FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 1934. BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY STATEMENT OF DR. JOHN R. MOHLER, CHIEF BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY SALARIES AND EXPENSES Mr. SANDLIN. We will take up the estimates for the Bureau of Animal Industry. First, we have the item for the introductory paragraph which is as follows: For carrying out the provisions of the Act approved May 29, 1884 (U.S.C., title 7, sec. 391; title 21, secs. 112-119, 130), establishing a Bureau of Animal Industry, and the provisions of the act approved March 3, 1891 (U.S.C., title 45, secs. 75, 76), providing for the safe transport and humane treatment of export cattle from the United States to foreign countries, and for other purDoses: the act approved August 30, 1890 (U.S.C., title 21, secs. 101-105), providing for the importation of animals into the United States, and for other purposes: and the provisions of the act approved February 2, 1903 (U.S.C., title 21, secs. 111-113, 120-122), to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to more effectually suppress and prevent the spread of contagious and infectious diseases of livestock, and for other purposes; and also the provisions of the act approved March 3, 1905 (U.S.C., title 21, secs. 123-128), to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to establish and maintain quarantine districts, to permit and regulate the movement of cattle and other livestock therefrom, and for other purposes; and for carrying out the provisions of the act of June 29. 1906 (U.S.C., title 45, secs. 71-74), entitled "An act to prevent cruelty to animals while in transit by railroad or other means of transportation"; and for carrying out the provisions of the act approved March 4, 1913 (U.S.C., title 21, secs. 151-158), regulating the preparation, sale, barter, exchange, or shipment of any virus, serum, toxin, or analogous products manufactured in the United States and the importation of such products intended for use in the treatment of domestic animals; and for carrying out the provisions of the Packers and Stockyards Act, approved August 15, 1921 (U.S.C., title 7, secs. 181-229); and to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to collect and disseminate information concerning livestock and animal products; to prepare and disseminate reports on animal industry; to employ and pay from the appropriation herein made as many persons in the city of Washington or elsewhere as he may deem necessary; to purchase in the open market samples of all tuberculin, serums, antitoxins. or analogous products, of foreign or domestic manufacture, which are sold in the United States, for the detection, prevention, treatment, or cure of diseases of domestic animals, to test the same, and to disseminate the results of said tests in such manner as he may deem best; to purchase and destroy diseased or exposed animals, including poultry, or quarantine the same whenever in his judgment essential to prevent the spread of pleuropneumonia, tuberculosis, contagious poultry diseases, or other diseases of animals from one State to another, as follows: GENERAL ADMINISTRATION EXPENSES Mr. SANDLIN. This is followed by the item for "General administrative expenses", as follows: General administrative expenses: For necessary expenses for general administrative purposes, including the salary of chief of bureau and other personal services in the District of Columbia, $162,185. I notice the appropriation this year was $170,915, and your estimate for 1935 is $162,185. 35962-34-9 Dr. MOHLER. The following explanation is presented for this item: Increase, Budget 1935, compared with estimated obligations, 8,361 The reduction of $8,370 in the 1935 estimate of $162,185 below the appropriation of $170,915 for 1934 consists of: Impoundment of 6% percent of 15 percent pay cut_ 5 percent salary restoration... Total -$11, 147 -5, 944 +8, 361 -8, 730 WORK DONE UNDER THIS APPROPRIATION This appropriation is used for payment of overhead charges difficult of allocation to individual divisions, or projects, as the expenses of the chief's office, including appropriation estimates, audits, appointments, library, and editorial activities. Mr. SANDLIN. What has been and will be spent this year, Dr. Mohler? Dr. MOHLER. There will be an estimated expenditure of $153.824 this year, and for 1935 we have estimated an expenditure of $162.185. This represents a decrease of $11,147 as an impoundment of 623percent of the 15 percent pay cut, a further curtailment in the regular activities of the project of $5,944, and an increase of $8,361 for the 5-percent salary restoration, which makes a decrease in this year's appropriation of $8,730. PERSONNEL Mr. SANDLIN. How is the personnel of your office? The same as last year? Dr. MOHLER. It is slightly less in the number of regular employees-4.746 on July 1, 1932, and 4,407 on July 1, 1933--but there is a considerable increase in the number of temporary employees on account of the emergency funds, which I will discuss later. INSPECTION AND QUARANTINE Mr. SANDLIN. The next item is: Inspection and quarantine: For inspection and quarantine work, including all necessary expenses for the eradication of scabies in sheep and cattle, the inspec tion of southern cattle, the supervision of the transportation of livestock, and the inspection of vessels, the execution of the 28-hour law, the inspection and quarantine of imported animals, including the establishment and mainteance of quarantine stations and repairs, alterations, improvements, or additions to buildings thereon; the inspection work relative to the existence of contagious diseases, and the mallein testing of animals, $622,090. It might be well for you to state the work that is done under this item, Doctor. Dr. MOHLER. The following statement is presented in support of this estimate: Appropriation, 1932. $798, 720 Appropriation, 1933. 740, 030 Appropriation, 1934_. 689, 660 Estimated obligations. 1934- 620, 694 622, 090 Increase, Budget 1935, compared with estimated obligations, 1934_ 1,396 The reduction of $67,570 in the estimate of $622,090 for 1935 appropriation of $689,660 for 1934 consists of: below the Impoundment of 6% percent of 15 percent pay cut.. Further reduction in working funds for 1935 ($28,102 for eradi- 5 percent salary restoration____ -$41, 131 -27, 835 1-28, 186 +29, 582 Total -67, 570 WORK DONE UNDER THIS APPROPRIATION Work under this appropriation consists of the eradication of scabies in sheep and cattle; the inspection of southern cattle; the control of the interstate transportation of livestock; the inspection of vessels; the enforcement of the 28-hour law; the inspection and quarantine of imported animals, including the establishment and maintenance of quarantine stations; the supervision over the sanitary handling of hides, skins, wool, and other animal by products, feeding materials, and fertilizers offered for importation; the investigational and inspection activities relative to the existence of contagious diseases; and the inspection and mallein testing of animals. All these measures for the safeguarding of this country's livestock are regarded as essential to ward off calamitous results. ERADICATION OF SCABIES IN SHEEP AND GOATS One of the largest items under this inspection and quarantine appropriation is the eradication of scabies in sheep and goats. In this work the Bureau cooperates with authorities of the various States and with the Office of Indian Affairs in relation to sheep and goats on the Indian reservations. General inspections of sheep and goats are made in regions where scabies still exists or has recently existed and all infected and exposed flocks are dipped under supervision. During the fiscal year 1933, the cooperating forces made 19,559,531 inspections and supervised 2,270,493 dippings. The number of animals in infected flocks was 229,711. Eradication has now progressed to the point where in the cooperating States infection is limited to three or four areas where, because of natural conditions and other difficult circumstances, its complete elimination is the hardest to accomplish. Both the Bureau and State forces are centering their efforts in those areas, the principal ones of which lie in Louisiana and northern New Mexico. The reduction of $28,186 in working funds for 1935 includes : (a) A decrease of $28,102 on the item for eradication of scabies in sheep.-This will be met by a reduction in personnel and a consequent reduction in necessary travel expenses. (b) A decrease of $84 on the item for control over interstate shipment of livestock.This is a reduction in rent on account of proposed moving from rented quarters into a Federal building. At the same time it is necessary to keep careful watch over large regions in order that any reinfection may be promptly detected. On the Navajo Indian Reservation only a few cases have been found during the past 3 years, and these near the extreme southern edge of the reservation. So long as some infection remains in outside areas, however, it is necessary to maintain careful watch so that results obtained may be safeguarded. A very little infection among goats was found in southern Texas. ERADICATION OF SCABIES IN CATTLE AND HORSES This work on eradication of scabies in cattle and horses is carried on in the same manner as sheep scabies and 2,697,251 inspections were made and 435,673 dippings supervised by the cooperating forces during the fiscal year 1933. Cattle in infected herds numbered 165,195. In all the Western States which originally were heavily infected considerable infection remains in only four main areas, namely, eastern Wyoming, eastern Colorado, southeastern New Mexico, and western Nebraska. Excellent work was done in Wyoming during the past year in getting cattle in the infected areas dipped, but it is still too early to state how nearly eradication was accomplished. The same is true with respect to southeastern New Mexico, where the most satisfactory dipping campaign they have ever achieved was conducted during the past fall. That is on account of the personal cooperation that some of those large herd owners showed. Before they have always opposed it, but this last year they have been strong cooperatives. In eastern Colorado also a great deal of work was done and preparations are going forward for more extensive work this year. A few cases of reinfection occurred in Arizona, one in California, one in Montana, and several in South Dakota, without doubt due to the introduction of exposed or infected cattle or contacts with such cattle on ranges along State lines. Some scabies still exists among horses on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana, but conditions have greatly improved as compared with a few years ago. MISCELLANEOUS DISEASES Funds allotted to the project for miscellaneous diseases are used in cooperating with local authorities in the suppression of outbreaks of different communicable diseases not provided for by specific appropriations, which threaten to get out of control and cause heavy losses. The principal ones of these are encephalomyelitis of horses and anthrax. During the fiscal year 1933 the bureau assisted in arresting a serious epizootic of anthrax in South Dakota and northeastern Nebraska. The bureau also cooperated with the Indian Service in measures to prevent a recurrence of anthrax losses among Indianowned cattle. Encephalomyelitis appeared in widely separated districts during the past year and bureau veterinarians assisted State authorities in disseminating information concerning the disease and instructing owners regarding preventive measures. INSPECTION OF IMPORT ANIMALS The inspection of import livestock is required by law. There are entries of livestock through numerous ports along the Canadian and Mexican boundary lines, in addition, of course, to those at coast ports. Prompt inspection must be furnished at these numerous ports in order that everyday commerce may not be impeded. QUARANTINE OF ANIMALS AT PORTS OF ENTRY Import animals of certain classes are subjected to quarantine at ports of entry for different periods in order to make certain of their freedom from disease. Well-equipped stations for this purpose are provided for the ports of New York and Baltimore. INSPECTION AND TESTING OF LIVESTOCK FOR EXPORT The inspection of export livestock is required by act of Congress. It is also necessary in many instances to inspect, test, and certify livestock, including poultry, to meet the requirements of receiving countries. This project also includes administration of regulations under an act of Congress requiring the fitting of vessels in a certain manner and a general supervision over the loading and handling of shipments. IMPORTATION OF ANIMAL BYPRÓDUCTS, HAY, STRAW, ETC. Because of the danger of introduction of foot-and-mouth disease and other serious livestock diseases, supervision and control are exercised over animal byproducts and certain other materials such as meat covers, hay and straw, from countries where those diseases are known to exist. This necessitates some degree of supervision at practically every port of the United States. Animal byproducts, hay, straw, and so forth, from infected countries, that come under this control must be destroyed or quarantined at port of entry or handled in sealed cars and at specially designated establishments where some general supervision also must be maintained. It is the Bureau's duty also to make certain that any meat in a vessel's stores which originated in infected countries, and garbage derived therefrom, shall not be landed; also to see that any live animals held as ships' stores are slaughtered before the vessel is permitted to dock. Mr. SANDLIN. You have cooperation from the States in this work? Dr. MOHLER. Yes, sir; we do-very excellent cooperation. They are all very anxious that no infection should come into their particular States through the seaports. Mr. SANDLIN. And the money that the States are spending on this work is fairly comparable with the Federal money that is going into the States? Dr. MOHLER. Yes, sir. INSPECTION FOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES OF LIVESTOCK AT PUBLIC STOCKYARDS Then we have the inspection for communicable diseases of all livestock that are received at public stockyards, which constitutes. the most important activity under this particular project. This |