The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1922-04-14
SM|IH-M' NARY BILL
BEING DISCUSSED
PERSONAL CANVASS OF ALL MEM.
TO BE MADE HY CONGRESS-
MEN FROM WEST
'oano Representative ls Chairman Of
Committee to Work For Reclana-
tion; Work Of Canvass OF
House t. Start This Week

washington, D. CA personal can.
Yass VIII be made Of all members OF
tine house Of representatives. begin
nlng this week, with a view of ac-l
qualnting them with the provisions and
the Importance Of the Smith .McNarv
Dill In the hope that such campaign
OF education may develop sufficient
interest generally In the All to lnsurai
lts passage this session. Determine
zion upon this plan was reached sat-
uruay ut dinner attended by most,
congressman from the west and By
some from the south, the dinner hny.
ing been arranged to agree upon some
pian nor popping" up the campaign
Tor the new reclamation bill.
Representative French of Idaho was
made chairman of the "booster'' com
inietee of twenty-seven members of
congress, all from the west and south.
and this committee will direct the
campaign of education. Serving on
This committee will be Congressman
Cotton and Leatherwood of Utah.
French and Smith of Idaho, McCormick
and Riddick Of Montana and twenty
one others. Representative Mondell
OF wyoming, by reason of his position
as house floor leader, will not serve
with the committee.
Representative French Sunday as
signed to each member of his COM
mittee list of from fifteen to TWEEN.
" members to be interviewed, there
oy embracing the full membership OF
the house, and he says steps will be
taken at once TO get the canvass nm.
DER way. This same plan was fol-
lowed, Mr.. French says, when the
western members organized and put
through the twenty-year extension bill.
ana the plan was so successful that
the conference Saturday night agreed
to resort to the same tactics again.
In the meeting Saturday night, there
was some difference of opinion az to
whether the bill should be pressed In
the house now or await action by the
senate. Some members thought the
OIL would be In better standing IL IL
| should pass the senate before being
brought generally to the attention of
house members; but the prevailing
sentiment was favor Of going ahead
In the house, irrespective of what the
senate may do, especially as 1t was
stated no definite plans have yet been
made to bring this bill up for consfd-
Grafton in the senate. It was also
realized that If the bill did not get
up in the senate before debate starts
on the tariff bill 1t may be long de-
layed in the upper branch of congress.
furthermore, sentiment is develop
ing in the house in favor of a series
OF recesses beginning early In May,
after the appropriation bills have all
been passed by that body, and If that
plan Is followed, it will be necessary
| to get a vote on the Smith McNarJ
bill before the recess starts, or 1t may
be impossible to get it 30 a vote this
session.
Western members who attended the
conference recognized that it will be
no easy task to get SO important bill
passed at time when the treasury is
empty; when taxes are falling short
of expectations, and when the fiscal
situation is so unsatisfactory. But
they believe that an educational cam.
palgn, personally and persistently con.
Quoted, will get sufficient votes in time.
They expect the canvass of the house
may require several weeks.