Show arid land bill under revision ahe 1 I he smith flatcher bill is being reused by western senators and representatives in conference with rep I 1 in conference with rep of the file western states reclamation association with a T v ew to having it reintroduced in congress cons ress in april A number ot of changes have been suggested most of 0 them relatively unimportant but one essential feature of the original L bill 1111 has been eliminated As first I 1 introduced tile the sinith fletcher bill aro aldes that interest on tiie the bonds sued issued L under this bill should uc lie paid out of the he reclamation fund this proviso has been stricken out largely at the Insist nece of representative senta tive mondell of wyoming who objected to drawing interest In terii st money out of the reclamation fund and the amended bill interest charges will be assessed directly against settlers on irrig irrigated gated lands tile tae conference on monday attended by western senators ani and meribe mer bers rs who are backing this bill ils disclosed closed for the first time a belief on oa the part of some that the west sho ld id abandon its original plan of joining interests with the south in fit order to secure reclamation legislation the idea of senator mcnary chairman of ehg irrigation committee and the idea of a number of others has been that the th e reclamation bh should be sa so drawn as to provide not only for irrigating aria lands of the west but swamp lands landa of the south and in that way bring lo 10 0 o its support the solid represents iian li n of the west and south in congress resa j west may act at once I 1 the modification of the smith Ti letcher bill which is now under or applies to all manner manae if f reclaiming and preparing lands or farm settlement and is broad boug bough nough gla to take taka care of the swamp ands of oe the south the cut over i ands of all sections and the arid arda of the west in submitting this ena bev draft to the western delegation n congress a notel note was written which says this is a composite bill on genral reclamation having features of several measures heretofore intro decad in congress by some changes on the first and last pages it qan can be re strIated to an irrigation measure this is the first formal intimation that consideration is being given to lo the idea of divorcing the west irons froin the south and dialing a fight in the new congress for a out irrigation bill and this change of front is due to the tact fact that several influential western senators are outspoken in opposition to lining up the west as a unit tor for work with the south as a unit south favors there have have been several attempts in recent months to organize the west and the south in congress with a view to dominating legislation and getting everything that the west and the south want the south has open been ery quick to accept this proposal for the south has been getting everything ery thing it wanted during the last administration and its senators and members are loath to give up anything but there Is a very material element in the west as represented in congress which is opposed to thu idea of uniting the west tor for the purpose of effecting a combination with the south and thus dividing congress on sectional lines and attempting to override the north and east As a matter of fact no combination of the west and south can dominate congress if there is to be a true sectional division for the bulk of the population and the bulk of represent ta ion in the house of represents tives Is from the north and east the south and vest rest can combine and make lip up a majority in senate where each stateS has two senators but no such combination can dominate the house of representatives and there is s outspoken objection on the part ot of some western senators to this proposed sectional coalition new section added reverting to the modified fled F letcher fletcher bill a new section has been added to bring to its support the ag agriculturally gri culturally inclined ex service men the bill as it now stands provides that not less than 50 per cent continued on pa page pae I 1 e 8 |