Show RECLAMATION J LEGISLATION IS HANDED ANOTHER BLOW Reclamation legislation was handed handed handed hand hand- ed another but not unexpected blow when the senate finance committee in in reporting the soldier bonus bill struck truck out bodily the land reclamation reclamation I tion feature that had been in the bonus bill as passed by he che house In lieu of this important import import- ant section the committee inserted a afew yew few ew brief clauses giving service ex-service men a sixty-day sixty right to acquire any public land that hereafter may be thrown open to entry including lands rands on government irrigation pro pro- This preference right by the way service ex-service men already have under a special statute passed by tha the thelast last congress Aside from Representative Mondell Mon Mon- dell Jell of Wyoming who appeared be before before before be- be fore th the finance committee in advocacy acy cacy of land reclamation legislation In fn the bonus bill there was no demand demand demand de de- de- de mand made upon the finance committee committee committee com com- to retain the me reclamation feature of the hou house e bill or to incorporate incorporate incorporate the Smith Smith-McNary bill in the bonus bill On the contrary Senator McNary the only western senator to 10 appear indicated his clear opposition to incorporating reclamation legislation legislation legis legis- l lation in the bonus bill when he told the committee that if it decided to embody such legislation in the bonus bonus bonus bo bo- nus he wanted to be heard as to the kind of reclamation legislation that should go in It has been known for some time that McNary has not favored favored favored ored the Mondell proposition He has repeatedly blocked the Smoot rural homes bill which is a reclamation reclamation reclamation tion bill that calls for no expenditure of pubic money and has taken a stand which is Interpreted by other western senators to mean that he lie is opposed to any reclamation legislation legislation legisla legisla- U tion n other than the Smith-McNary Smith bill He wants that bill put through without change and as a separate measure It Itis is more and more evident that the house is not going to pass pass the Smith-McNary Smith bill the rules committee committee com com- has done nothing with the measure and without a special rule the bill cannot be called up This being be J g true the only hope of getting reclamation legislation this session is through an amendment to the bonus bill On that measure the house is of record it has already voted a reclamation feature into the bonus bill If western and anel southern senators combine to restore a reclamation feature to the bonus bill even though it be different from the rec- rec reclamation feature of the house bill an agreement can be out In conference and there will be authority for undertaking new reclamation reclamation reclamation rec rec- projects for the benefit of ol olex ex service ex-service service men as soon as the bonus bill becomes a law But unless a combination combination combination com com- of western and southern senators Is found to force the adoption adoption adoption tion by the senate of a land and reclamation reclamation rec ree- feature in the bonus bill the last chance for reclamation legIslation legislation legislation leg leg- will be lost 0 o |