Evening star., 1927-03-05
M'NARY KEPT VIGIL
FOR ARB0RETUM
Senator and Haugen Watch
ed Chance to Rush Bill
Through Jam.

The patience and perseverance, oL
Senator McNary Of Oregon played an
important part IN final enactmeiit III
the closing hours Of the session Oh the
bill to establish national arboretum
for the Department of Agriculture.
The bill had passed both branches OF
Congress and Conferees had reached
an agreement on the House amend
ments, but when the conference report
was ready TO be presented Monday' the
Senate was operating under a cloture
rule, which prevented action on any
thing but the prohibition reorganl2a-
ton bill. except by unanimous consent.
Senator McNary Alert.
While the cloture rule was in effect.
many Senators tried without success
to get unanimous consent to file re-
ports or get action on such matters as
conference reports. Before the pro-
hibition bill had been disposed of. the
filibuster had set In against the resolu-
ton to continue the life Of the cam
paign fund Investigating committee,
Throughout the long and tedious
hours of the last four days Of the ses-
sion, Senator McNary was at his place
IN the Senate. but no opening for the
presentation of the arboretum report
occurred until yesterday morning.
Two hours before adjournment Ma
Jorlty Leader Curtis obtained consent
to nave a number of messages from
the House acted upon. following which
Senator McNary asked the Senate to
agree to the arboretum conference re.
port. There was no debate and the
report was agreed to.
Amendment Stood Ready.
AS soon as the report was delivered
to the House, Chairman Haugen of
the House agriculture committee took
the final steps by having the House
concur. The bill was Immediately de-
Hvered to the President and signed.
senator McNary also was prepared
10 oifer an amendment to the second
deHclency bill to make the funds
available for the purchase of the
aboretum site and Chairman Warren
OF the Senate appropriations commit
tee had announced he would accept the
amendment. The f1libuster, however,
prevented action on the deficiency bill
Authorization Of a national arbore
tum was declared by the Fine Arts
Commission in a statement to be one
OF the most constructive projects ever
to be undertaken in Washington.
One of Finest.
For many years every agency con-
cerned with the esthetic development
of the National Capital has striven
for passage of the bill creating the
national arboretum," II. p. Caem-
merer. secretary of the commission.
speaking for that body, said I'VE are
highly pleased that at last an arbore
tum is to be created in the Capital, to
serve as a national laboratory for tree
and plant life and to become an in
tegral part of development Of the
city. Washington Is one of the few
capital cities which does not now
have a national arboretum and with
passage of this measure it takes a
place with Paris and London and
with other cities in this country
which have gardens Of major size.
1--WE shall work with the Depart
ment of Agriculture and other operat-
ing agencies to make the arboretum
one of the finest In the world. 1t will
create a balance in the Capital be-
tween the Geological Park in the
northwest for the propagation and
study of animal life with the ar
boretum in the northeasta for the pro-
pagation and study Of plant life"
Many national organizations devot-
ed to furthering study of plant and
tree life backed the legislation.