Protection and Development of Resources

Five capital improvement projects under the Guam Rehabilitation Act were completed during the year. The}' were a College of Guam Library Building, a Fine Arts Building, an addition to the Dedcdo Elementary School, a new Juvenile Institution, and the first phase of a planned islandwide sewer system, bringing the total to 31 projects constructed with funds allocated under the Rehabilitation Act.

The Rehabilitation Act authorized an expenditure of $45 million for rehabilitation and capital improvement projects. As of the end of the fiscal year, $36,761,000 had been appropriated by the U.S. Congress for projects in education, community development, public works, resources development, and public utility rehabilitation and expansion.

The territory participated in many other grants-in-aid programs and almost all agencies of the government benefited under such programs.

Among major highlights of the year was commencement of service by a second airline - Air Micronesia which offers regularly scheduled service between Guam and the major islands of the Pacific Trust Territory. Au· Micronesia is partly owned by Continental Airlines.

Construction started on a new commerical port facility which will, when completed, cost in excess of $10 million. The new facility, located at Cabras Island across from the present port site, will provide more than half a mile of wharf space, large warehouse and open storage areas, and contiguously, an industrial park for the de-. velopment of commercial facilities. Both breakbulk and containerized cargo will be handled.

As of May 31, 1968, a total of $4,104, 744. 70 had been expended for the design and construction of the new port complex.

The Guam-Tokyo direct air flight, inaugurated in May 1967, continued to show increasing popularity. Pan American World Airways increased its fl_ight frequency from two to three times weekly in April 1968, and plans call for 4 weekly flights by late 1968.

International flights served by the Guam international airport terminal averaged 26 weekly and scheduled flights to and from the Trust Territory averaged 23 weekly, an increase 'Of 16 and nine, respectively, over the previous year.

The Guam Economic Development Authority cosponsored an exploratory tuna fishing survey with the Taiwan Ocean Fishery Development Administration. A 350-ton fishing clipper with a complement of 35 men conducted a 4-month exploratory survey on fishing grounds south of Guam. The survey indicated that there are potentially good fishing grounds in the waters around Guam.

The authority disbursed $24,000 to five applicants for agricultural devel-

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Construction of nc"· Ylig bridge ,,·as complcwd during tlw rear.

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Coostrnc11011 of the new Comm<'rcinl J'ort fncilit)', lucntcd :icross from its pn:scnt site. was well undcrw:ir. The new port complex will h:1w :1 h:11f-milc of wh:irf ~p:1r,•.

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opment loans and was in the process of reviewing eleven Joan applications amounting to $227,296.

The Legislature enacted an Agricultural Expense Insurance Act and appropriated $50,000 as initial funding. The program provides insurance to bona fide fanners against loss resulting from natural disaster such as typhoon,

GEDA allocated $105,000 as its share in the construction of the territory's first modern slaughterhouse and meat processing facility.

During the year, six applications for tax exemption qualifying certificates were received, reviewed, and processed by the authority's board of directors. One was approved; three were denied;

Woman assembles watch components in one of several watch assembly plants operating in the territory.

rain, flood, and drought. Coverage is limited to labor and land preparation costs.

The authority participated in a $200,000 loan for the construction of an 18-unit motel expansion. Its share was 50 percent of the loan. The facility was completed in July 1968.

The authority also participated in a $125,000 loan for the constrnction and operation of an auxiliary food service. Its share was $25,000. and three were being processed as of the end of the year. The approved application was authori.zed during the previous year.

Eleven qualifying certificates were in full force. They were companies engaged in watch assembling, tourist hotel fac.ility, manufacture of tobacco products, manufactu1-e of alcoholic beverages, lumber mill and furniture manufacturing, candy production, and commercial feed mill.

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lmpons du1 ing Lit<' y<':tr totaled '.327.000 tons with a 111oncrnry rnlur of $79.921.000. l·'.xporb 1nr:tl1•cl 7 l.'i02 rems and l1~1n~;hiprnc11I; totall·d 26 .. i i I 1011s. • I ht I kpan m1·m of Co111111t•H"C concl 11ru·<I :m I'll! ploymrnt $111...-ry rn\'f'ring alt l'lll[lloyt•is. inrluding 1111• mili1.11-y. It also rn11d11ctcd studil's 011 c:onsumc!' spending and rn~L of Ii, ini:r. A new ~Lalisti<'al pro!!ratn for the c-ol• lcnion and compilation uf ~tatistical d:1ta on nwrrhandi<r i111ports was introduced. \Vorkirn.~ in conjunction \\'itlt :1 ~l'll· ior rconomist (If tltt· Ftclcral ·1 rndt• Commis~ion. thc- drp:irtment completed a sun·cr on rrtail prier~. !'<'· tailin.~ qrunurc, and opcratill~ rr~11lt~. The s11n·ry c-on·rccl food, general mcrchan<li~<·. automobiles. buildin!! m:urrials. :i ml other retail areas.

Thr drpa!'tmcnt conducted a more ;un!rcssi,·r tomi::t promotion campai~. Co11pon ath-crtis<'mcnts ,,·rrr pbrrd in :t 1111mher of 11ewspapcr~ and 111:iga,-i,ws ,, ith 11:i1iona I and international c:irculatio11~. i11cl11dini:r Tfolid;l\", Xew Yorkt'r. Tr.,, el :\Iaca1.ine. • Tra\·cl Tradt·. Suns<'t. and thr :-,;c,, York 'l i111L'S. lnq11iri<·s lotnlrd 12.iOI.!, or .'i.:3+2 more- tha11 during- thr prt·\'i-

ous \'f'al'.

T;mri.-;m continurd ro develop at an :iccelcratcd pal;('. from 1.00() ,-i~itor,; in 196+ lo 111.000 expcCLcd liy the end of 1968. _-\,; many as i5.000 nn1111:ill~ an· expected b,· 1972.

P&O Shippin!.! Li111· i11crl'ascd it call irorn one- to two ships with a c-0H1bincd pa~srngrr totnl of 3.000. Thc1{1 l.\lS Queen Fredericka of the Chandris I .ines made her maiden ,·isit cluri11!! the vcar.

Thi:' nc'partmenl of Agriculture·

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Thrs,· bn;,• h,·.1cl ,·.,lol,ai:,· \".ll il'ti,•s ,n·re a p,,rl "f ., fi~l<I 1·csc:irrh t'Xprrim<·ntal progr:un , onllm tel h> tlu· Pl.1111 Di1 isil'n nf th,· Drp:irtmcnt ,11 . \cri, uh 111,• dnrin.c: dw rc,~r

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reported an increase in the total production of fruits and vegetables by some 400,000 pounds-valued at $64,000-over the previous year. Total production was 1,877,872 pounds.

Importations of fresh fruits and vegetables decreased by 700,000 pounds but remained in the I 0-millionpound level.

A monthly increase of about 10,000 dozen eggs was recorded dwfog the year. About 45,000 pounds of broilers were produced locally, or about 2.5 percent of the total annual importation of ready-to-cook chicken.

A new Farmers' Market was completed and ready for occupancy at the end of the fiscal year. Consideration

Fanner discusses corn crop wilh Joseph Barcinas, acting chief of the Department of Agriculture's Extension Division.

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was being giwn to lease of the facility to the Cua111 Fa1111ers C.:ooperati,·e ,\s. sociation. ·\ total fish catch or 3-13.500 pounds ,·alurd at $171,i:'i0 ,ras recorded during till' real'. The cconorniC' impact from all fishing ac1i,·irirs w;is C'~timatrd at S57+.000.

The Dcpa.-t111l'11t of :\~riculturc condueled \'arious training programs during the rear. Staff members attended training programs tonclutttcl locally and abroad, incluclui~ trainini:r in plant and ru1i111al quarnntinc, fi~hrry. rodc·nt control. romm11nity cln·rlopmc•nt, ch irk sc·xing, and import rncat inspc:c1ion . . \ l\\'O•\\'cck work<chop for !oral farmers "'as held. Department rqwrsrntati,·c$ also paniripated in the Pacific Fishery Confcn:nce. the Pacific Rre-ional Cooprrntivc F.xtrnsion Sn·vicr C:onfrrc·nrr. ancl tlit· Fl'dC'ral Pro.[{ra111 Coordinator Confc-rencc.

I mpll'.mentation of the· . \grir11 lt11ra I T!'rhnical Scr..-in·s \!'L of I !)6,J ,,·as rralized II ith the signing of a memorandum of understanding hrh\'ecn the Frclrral Extrnsion Scr\'icc of the U.S. DL·partmcnt of .\gricultw·c and the go,T1111T1cnt of Guam. Under this program, a staff member of the Federal Extension Scr\'icc was as~i!,'llcd Lo Cuam as an extension ad\'iser.

Other signilicant developments in!'h1decl :1Utho1ization :rnd funding for a 1ndon ny cradic:ation program, construction of an anirnal quarantine station, pro\'ision of dirrrt loans to the Guam 'Farmers Coopc:rati,·c .-\ssociation, comrnl of feral cats and dogs, implementation and enforcement of the Wholesome \feat .\cc of 1%7. rrrr11itm!'nt of kr.y staff pt:rsonncl. promulgation of rules and regulations pertaining Lo the l,ar\'esring of t rochus shl'lls and pinr lohstr1~, and the ob~c-rvance of ''fanrn.:rs' Day".

The territory had 877 rull and pnrttimc f:lrmc·1-:-, 11 more than in fiscal yt:ar 1967.

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