The Coconino sun., 1921-11-25
ARIZONA FIRST AND LAST

lHC dNCidSC tlIlihlllS ClIlZCu WIlO utS UccH up against government contro and government methods of construction, will be hard to convince that the project for hamessing the Colorado river should be taken over by the government or be given to the city of Los Angeles. An honest to goodness Arizonan can not bring himself to feel that way if he has looked into the proposi- ton. In the first place it is extremely doubtful if the government under existing financial troubles would think of adding few hundred million to the general tax levy to build the re- Quired dams and develop the Colorado. The government is digging for money to keep things going and is not looking for new development project of this magnitude.
 As for the city of Los Angeles. Why present the city of Los Angeles with power and taxes which rightfully belong to Arizona? If Los An geles secures the power from the Colorado river it will be Los Angeles proposition pure and simple for the upbuildng of Los Angeles. They could not under the law sell power to Arizona j; they would undoubtedly want tax exemptions be- cause it was municiual proposition, consequent ly Arizona would be merely donating its unde- veloped wealth to the city of Los Angeles.
 Why should we do that?
 The next Arizona view of the matter is, what would Arizona as state get out of it if the gov ernment did take the proposition over? There would be no taxes going to the state, Arizona would again be donating to the United States and taking pot luck with the government adminis- tration. And it would cover some long years in the course of construction, dependent upon the whims of the different congresses that came along. (See history of the Roosevelt dam: $3,- 000,000 appropriated and over ten million spent; ; three years allotted to the building and ten years spent in doing it and delayed payments about 90 per cent on lands it covers.)
 The intimation comes that Flagstaff is boost ing for private ownership of the Colorado devel- opment because Flagstaff will be individually benefited to the exclusion of the rest of the state.
 This is rot on the face of it. Flagstaff will only be benefited if the state is benefited. Flag staff would naturally be the point of entry to the Lees Ferry country in any event-govern- ment Los Angeles or private control If only the Boulder dam is built it will be built in Neva- da and Los Vegas will be the point of entry for that work It will take only thirty miles of road to Boulder dam from Las Vegas and all concern ed agree on that. Then why boost for Los An geles and endeavor to make Nevada the sole benefactor so far as building expenditures are concerned?
 Why shouldn't Arozona stand for its own rights and help see that the whole scheme of dams are put on the map? If private parties who are reliable are given permits covering the whole project, then the Boulder dam and the up- per dams at Glenn Canyon would be put in simul- taneously and development work as power is needed by additional dams.
 Again, just why should Arizona be enthusias- tic over Los Angeles getting combined control with government aid in taking away the wealth of Arizona and getting tax exemption, on Ari- zona wealth? That seems to be the scheme up the sleeves of the Los Angeles gang of exploiters of Arizona. Are the people of Arizona so dead in the head from the southern border to the north that they can be bunked out of the birth right?
 It does not seem possible that there could be any division of thought throughout the whole state as to what is best for the state. Los An geles is only striving to build up Los Angeles at the expense of Arizona They will demand gov crnment aid to avoid taxes and will give Arizona whatever they are compelled to.
 If reliable set of people who can show by their works they are capable of bringing new money into the country, can and are willing to de velop and pay their way as other corporations are taxed, come to the people with fair and square proposition, the people of Arizona should aid and assist them in developing the biggest project of the age. When moned men come in- to mining district and signify their intention of spending a lot of money on developing mines you do not hear any objections or demands that they keep out until the government can appro- priate money to do it. You bet not. Every booster in the district is right there helping to assist them, as it were.
 Petty differences should not enter into this. It is much bigger thing than even the Panama canal and it behooves Arizonans to stand shoul- der to shoulder in protecting Arizonas interests.
 GIVE OR GIVE UP