The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-12-31
SMITH DEFENDS
| RURAL HOMES BILL
WITH GOOD FIGHT
Necessity and Purpose
of Smoot Bill OUT
lined in
Ii Speech

I WASHINGTON-But for the pool
Judgment shown by the committe,
Lon rules of the house in bringing IL
special rule for the consideration
tof the Smoot rural homes bill. which
passed the senate April last, the
house Of representatives might have
enacted that bill on December 81
For some unexplainable reason, the
rules committee stipulated that gen.
eral debate on the bill should be
limited to one hour and half. and
gave the entire control of the time
to Representative Kinkaid, Republi-
canI chairman Of the irrigation COM
mittee, and to Representative Taylor
OF Colorado, Democrat, the ranking
minority member, both Of them in
favor of the bill. This manifest
unfAirness stirred up strife in the
hoube and brought on filibuster led
BY the opponents Of the bill, the fill
buster In turn operating to prevent
aIv6te being taken. Incidentally the
unfortunate rule made enemies for
the 4bill which it did not have pre-
viodsly.
II Smith Makes Good Fight
w VI The necessity for and the purposes
Of the Smoot bill were clearly ex-
plained to the house by Representa-
tive Smith of Idaho, and Representa-
.tiyef Taylor of Colorado, and ordin-
arily, inasmuch as the bill does not
call for a federal appropriation, 1t
probably would have passed without
difficulty. The rule itself and the
committee which sponsored that rule
caused the embarrassment, which
made It impossible to get a vote the
day the bill was called up.
Representative R Smith, in explain
ing briefly the need for this legisla-
tion, said:
Because of our failure to in
fiuence congress to make further ad-
vances to the reclamation fund in
order that new projects might be
taken up, and to reclaim swamps or
other unused land, the legislation
which is pending today was initiated.
1t is planned under this bill to have
the secretary Of the interior, thru the
reclamation service, reclaim the land
with money advanced to the govern
ment by the owners of the land that
is to be reclaimed.
Why Federal Aid?
''In almost every state in this
Union there are large tracts of land
which are Of waste character, abb
lying idle, which can be
reclaimed and made productive by
the expenditure of reasonable sum
per acre, either by draining the land
Dr. by placing water upon it, as may
be necessary. One reason why it is
thought wise to secure the co-opera-
ion of the federal government In re- |
claiming these lands is that the !
service has demonstrated
that the projects which
Ire contracted by the reclamation
service are the most successful. In
many instances in the western coun-
ry private irrigation companies have
to reclaim these lands,
)ut they have not always been sue
,essful. The element of profit in the
project aroused the enthusiasm of
he promoters unduly, and often
lines larger quantity of water was
tated to be available by the en-
,ineers than was actually obtainable
md as result some of those private
projects have been great disap-
continent. But in every Instance
where the government has UNDER
AIKEN a project it has been success
ul in reclaiming the land and
'lacing settlers upon it. The gov
rnment engineers have been con-
ervative in their estimates in regard
o the amount of water supply and
he cost of constructing the neces-
ary works.
Plan of New Bill
"Under the provisions of this bill
/ is proposed that the owners Of the
and shall turn it over to the federal
government for reclamation at their
xpense, and enter into a contract
nth the secretary Of the interior to
ispose of the same at reas0able
rice to actual settlers.
1--WE are confronted constantly
nth the fact that the people are
saving the farms and going to the
tiles. You cannot employ men at
price to work on the
arms, and because of the high wages
vhich 1t has been necessary for the
armers to pay during the last year
r two they are now very much en-
arrassed for the reason that the
rops which they have raised have
ost them more than they can actul-
lily sell them for. h
How Young Mem Feel
while many poor young men Of
he country who desire to engage in
gricultural pursuits are not willing
D work for wages on a farm, they