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centers accommodates over 300,000 visitors annually who observe Lock operations firsthand while multi-lingual guides explain the events as they unfold. An observation platform and a theater for slide and film presentations are available. The guides also conduct tours and present briefings to civic and educational groups, representatives of foreign countries, cruise ship passengers, and official visitors to the Commission. The service is an important function in the Canal organization promoting goodwill towards the United States as well as the Panama Canal Commission.
The motor launch Las Cruces serves a twofold purpose. It supports the goals of the guide service by providing partial transits of the Canal as a part of the tour program. These trips, scheduled every other Saturday, have provided guided tours of the Canal for over 4,000 tourists and visitors in 1979 at a nominal fee. Even more important, perhaps, is the contribution to employee morale provided by the Las Cruces. The motor launch is primarily available to employee groups for recreational and social purposes for periods of two to four hours on a reimbursable basis. The utilization of the launch by employees is extensive and beneficial to both the agency and the employee. It is especially important at this time that we do no more in the way of diminishing the quality of life for Canal workers and their families.
The House bill proposes to limit expenditures for these services to $272,000 an amount which, if applied to operation of visitor facilities, would reduce this activity to an ineffectual level; if applied to the Las Cruces operation, its use would be sharply curtailed and possibly eliminated. Neither alternative would serve the needs of the Commission and its employees. I ask that the limitation be increased to $340,000, the amount in our original budget request.
As a result of the various limitations contained in the House bill, the appropriation requested by this agency was reduced $1,129,000. While the reduction is not welcomed, we do not ask for restoration of the $1,129,000. What we ask is that, within the reduced appropriation total, the limitations be revised to the original amounts for those specific activities I have cited, and that our needs for capital reprogramming authority within approved project group and appropriation fund limitations be recognized and granted.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my prepared remarks. I shall be pleased to answer any questions that you or other members of the committee may have. Thank you.
Senator LEVIN. I thank both of you.
First of all, I want to commend you for the way the canal has been operated. It appears to be operating smoothly. The transition appears to have taken place smoothly and that is a great credit to your efforts, as well as some of the foresight of people like you in putting together both the treaty and the implementation legislation.
INITIAL BOARD MEETING
What has been the experience on the Board? Has it been a harmonious situation on the Board, or have there been some basic differences between the Panamanian and American members?
Mr. BLUMENFELD. The first meeting, which took place for 3 days in Panama on June 2-4, was basically harmonious. There were a number of instances in which the Panamanians registered objection to various policies the Commission has adopted since October 1, but unanimously passed a motion which commended the Administrator for the work which has been done in the absence of a Board to date, and indicated that while the Board would want to reappraise in more detai /certain of the policies and the actions that have been taken, it ratified those actions taken to date, subject to possible change based on the review I mentioned.
BOARD COMMITTEES
The Board proceeded, I think, fairly smoothly to its own organizational matters, including establishment of a budget and finance committee, a personnel committee, and a special committee on longrange canal improvement. Committees will do much of the preparatory