The Coconino sun., 1927-03-04
OUR SENATORS TALKED THE
SWING JOHNSON BILL INTO
SLEEP THAT IF IT CONTINUES
TODAY HAS IT SQUELCH

Washington, Feb. 23.-Ending a 80
hours session amid scenes of con-
fusion and strife, the senate appeared
as far away as ever Wednesday from
vote on the Swing Johnson bill to
dam the Colorado river at Boulder
canyon. Three senators, Ashurst and
Cameron, of Arizona, and Phipps, Of
Colorado-had conducted filibuster,
unmatched in an even dozen years
and promised to be ready for a re-
newal of the struggle when the Boul-
der canyon measure comes up again at
p. m. Thursday.
Faced with an apparent determina-
ton of the senate, under the leader
ship of Senator Johnson, republican,
California, to wear them down, these
senators turned the tables and before
the second day of the continuous ses-
sion ended, they had the republican
leaders seeking to get up other sub
jects.
An unanimous consent agreement
for night session Wednesday night
after recess at $50 p. M, entered
into last week, would have brought
the filibuster to close, but the re-
publican leader, Curtis of Kansas, cut
1t short fifteen minutes by moving for
an executive session.
Half the senators present, some of
them with tempers frayed by loss of
sleep and the chaos attendant upon
filibusters, were on their feet, some
of them addressing the chair and 9th
ers talking indiscriminately when
Curtis put his motion.
Ashurst, who, with johnson, had
kept the thirty hours vigil, was en-
gagged in berating Copeland of New
York, when Vice President Dawes cut
short the proceedings and put the ac-
ton through to scattering of sayes." /"
Crowds which had jamnaed the gal
leries nearly all of two days quit the
senate show with plain signs of re-
luctance, and the guards found it nee
essary to call on them for more speed
in reaching the corridors.
After two hours and a half of re-
cess, the senate went back at 8 p. m.
to its second successive night session,
but there was an agreement to pass
on only uncontested bills and then to
adjourn until Thursday, so that under
the rules, couple of hours might be
than Boulder canyon legislation.
While the senate was In the final
throes of its filibuster, the house
rules committee voted to give the
Boulder canyon bill right-of-way in
the house. Later, however, the re-
publican steering committee consid-
cred the matter and Representative
Wilson, the majority floor leader,
said the measure would not be taken
up until the senate had acted.
Since republicans have determined
to replace the johnson bill at p. m.
Thursday with the alien property re-
turn measures, there appeared little
prospect of action by either body in
advance of the ending of the session
at noon one week from Friday.
Senator johnson made a valiant
fight for his measure, but he prac-
tically had abandoned hope Of hold
ing the senate in session from IL a.
M, Tuesday, until 1880 Wednesday.
At that hour, Curtis, acting for
Chairman Smoot, of the finance COM
mittee, who was i'll, asked unanimous
consent that the senate displace the
Boulder Canyon measure and take up
the bin to create bureaus of prohibi-
tioTl and customs in the treasury.
That brought the wet leaders into
the picture. Curtis countered with a
motion to take up the bill and then
new filibuster was launched with
Bruce of Maryland Playing the prin-
cipaI role.