Day-and we knew then that we were going to be in trouble, because the water would not be absorbed into the ground.

The double tragedy is that if you superimpose the drought map on the flood map, it is an almost identical situation, and the benefits of the snow and the water were not felt by the drought-stricken areas, because the water ran off instead of sinking into the ground.

Senator BAYH. Thank you, Governor. We certainly appreciate your cooperation.

Governor ROLVAAG. Thank you.

Senator BAYH. Senator Hartke is on his way from the Finance Committee meeting. We will remain in session until he arrives.

Senator HARTKE. I am glad to have you with us. I announced that you had been detained because of your hard work in the Finance Committee. Knowing how much work you have done in this important area, I am glad you could find time to join us, and let us have your official statement for the record.

STATEMENT OF HON. VANCE HARTKE, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF INDIANA

Senator HARTKE. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to lend my wholehearted support to S. 1861, to provide additional assistance for areas suffering a major disaster.

This committee has heard considerable testimony relating to the disasters which have plagued our country this spring. The tragic loss of life and property has been well described. Other committees of the Congress have heard similar testimony as they considered additional relief legislation. The Congressional Record is replete with comments, criticisms, and proposals for improvement in the Nation's disaster relief programs.

The recent series of natural disasters has caught the country in a sad position as far as relief programs go. It started with the Alaskan earthquake. Then came the great floods of the Pacific Northwest, followed by the Palm Sunday tornadoes and the Mississippi River floods. These disasters were to test our relief machinery to the fullest. We failed. Our machinery was found rusty and inadequate.

I am convinced that S. 1861 is a good bill. There are other disaster relief proposals before Congress which also are good and should be enacted into law. All of these measures will go a long way toward streamlining our disaster relief programs. They will bring much needed relief to State and municipal governments, which are otherwise unable to meet the cost of repair or replacement for schools, highways, and other public facilities. More important, these proposals give increased attention to the individual who suffers grievous loss.

My chief concern is not, however, whether or not sufficient programs will be provided. I believe we are doing well in that regard. What concerns me is that once these programs are underway, will they be implemented swiftly in the event of another disaster, or will they be come bogged down in bureaucracy as our present programs have.

Months after the Palm Sunday tornadoes, agency officials here in Washington were still mapping plans, initiating studies, expressing concern, and finalizing reports from the field.

This does not mean much to the farmer whose fence has been blown down. Months of paper work do not impress him much when his cattle are running all over the neighborhood. If he needs help, he needs it right away.

We must find some way to speed up the disaster relief programs. We must in some way encourage the agencies charged with aid to disaster victims to move swiftly and compassionately. The legislation tools we provide are of questionable value unless they are used expeditiously. Congress cannot repeal disasters. I am aware that no matter what relief programs are provided, disaster will always bring heartbreak and personal losses. But Government does have an obligation to do as much as possible for the people it serves.

We must be sure that the disaster relief machinery at the local, State, and National level is ready at all times to act smoothly, efficiently, and quickly.

I thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Senator BAYH. Thank you, Senator. I will not burden you with questions, knowing how busy you are. I want to thank you, and also your legislative assistant for the cooperation that you and he exhibited in helping us get this joint bill underway, and for the efforts that you have made in other legislation.

Senator HARTKE. Thank you.

Senator BAYH. I would also like to leave the record open for statements which are forthcoming, one from Congressman Brademas, and from Congressman Roush. There may be statements which other Members of the Congress, the House and the Senate, would like to introduce, and I would like for them to have the opportunity to do so. I will set a target date of noon on Thursday for the submission of these statement, so that we can get our record compiled in time to mark up the bill.

I would like to ask consent to include the testimony of other witnesses who were scheduled but who, because of transportation delays, have been unable to be here, and have this incorporated in the record as if they gave this testimony in person.

We are very fortunate to have with us now a man who has had firsthand experience with administering the disaster program in one county of our State, at the county level. Dr. Varner Saylor, from Zionsville, Ind., is the chairman of the Boone County ASCS Committee, and in this capacity, in the event of disaster, automatically is the individual in charge of the county program.

Dr. SAYLOR. That is right.

Senator BAYH. Dr. Saylor, it might be easier for everyone to hear if you would sit here in one of the middle seats by the microphone, please. We appreciate very much your taking the time and trouble to be here.

STATEMENT OF DR. VARNER SAYLOR, ZIONSVILLE, IND.,

CHAIRMAN, ASCS COMMITTEE

Dr. SAYLOR. My name is Varner Saylor. I am chairman of the ASCS Committee for a number of years and, naturally, chairman of the disaster committee from Boone County, Ind.

In order to identify our county, I would like to state that the first REMC lightpole that was set in the United States was set in our county.

Boone County, Ind., is still attempting to recover from that Palm Sunday tornado which ripped through 30 miles of our rich farmland, cutting a swath which averaged a half mile wide.

Many of our citizens were victims of that disaster and are doing their best to recover. Others find it difficult financially and some have given up.

Twenty persons were killed the night of the storm in our county. Two others have since died from injuries they suffered in the tornado. The night of the tragedy, 18 persons were hospitalized; about half of this number suffered injuries of a permanent nature. Another 33 persons were treated at our county seat hospital at Lebanon and an estimated dozen more were rushed to hospitals in surrounding counties.

Death to livestock has never been definitely ascertained although agricultural estimates place the figure at more than 500 cattle, 1,000 hogs, and 100 sheep. A count showed 113 farms with all buildings destroyed or badly damaged in the storm.

Estimates of the total property damage has been set at $3.2 million. Red Cross officials predicted that about 60 percent of the total may have been insured in Boone County. The Red Cross has spent $36,000 for aid to these stricken families and the Salvation Army has distributed about $6,800 equally among 140 persons who lost their homes.

An estimated 300 miles of fencing was destroyed. None of it was or could be insured; 12,000 acres of farmland has been cleared of debris. Much of this was done with volunteer labor, including 85 inmates from the State Farm for 4 days, from friends, neighbors, and high school students. Much of it was paid for when $31,765 of Boone County's $114,400 appropriation under practice F-4(c) which authorized Federal assistance for debris cleanup. It was the teamwork of FHA, Agricultural Extension Service, SCS, church organizations, civil defense, and keymen in each area.

We find the farm hardest hit is the old established homestead in our area. He is the man who has lived on the same farm for many years and was ill-prepared for such a disaster. He had his home and farm belongings insured with prices the day the buildings were first constructed. His insurance will build only a third of what he actually lost. He found little assistance from the Red Cross, because he was not a poverty case. But he is generally too old to completely rebuild and he has no collateral left to begin refinancing. Many farmers in this same situation still debate a return to the farm.

Another hardest hit by the tornado is the young farmer. He rented other farms. Most of the equipment was destroyed, except the mortgage. He was in debt after purchasing his farm. The tornado struck, demolishing his home and all farm buildings. He carried a small amount of insurance.

In many cases, the hospital bills for injuries could not be paid for by the Red Cross because he is not a charity case. But his mortgage payments do continue. Plowing and planting on disaster farms reported from 5 to 21 tire punctures, requiring new tires on some tractors. The cleanup of his land took much time, and his taxes are coming due

on last year's house, farm buildings, and equipment which he does not possess today.

Most farmers have made two or three applications under different practices.

Some 115 applications have been made under practice F-4(c) (2) which provides for restoration of fences destroyed or materially damaged by a tornado. To date, no approvals have been made. This practice in our county is sorely needed for livestock farming rather than the 12,000 acres of feed-grain farming which is not needed at this time.

In conclusion, gentlemen, may I point out in all objectivity that our county was not one of transients and most of the farms destroyed were of good caliber. The people were independent and hard working. They are not ones to ask charity but they are not ones either to refuse any effort which might be allowed them in order to get back to their farms, till their soil, and attempt to take up where nature abruptly caused them to leave that tragic Palm Sunday of this year.

And, by the way, we have studied the Senate bill. We have had it with us. If the Senate bill 1861, was in force as it pertains to agriculture, our disaster farmers would be given the financial assistance, so urgent at this critical time, and it is my hope this Committee on Public Works is favorable to its passage.

Thank you.

Senator BAYH. Thank you very much, Doctor. May I have the privilege of asking you a question or two?

Dr. SAYLOR. Of course.

Senator BAYI. Regarding the debris clearance assistance which was granted, how does one go about applying for that, and how do you qualify, and what are the terms thereof, please?

Dr. SAYLOR. NOW, when he comes in, a man asks for an application or the form. It is the same form that we use in our participation of lime or any other program that he wants to take home. Then after he has finished, I want to show you this-and by the way, Senator, here are some pictures taken the day you looked this over.

And this is more or less of a sketch of the tornado, as it came into the western area, from Montgomery, and left this over here.

Senator BAYII. On this, the debris cleanup, is this an outright grant, or does he get a certain percentage of the money, or does he have to specify that he is unable to get the money to do this from some other source?

How does it work?

Dr. SAYLOR. It is set up the same as you would have on other programs, 80 to 20. The Government pays 80 percent and he pays 20 percent.

Senator BAYI. Of debris cleanup?

Dr. SAYLOR. Of debris cleanup.

Now here is the first one that was submitted to us, and this is more or less true of the proportion between voluntary hours, and paid hours.

Senator BAYH. To show the 4-to-1 contribution of voluntary hours to pay hours, which is a tribute to the people in the area.

Dr. SAYLOR. Thank you. Now that is a type of work that it was almost impossible to hire ordinary laboring men to do. The only

people really interested were your brothers, your in-laws, and personal friends, that would come out there and work and pick up. We set up headquarters down at the 4-H building. We had the civil defense in there with their system of comunications, and with all of this in here, we had 2,000 men in the field on that Saturday, following the tornado.

Senator BAYH. Yes; I saw part of this when I was in the county.
Dr. SAYLOR. Yes.

Senator BAYH. On the fence, Doctor, is the fence applied for in the same manner on an 80-20 basis?

Dr. SAYLOR. That is right. Now we have, as I said in the report, not approved the fence yet, but we do have something like 100 applications in.

Senator BAYH. What does it take to get approval when you have got 300 miles of fence down? Why is there such a long delay? Dr. SAYLOR. That ruling in the handbook is just slightly questionable in our minds.

Senator BAYH. They just wanted to phase it into the conservation practices.

Dr. SAYLOR. Yes. Now that is one point we would like to have clearance on so that we are absolutely sure that it can be applied in helping to reestablish these fences.

Now we speak of it in the area involved, but maybe the adjoining farm, the buildings on the other road, were not involved, but the line fences where these came together, and he cannot get this cleared off until this boy gets straightened out.

Senator BAYH. I appreciate very much your taking the time to come here and join us, and get this all down in the record.

Dr. SAYLOR. I have a number of copies, if you need them, and I would be glad to leave them.

Senator BAYH. I appreciate the effort that you have made to help these people get back on their feet.

Dr. SAYLOR. Well, we need them, and they are our neighbors, and they are just good farmers, and if you can get them over this one rough spot, in a few years they will be back on their feet, and hitting their stride again.

Senator BAYH. Thank you very much.

Dr. SAYLOR. Thank you.

Senator BAYH. Since there is no further testimony to be taken at this time, we will call this session complete.

(Whereupon, at 12:45 p.m., the committee adjourned.)
(Subsequently the following statements were submitted:)

STATEMENT OF HON. HARRISON A. WILLIAMS, JR., A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE
STATE OF NEW JERSEY, ON S. 1861, BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON FLOOD CON-
TROL, RIVERS, AND HARBORS

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate this opportunity to express my views on this piece of legislation which I have had the privilege of cosponsoring. It seems we receive new impetus almost daily to enact this legislation into law. The events of this week in Colorado are only the latest manifestation of the hardships that nature imposes upon our people. I am sure that it would be heartwarming to the brave people of that State if we could tell them that when the waters recede, the benefits of this bill would be readily available to them. As our populations concentrate in great urban areas, the threat of mass destruction increases. As our farmers expand their efforts into new fields, the