, 1922-06-08

THE RAWlINs REPUBLlCA
afforded just the site which was de-
sired for the actual construction of
mental in securing the agreement
and legislation under which nearly
"a section Of state school land, adj
jacent to the reservation. ri Be-
cured on which the Fort was erect
ed, and was active in securing ap-
,propriations for the building and
development Of the Fort, At = cost
Of = million and q quarter dollars.
Fort Mackenzie Hospital
After the World War. when the need
of much hospital space became ap-
parent. Mr.. Mondell endeavored to
secure the approval of the War Do
ipartment to turn Fort Mackenzie
over to the Public Health Service
for . hospital. Failing to secure the
approval of Secretary Of War Baker,
Ia provision was inserted in . gen
eral hospital bill. at Mr.. Mondell's
instance, under which Mackenzie
vas transferred and dedicated to
hospital purposes, aad IN appropfia-
|tion made for necessary repairs and
improvements. The sum Of $780,
900, apportioned out Of this appro-
priation, not proving to be sufficient,
Mr.. Mondell secured an estimate and
an appropriation through a recent
Deficiency bill, OF an additional
100000 for further enlargement and
development. Still more recently MT
Mondell was given assurances in con-
n~ection with the consideration of
further hospital authorizations and
appropriations Of the very consider
able enlargement and extension Of
Fort Mackenzie.
Weather Bureau at Sheridan
Mr.. Mondell was also instrumental
in securing the construction by the
Weather Bureau Service of a Wealth
er Bureau station at Sheridan.
Coal and Oil Leasing Legislation
At the time of the first discussion
Of the proposal to retain coal and
oil lands in Public ownership and
lease them on a royalty basis. Mr..
Mondell was not favorable to this
Plan. 1t became apparent, however,
that the sentiment of the country az
reflected in Congress vas favorable
to the leasing plan and Mr.. Mondell
then set about securing the best
possible form Of legislation and the
best possible. provisions for the
states in which these resources lie
and for the West generally. During
the long drawn-out discussion Of the
general subject which lasted nearly
ten years, Mr.. Mondell at all times
insisted on the most favorable treat.
ment for the homestead settler on
such lands and for the small oil
locator. and applicant. He particu.
larly turned his attention to an eff.
fort to secure for the States contain.
ing public coal and oil lands a good
Iy portion of the rents and royalties,
and this contest he maintained for
years almost single-handed, before
Committee and on the Floor of the
House.
Liberal Funds for the States
1t was not to be expected that he
would get support for his argumen'
from outside the public land states
but he got very little support from
the public land states themselves be
cause most of the public land states
did not anticipate any considerable
revenues from these sources and they
were interested in having the moneys
flow into the Reclamation Fund. Out
lof this long drawn-out contest Mr.
Mondell finally secured an agree
ment under which the states secured
20 per cent Of the oil royalty funds
that had been impounded and 37h
per cent of all future rents and roy
alties and bonuses.
The first payment to Wyoming un-
der this provision amounted to
$7~48,445.0O, and it is probably not
an e~xaggeration to say that the
States income from these sources
will amount to a million dollars a
year in the near future, and more az
time passes.
Protection
Mr.. Mondell went to Congress as
an ardent Protectionist, he has con-
tinued a logical. enthusiastic sup
porter of that Republican policy, not
only as 1t affects the interests of
the West. but in a broad national
way.
Active Opponent Of Democratic
Tariff
Mr.. Mondell was one Of the most
continuous and persistent critics OF
the provisions of the Underwood
Tariff Bill. Champ Clark declared
that MT. Mondell made 200 speeches
in the House on that bill. That Is
probably something of an exaggera-
ton. but at any rate he made short