Show Both Branches of Congress Trying To Avoid Reclamation Bill Developments at Washington diSclose disclose disclose dis diS- close that each branch of congress Is s trying to pass the buck to the theother theother theother other house lu iu connection with tac Smith Ic McNary Smith ary reclamation bill The I house louse and senate are staging an Alphonse Alphonse Al- Al phonse and Gaston performance and meantime the bill Is threatened I with neglect if it not outright defeat by reason of ot the failure of its supposed sup sup- posed friends to initiate a real tight light SUP SUP-I I to o secure its enactment Following the suggestion of ot the house louse leaders that the reclamation bill be offered and pressed as an amendment to the soldier bonus till bill bill senate leaders stated that it will willbe willbe be Impossible to attach the reclamation reclamation mation bill to the bonus bill They declare th the finance committee Is 13 opposed opposed opposed op op- op- op posed not only to the addition of ot this bill to the bonus bill but it is isn In n favor of striking from the bonus bill the land settlement feature which was wa carried by the bonus bill billas billas billas as it passed the house And sena senators tors tora ors in charge of reclamation legislation legislation legisla legisla- tion say It Is useless to try to carr carry carryout carryout out the plan suggested by house leaders and assert such an effort will certainly fail fall It has been known for some time that bat Senator McCumber chairman of the finance committee was opposed opposed opposed op op- op- op posed to any an- land reclamation provision provision pro pro- vision In the bonus bill bUl he representing representing I a group of ot senators from the he older agricultural states who object object ob ob- to enlarging materially the farm area of the United States at this his time But inquiry disclosed the further urther fact that a majority of the finance committee looks with disfavor dis dis- favor avor on the land laud reclamation provision provision pro pro- vision of the house bonus bill and has determined to eliminate Itha ha failure from the bill no matter what form the bill may take when it finally is presented to the s senate nate Difficulty is experienced in get getting ng ngat at the reasons why the committee committee committee com com- Is so set In its ib determination to kill off ort the land reclamation provisions provisions provisions pro pro- visions of the bonus bill save as to Chairman McCumber His attitude Is explained above On member of the finance committee said that the legislative agents of the American Legion region who are actively lobbying for a cash bonus bill give only lukewarm lukewarm lukewarm luke luke- warm and formal approval to the reclamation provision and have conveyed the Impression to members of the committee that the tile legislative agents of the American Legion who are actively lobbying lobbing for a cash bonus bonus bonus bo bo- bo- bo nus bill give only lukewarm and formal approval al to the reclamation provision and have ha conveyed the impression impression impression im im- to members of the committee commit commit- tee that the legion is not much muck Interested interested interested inter Inter- ested in land reclamation but is in intensely intensely intensely in- in tensely interested in getting a cash bonus Then too senators from the agrIcultural agricultural agricultural ag ag- ag- ag states stated of the middle west and senators from New England have lately been flooded with protests pro- pro tests Rests from their farmer constituents against any legislation this session looking to the reclamation of large areas of land in the west or south and these protests probably are In Influencing Influencing Influencing In- In some members of the fi finance finance finance fi fi- nance committee besides McCumber When Chairman l McNary of the senate senate senate sen sen- ate committee was told of the proposal of lf the house leaders that the n reclamation bill be presented present present- ed as an amendment amendments to the bonus bill bill he explained d that sentiment li lu luthe hithe the senate is not such a as wO o 0 encourage encourage encourage age such a move mo and It was was hs h h. h s personal personal per per- opinion that this plan could not nol be carried through successfully tully He insisted that the most moat feasible plan for securing the I passive passage of th the reclamation bill was vas to push th th-s hit hll through the house under a special rule and then bring the reclamation reclamation tion bill before the senate when th the tariff and appropriation and bonus honus bills have been IU disposed of It all aU boils down to lo this House Hous leaders are not willing to report a special rule to give this bill a chance in the house senate leaders are not favorable ft to attaching the reclamation reclamation reclamation tion bill to the bonus bill as a rider and are opposed also the reclamation feature of ot the Ithe house bonus bill The bill cannot be brought before the house without a special rule which western members have not been able to secure Senators in charge of the legislation In the senate say the they cannot get action on the bill in the senate at this time Each house is sitting back waiting for tor the other to act on the reclamation bill and unless unless unless un un- un- un less something of great weight is done in the not distant future the bill will be caught in the legislative jam and go down to defeat And if the bill falls fails this session It will stand little chance in the short session session ses sell sion slon next winter especially if there is material objection to It in the senate as there appears to be |