Evening star., 1928-12-15
HOUSE ACCEPTANCE
|. OF DAM BILL SEEN
Committee Awaits Measure
Revised by Senate-CooI-
idge Favor Indicated.
BY the Associated Press.

WOuIu De dCCcpttu ny tAlO A1VuSG 0'
passed last night by the Senate and
promptly sent to President Coolidge
was advanced today by Chairman Smith
of the House irrigation committee.
Mr.. Smith and his committee col
leagues were awaiting today a new print
of the measure embodying the revisions
made by the Senate, and pending its
receipt and study the chairman declined
to forecast the attitude to be taken by
the House. He was optimistic, however,
that members of his committee would
desire early action, and that the meas
ure might be speeded to the President
by having the House concur in the SEN
ate amendments. obviating the neceS-
sity of sending the bill to conference.
The chairman noted the comfortable
majority on Senate passage and also
the big margin the measure obtained in
the House last session and said he
would not be surprised to sec former
opponents of the legislation fall in line
with the proponents for carly disposi-
ton of the bill
During the morning Senator Oddie,
Republican, Nevada, who figured in the
Senate deliberations on the Boulder
bill, conferred with President Coolidge
and later said he regarded the Execu-
tive's attitude as favorable.
Senate Vote 81 to IL.
Proposing to harness the swift waters
of one of the worlds mightiest rivers,
the bill was passed by the Senate late
yesterday, crowning with victory a fight
waged by its proponents through two
administrations.
Approved by a vote of Ga to II, in
which party lines were obliteratcd. the
measure calls for a huge flood control,
irrigation and power project on the
Colorado River, to cost $165, ,000, 900. 1t
will now go to conference to adjust diff
ferences between the bill passed by the
House last session and the one acted
upon favorably yesterday by the Senate.
Should the House and the Senate
give approval to the conference report,
the measure will be Transmitted to
President Coolidge who, advocates of
the measure believe. is in sympathy
with its general provisions.
The scope of the measure as it con-
Germs storage and use of waters for
reclamation and flood control works is
among the most stupendous ever passed
upon by Congress. 1t proposes con-
struction at the Black Canyon site in
the Colorado River of a dam almost
twice as large as any in existence This
structure would provide water for irri-
cation in the seven States of the Colo
RADIO River basin. A power plant would
be built at the dam to generate thou
sands of horsepower of energy for elec-
trical uses in many localities Of the
West.
In addition, the measure would pro-
vide for flood control works for the pro-
lection of Imperial Valley in Southern
California and also for construction of
an al-Amerlcan canal across Southern
California from the Colorado River to
bring irrigating waters into the valley.
Party Lines ObIiterated.
Party lines were obiiterated in the
final vote ON passage. Thirty-two Dem
ocrats, 81 Republicans and the lone
Farmer-Labor Senator-Shipstead of
Minnesota-voted for the measure, while
seven Republicans and four Democrats.
including Hayden and Ashurst of Ari-
zona, voted against it,
The Senate virtually took two votes
on final passage. as number of Sena1
tors believed the vote on the substitu-
ton of the Senate bill for the House bill
was the final ballot. Some members
left the floor. but Senator Norris. Re-
publican. Nebraska. who voted against
substitution, demanded a roll call on
hnal passage. The Nebraskan's pro-
posal precipitated brief parliamentary
wrangle. but he won out. and a second
vote was taken on this ballot. The
measure was approved, 64 to IL. Sena-
tor Norris joined with those voting for
the measure. On the first ballot the
vote was 64 to Is.
AS finally approved. the bill would
give the Government the right to build
the dam. A power plant to be built in
connection with the dam would be con-
structed either by the Government or
private capital. The Secretary Of In
terror would have authority to deter
mine this.
Before the measure could become ef-
fective, even with the signature of the
President, at least six States of the
Colorado Basin must ratify the Colo
RADIO River compact Arizona and Utah
have not yet ratified. Colorado, Cali
fornia, Nevada, Wyoming and New
Mexico have
The final day of discussion in the
Senate brought up one controversial
point which had escaped discussion in
the earlier days of debate Just as the
clerk was ready to call the roll. Senator
Reed, Republican. Pennsylvania. offered
an amendment by which 1t would have
been declared that the policy of Con-
gress was for Government operation of
the power plant only as a last resort
after private enterprise had declined to
undertake the task. The amendment
lost, SO to a.
Among Opponents.
Among those who opposed the Reed
amendment were Senator's Norris. Borah
OF Idaho and johnson of California.
one of the authors of the bill. Senator
Johnson said lit was not a radical from
the Northwest or Pacific" who had pro-
posed Government construction of the
power plant, but "a former Secretary
of the Interior (Dr. Hubert Work..
who has just so successfully concluded
a campaign
In spite of the Presidents message
johnson said, land Notwithstanding
what has been said on the subject. 1
feel an abiding certainty that the gen.
Grating plant will be built by the Gov
ernment. Every one who hears me
knows that the people must be protect
ed in the generation of power. Today
is everything in the land"
Senator Borah declared he doubted
whether the country was ready to de-
eide on the question of public owner
ship. asserting that power is still in
its infancy" AS for this particular
project. he said it was a work essentially
governmental in its aspect and declared
he was in favor of Government con-
struction of the power plant.
Later. Senator Borah offered an
amendment providing for Government
and operation of the plant.
but 1t was withdrawn by him and did
not come up for a vote.
Earlier in the day. the Senate de-
feated an amendment by Senator
Hayden of Arizona, designed to protect
claims of Arizona to its asserted rights
TO levy taxes on the power To be
generated at the dam. Approval was
given. however, to another amendment
bY HaYden to authorize a survey of the