In years past, the trawl fisherman has been able to turn to the production of vitamin-bearing livers, to tuna, salmon, and other endeavors, but in nearly every case, due to unrestricted imports from abroad, he is forced to remain in the trawl business and find markets as best he can. We are duly appreciative of the consideration which has been given in our period of need and feel that the legislation will be of prime benefit in our efforts to remain a strong force in the economy of America, provided we can be reasonably assured of markets for our products. Respectfully submitted. JOHN WEDIN, Manager, Fishermen's Marketing Association of Washington, Inc., Northwest Trawlers Association. GEORGE JOHANSEN, Secretary, Alaska Fishermen's Union. Director, Washington Department of Fisheries. FISHERMEN'S MARKETING ASSOCIATION OF WASHINGTON, INC., To: Washington congressional delegation. S. 3229: This legislation, commonly referred to as the Magnuson-Saltonstall bill, would offer 5-year program of aid to depressed segments of the fishing industry. In light of the lack of tariff relief due to executive veto, the United States groundfish industry is in dire need. We are wholeheartedly in favor of any legislation, subsidy, or grants-in-aid, which can serve to bolster the economy of an industry which has been forced to step aside for the absorption of an increased filet import, from 54 million pounds in 1948 to 141 million pounds in 1957. During this period, our costs of operation, despite the decline in ex vessel prices for our products, have not only risen with the national average in general terms, but in specific gear and maintenance instances are many times those paid prior to the wholesale introduction of fishery products from abroad. Respectfully submitted. JOHN WEDIN, Manager. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., March 6, 1958. Hon. WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Chairman, Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, DEAR SENATOR MAGNUSON: Enclosed are copies of a radiogram sent me by the Wrangell (Alaska) Chamber of Commerce in support of S. 3229. Sincerely yours, E. L. BARTLETT. WRANGELL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, Delegate E. L. BARTLETT, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. We wish to support Senate bill 3229, the Federal Fisheries Assistance Act of 1958. This bill is essential to our fishing economy. EVERETT W. BUNESS, President. NORTHWESTERN TRAWLERS ASSOCIATION, INC., Senator WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR: We wish to call your attention to a brief on conditions prevailing in the bottom fish industries, recently submitted by our association to Senator Saltonstall of Massachusetts. Our organization is wholeheartedly in accord with Senator Saltonstall in his previous efforts in behalf of the ground fish industry. As owners of boats fishing the Pacific waters for bottom fish, we are directly affected by the ever-increasing number of imports, and feel that something must immediately be done to alleviate the situation if we are to save the industry for the American people. Therefore, we respectfully ask that you give Senator Saltonstall your entire support. Sincerely yours, Senator SALTONSTALL, DAN LUKETA, President. NORTHWESTERN TRAWLERS ASSOCIATION, INC., Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR SALTON STALL: We wish to call to your attention a problem which exists in the bottom-fish industry on the Pacific coast. This problem is not new and has been previously called to the attention of the Congress and also to the United States Tariff Commission, who, in their recommendations, recognized the validity of our claims for protection as you are familiar with. The recommendations made by the Tariff Commission were rejected by the administration. However, in rejecting increased tariffs, the President did say that the administration would work for a solution to the problem, but was not willing at this time to impose increased tariffs on countries friendly to the United States; as this reasoning was based primarily on security reasons, we fail to understand why Canada has approximately 77 percent of the following itemized imports of 1957. The following figures will adequately support our contention that due to unrestricted imports of bottom fish, the position of the domestic fishing industry has gradualy worsened to a point where it is now almost an impossibility for the American producers and fishermen to stay in existence: The imports of cod, haddock, hake, pollock, cusk and ocean perch fillets have increased over 1,500 percent in the last 17 years. The following are the latest statistics received from the United States Fish and Wildlife: Labor on engine repairs is up the same as boat repairs, or about 175 percent. Engine parts are up 100 percent. Marine insurance is up 100 percent; liability insurance is up 300 percent. A 135-horsepower diesel engine cost $6,800 in 1945, and the same engine cost $12,500 in 1956-up 84 percent. You will note in the aforementioned figures, which embody the years 1940 through 1957, that in 1940 we had an import of 9,737,853 pounds of bottom fish, which in the first 11 months of 1957 had increased to 135,164,000 pounds. You will note also that, with the exception of 1947, 1953, and 1955, there has been a continuing raise in imports each year. We have enumerated the prices under OPA in 1945 and the prices in 1951 and 1957. You will note that actually in 1945 we received far more for the product than we received in 1957. Oregon and California are receiving still lower prices than the State of Washington, and when one considers the increases which we have on boat expenses, gear, and equipment, and compare those with the prices received, we certainly believe that some legislation for the improvement of the bottom-fish industry is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, this domestic industry faces complete destruction by foreign competition. It can readily be seen from the figures on beef, pork, and lamb that the cost of meat has followed the general increases in line with living conditions. Fish and fish products have steadily decreased in value, due primarily to imports, even though a large fleet is still engaged in fishing operations. The fleet is slowly deteriorating because of prevailing conditions. It appears to us that, due to the position taken by the administration on tariffs, we cannot expect to get any relief from that source. Therefore, any relief granted must come through limits on imports and/or in the form of a subsidy to operators and fishermen. We are dealing with an important food source, and it is our belief that our country would be ill served if the American industry and fishermen were completely eliminated from making a living in this particular fishery because of unrestricted foreign imports. It has been said that 51 percent of all the fish consumed in the United States consists of bottom fish. If this is so, the American fisherman has the right to demand that the United States Government allow him a fair share of its own markets. It is our position that the American fishing industry should be kept in a solvent position so that in case of war we would be able to supply our own needs of the necessary fish foods through our own efforts. We should not be left in a position where we have to depend on foreign countries for necessary food items. It is not unreasonable to ask our representatives in Congress to help protect a domestic food industry such as our fishing industry. On the basis of the figures incorporated in this brief, there can be no argument that we need help. We ask that our congressional delegation cooperate with you, or any other person in Congress who is working on legislation to safeguard our fishing industry, to lend all possible help on such legislation and render full support to bring the problem to a successful conclusion. In view of your fine efforts for the east-coast bottom-fishing industry, we would like to wish you continued success in our mutual interests. Sincerely yours, DAN LUKETA, President. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Hon. WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, United States Senate. DEAR SENATOR MAGNUSON : This is in reply to your request of February 6, 1958, for a report on S. 3229, a bill to provide a 5-year program of assistance to enable depressed segments of the fishing industry in the United States to regain a favorable economic status. This Department does not recommend passage of the bill. The bill would provide grants-in-aid and construction subsidies for fishing vessels, incentive payments to fishermen of 1 cent per pound of fish, incentive payments to processors of one-third cent per pound of fish, and a voluntary inspection and grading program for processed-fish products without charge. Providing voluntary inspection and grading services without charge for fishery products would be inconsistent with the Federal inspection and grading program for all other food products. Fees, designed to cover the direct costs of the service, are charged under the voluntary programs conducted by this Department. Inspection of processed fishery products is still being handled by this Department, and it is uncertain when the Department of the Interior will be ready to take over this function under the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956. There are plants now under inspection that pack multiple products including fish (e. g., tuna pies), poultry, meat, fruits, and vegetables. Free inspection and grading service on part of their production would be furnished under the provisions of this bill. In supporting the price of agricultural commodities, the Government does not generally make production payments. Such payments would be particularly undersirable in the absence of production controls, as in the case of fish. The Bureau of the Budget advises that there is no objection to the submission of this report. Sincerely yours, TRUE D. MORSE, Acting Secretary. GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, Hon. WARREN G. MAGNUSON, United States Senate. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is in reply to your request to the Secretary of Defense for the views of the Department of Defense with respect to S. 3229, 85th Congress, a bill to provide a 5-year program of assistance to enable depressed segments of the fishing industry in the United States to regain a favorable economic status, and for other purposes. This bill would supplement the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 by authorizing direct assistance in the form of loans, grants-in-aid, and incentive payments, under specified terms, to owners of fishing vessels and to fish-processing plants to aid in improving their equipment and methods and thus improve their competitive position. The military departments purchase fish for their own use, but there have been no problems of shortage of supply. The Department of Defense does not have available the information which would enable it to form a judgment on the desirability, as a national policy, of providing special aid to this industry. It, therefore, neither supports nor opposes the enactment of S. 3229. The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there is no objection to the submission of this report. Sincerely yours, ROBERT DECHERT. Hon. WARREN G. MAGNUSON, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, United States Senate, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR: This is in response to your request for the views of the Department of Justice concerning the bill (S. 3229) to provide a 5-year program of assistance to enable depressed segments of the fishing industry in the United States to regain a favorable economic status, and for other purposes. The purpose of the bill is to provide direct assistance for that segment of the fishing industry that is threatened with and suffering from injury occasioned by a trade-agreement concession from which escape-clause relief, as authorized by section 7 (c) of the Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1951, as amended, has been withheld because of considerations affecting the Nation's security or because of other overriding considerations in the national interest. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to provide direct assistance in the form of loans, grants-in-aid, and incentive payments, which will aid the domestic fishing industry to improve its methods of catching, handling, and preserving and processing fish and to improve the quality of its products and thus attain and maintain a better position with relation to foreign produced fishery products of like character through the repair, alteration, improvement, modernization, replacement, and construction of fishing vessels and gear, fish preservation equipment, processing plants, and other equipment and facilities used in catching, handling, processing, packaging, and marketing of domestically produced fish and fishery products derived from the species upon which the adversely affected industry is dependent. The Secretary is further authorized to provide assistance in the reconditioning, equipping, and outfitting of existing fishing vessels and the construction, equipping, and outfitting of new fishing vessels; to promote higher |