the President's Appalachian Regional Commission, the present bills do not provide for the improvement of housing in the eastern mountains to any appreciable degree.

It is true that section 213 provides for additional planning under the auspices of the Housing and Home Finance Agency, but planning does not build or improve homes in a region where 1 home in 14 is so dilapidated that it endangers the health and safety of its occupants. It is also true that funds for sewage-treatment facilities is authorized under section 212, but sewage-treatment plants mean nothing to the many communities which do not have water systems or sewer interceptor lines.