The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-29
LANE LAND BILL
LIKELY To PASS
It IS RUMORED
Measure Was Considered So
Good by Republicans That
1t Is ReintrOduCed in New
Form by Leaders.

Form by Leaders.
WAShINGToN, Oct. 2s~.-Reports Of
an understanding that forecasts pas
sage OF the Lane soldiers hand bill
popularly known as the Mondell land
OIL are beginning to emanate from the
committee on public lands of the house
OF representatives. This bill, considered
SO good by the Republicans that IL had
10 ne introduced early in the present
eNtla session, by the Republican floor
leader, Mondell, from whom it now
taxes IT'S name, has been allowed to lie
N committee for months because the
republican leaders were suffering from J
what Is known in slang as cold feet"
or pam. political fear. Questions have
been raised about it, hearings running |
INTO months have been held on Il. hut X
has been allowed to lie dormant until
some positive political advantage could
be seen in its passage.
Although it is generally claimed that
the city boy is more interested in the
bonus than in an opportunity for OBJ
tanning land, the sentiment OF the ex-
service men from the rural districts is
now beginning to make itself felt and
renewed effort is apparent on the part
OF the Republican leaders. For a while
those fathertng the bill, including both
democrats and Republicans. began to
feel that II was foredoomed to defeat
because Of the adverse sentiment ere
ated against Il In the light Of new
explanations of the bill. and because Of
the agreement said to have been
reached in the committee. il Is now pre-
dleted that the bill will pass and givc
TO the boy interested in land and farm
projects ami who fought for his coun-
try an opportunity to develop his flu
ture in an eX-soldier's farming commu-
nifty.
Opponents Of the bill who were chiefly
| thOSA who TplTpI thaf II mould Y,,9pt-
mize the chances of a bonus being
granted to all eX-service men, at first
brought up the objection that the
measure was really a project to develop
certain sectional areas for the adVan'
taGe of land profiteers and certain Sec
tons such as the South and West. The
bill was never Intended for this pur-
pose, and to overcome this wrong i'm
preston 1t Is reported that the commit
tee has practically agreed to amend the
bill SO as to make such a project i'm
possible. In other words the country
will be divided into four sections of ~
states each with a provision that not
more than one-fourth Of any appropria-
ton for the development of these SOL
der lands will be spent in any one sec
ton, and each fourth to be divided In
turn among the projects in each OF the
II states. In this way, instead of be-
ing a sectional development bill, II Is
assured of becoming an opportunity
N"A q " llV AlNlllE III : NoillillulAl-
ties and who want to take up farming
in their W section Of the country.
Instead of being a hindrance to the
soldiers, sailors and marines bonus
measure. this land bill stands on its
W feet as an added advantage to the
men who served their country during
the war. It will require no actual ex-
penditure OF money out of the federal
treasury except In the form of a loan
for financing the men who go into the
1 | a nd NrA4Aa VlRta ~ nNNra Ahn nd
ministrative expenditures. Where the
first halt came in the bill on this score
actually was that the Republican ma
jority, casting about in the early days
of the present congress for an mex
pensive way of ~compensating the SOL
der, tried to play this bill up as the
great soldiers relief measure. That II
did not fill that bill and that II was moi
intended to fill that bill was seen by
even some Of the Republican leaders
and because 1t was not complete In tina
sense It was argued that 1t was no boor
to the soldier gf
When after more than six months
sentiment forced the Republican ma
iority into the open on what It INTENDED
to do for the men who had been il
: service they began to give their atten
y ton to some of the measures that hat
been introduced early in the session
N Although there is still representation
waiting on the turn OF political sentl
- 1 In6nL ait III DDlltICdl duNdtlbEtS the
III can predict for themselves In doinl
anything for the soldier, they are a
last up against the proposition o
whether they intend to do anything.
On the other hand, no longer abl'
: 10 use the land bill as a, ~camouflage o
s curtain for their inaction, the land bill
Is now beginning to stand on its owl
feet and as more light is thrown on |
1t begins to look a great deal NOR,
~ p~resentable than 1t was first reporte,
a to be by interested politicians, The bill
W as conceived by Secretary of the In
~ terror Franklin X. Lane was a mucl
- broader bill than the impression tina
y Republicans have allowed to go gu
:. about it would Indicate.
- The origirsl draft makes it necessar,
10 for the soldier wishing to take advan
W tage Of II TO fave at his ccmman
30 enough money to give himself a start
That is, II he worked on the reclama
- ton projects. either in the East, West
- North or South, he was supposed Il
have been able to save enough from IN
money paid him by the government 70
this work by the time the farms wer
ready for occupancy. for the first paw
e. ment. But some may not need thi
-. sort Of int ervening employment, bu
will want a farm. Whether an
9 measurc will be included In the recon
90 mendations OF the committee to limi
~ the sum first required Is a question
- There is 10 doubt that II can be don
ID and that thus the securing Of this op
:: %portunity by the soldier. silor or ma
ID rine can be made easier. but the cues
:. ton Is whether the committee with
Republican majority will see tit to d
of so. II no action Is taken by the com
mittee. then 1t is probable that som
st steps will be taken among the soldier
themselves. and their friends about tn
&c country, to so organize the soldiers
land loan work that II will be possibl
for all men who ave been in the serv
ice and who are seriously interested I
the land project to secure the fune
OF necessary for original nayme~ts o
:. terms that will he agreeable to them.
y, The whole project has now come dow
TO a noint where those members OF tn
40 committee who waited on the turn {
political considerations are row begin
ming to feel the pressure Of the ruri