ments, State and local contribution has increased by 285.8 percent. During the same period, Federal cash assistance has increased by 34.7 percent. Counting children's payments, the State and local contribution is $7 for each Federal dollar. The commodity distribution program, although helpful to school lunch, should not be taken into account when considering total Federal assistance to the program. Except for section 6 foods-and at times the Department apparently has difficulties here the commodity distribution program is operated for the benefit of agriculture and the food processors rather than for school lunch. Schools can never rely on this program with any degree of confidence. It is feast one year and famine the next. We have received $65 million less commodities for school lunch this year than was received last year. If Congress and the Department continue to take commodities into account as part of the overall support of school lunch, then immediate action should be taken to strengthen and stabilize the commodity program. If adequate funds were made available, our schools could buy direct the foods that are in surplus and thus relieve the Government of all the expenditures attached to the purchasing, storing, and delivering of commodities. I am not saying that this would eliminate USDA price-support purchases, but it should certainly help. Schedule 3 of the attachments shows the value of foods purchased by schools. If participation in the school-lunch program could be doubled, then the amount of food used would likewise be doubled. This is a positive approach to our farm surplus. A dollar spent by a local school-lunch program helps the farmer, the food processor, the vendor, and, last but not least, the child. In considering the school-lunch program, I hope Congress will not overlook its potential to the economy of this Nation. An adequately financed school-lunch program could make a definite contribution to the overcoming of our current economic troubles and be a continuing stabilizing factor in our economy. Congress, in enacting the National School Lunch Act in 1946, stated one of the purposes to be "as a measure of national security." At that time it was still fresh on the minds of Congress and the public that almost 50 percent of our youth had been found unfit for military service. How easy it is for us to forget. It is just as essential to national defense that we have a healthy people as it is to put satellites into orbit. If there were no other justification for financing the school lunch program adequately except as a measure of national security, then every single dime would be well spent. Tables 1 and 2 of the attachments show the sordid facts about the physical condition of our boys and girls during World War II. The Medical Division of the Bureau of Selective Service stated that nutritional factors are either directly or indirectly involved in over 40 percent of all those rejected as being unfit for military service. This happened in a nation with an abundance of food. The school lunch program has made a vital contribution to the correction of these nutritional deficiencies and will continue to make an even greater contribution if Congress and the Nation will have faith in the program and provide adequate support. The reduced Federal assistance together with the current economic situation, has created a tremendous hardship this year on school lunch programs throughout the Nation. Virtually, every State in the Union reports an increased demand and necessity for providing free or reduced priced lunches. The situation is so acute in Florida that the county superintendents of that State requested that the Florida State Department of Education intercede with the Federal Government for a supplemental appropriation. We all concur that there is ample justification for such action. Mrs. Thelma Flanagan of Florida, states: About 18 percent of the school lunch programs in the State were operating "in the red" at the end of December. Most programs are having extreme difficulty in making ends meet financially. The school lunch director of Missouri, Mr. Earl M. Langkop, states: As of January 31, our records indicate that over 32 percent of our participating schools are operating their lunch program at a deficit. Mr. Rodney Ashby, school lunch director in Utah, states his case as follows: As of November 30, 1956, the net worth-accounts receivable, cash on hand, less accounts payable, plus value of district purchased inventory and value of USDA commodities-was $401,357.56. As of November 1957, this figure had dropped to $257,276.76. This makes a loss in net cash and inventory of $151,080.80. These statements are typical of school lunch situations throughout the country. It seems inconsistent to offer a child free food at home under the welfare program and then tell him at school that he must pay for his lunch. Our school administrators and school lunch managers throughout the country deserve the gratitude of every American for making a sincere effort to provide lunches for the increasing number of needy children. However, the school superintendents in my State tell me that they are "about at their road's end" unless additional help is made available. President Eisenhower, in his recent address to the National Food Conference, stated as follows, in referring to the exporting of food to nations under our foreign aid program: This is a thing you are doing for your own welfare and every individual of understanding owes it to himself, to his duty as a good citizen, to help others understand that the money we spend in this field-something less than $4 billion a year is some of the finest investments that we are making. This is exactly the case for school lunch and our own children. Money spent in providing nutritious meals for the Nation's schoolchildren should be looked upon as an investment rather than an expenditure. It is an investment that will pay dividends to yet unborn generations. From the record of the hearing held on the school lunch program last year, I would like to quote as follows from part II, page 974, under heading "Status of program": Experience indicates that children who get lunch under this program, compared with those who do not, show: (1) More rapid gain in weight and height; (2) better attendance records; (3) improvement in scholastic standing; (4) better deportment; (5) higher resistance to colds and other illnesses; (6) developing proper and nutritionally beneficial food habits which will continue in later life. What further reasons do you need for an adequately supported program? In conclusion let me say that the record shows that this subcommittee has always shown a sincere and continuing interest in the school lunch program. For this, we are genuinely grateful. We now earnestly solicit your support of an appropriation that will permit the continued growth and expansion of the program, and thereby realize those laudable objectives set forth in the National School Lunch Act. We believe an appropriation of $130 million to be an absolute minimum. Thank you very much. I have here, Mr. Chairman, about 10 or 12 letters from key States throughout the Nation. I would like to offer those for the record. Mr. WHITTEN. We would be pleased to have you file those with the committee. The committee has had, I am sure, letters from the same States, which are part of our files. Mr. GRIFFIN. Would you like to have these in the record, Mr. Chairman? They can all be in the record, if you wish. They are personal letters. Mr. WHITTEN. If you wish, you may leave them with the committee. I doubt that we will print them in the record because of the length of the record. Mr. GRIFFIN. I will leave them with you for your information then, Mr. Chairman. Mr. WHITTEN. Mr. Griffin, thank you for a thorough statement on this subject. We recognize many of the things that you say. Some of it has been presented by the deparmental witnesses, others by school lunch people, and others by citizens throughout the country. I have had a large number of letters myself as chairman of the committee. I am sure that the other members of the committee have too. In that connection, we will include in the record the exhibits which you have submitted. (The above-mentioned documents follow :) |