Marine Hospital Service was established which was a forerunner of the U.S. Public Health Service. Many of the same considerations which then were material in enacting merchant seamen health legislation are present today and warrant the passage of migrant worker health legislation. In earlier days the utilization of local hospitals by impecunious. sick. and injured seamen imposed an undue burden upon local facilities and resources. Today. much in the same manner. sick and injured migrant workers and their dependents impose an undue burden on local facilities and resources. The services of seamen were considered indispensable to the uninterrupted operation of our vitally needed merchant fleet. Today we must recognize that migrant agricultural workers are required to assure continued operation of a large segment of the Nations agricultural activities. The 84th Congress recognized the interstate character of matters relating to migratory workers. Our committee reported legislation which the Congress enacted providing for the regulation of interstate transportation of migrant farmworkers. It is important to note that health services are presently being made available to foreign migrant agricultural workers who come to the United States. Approximately onehalf million foreign agricultural workers enter the United States each year for temporary work in agriculture. In 1961 they included about 300.000 Mexican nationals and a monthly average of about 8.000 British West Indians.