Arizona republican., 1922-01-20

A somewhat chronological account
of the steps leading to the organiza-
ton of the Colorado river commission
is of interest now on the eve of the
meeting Of the commission in the OIL
flee of Secretary Hoover, the heau
Of the commission. at Washington on
Jan. &C. w. S. Norveil, state water
commissioner. and A. G.. MacGregor,
the newly appointed member OF the
Arizona resources commission, VIII
leave for Washington tomorrow even
ing.
Generally the duty of the commits
sion is to collect all information, make
surveys and assemble engineering
data upon which to base findings ana
formulate general plan for the de-
velopment of the Colorado river pa
sin; to make available the assets ot
the whole basin, and particularly
those of the Colorado river.
The continued study and general
discussion of any subject looking 10
the working out OF a plan or scheme
of development of great industry or
a section of the country, as has been
done by the League of the Southwest.
naturally gravitates to a point of
definite action. Hence at the meet
ing of the league which convened IN
Denver on Aug. 25. 1920, a resolution
was passed requesting the governors
OF the seven states in the Colorado
river basin TO authorize and direct
"the engineers and the officer having
Jurisdiction over the initiation OF wa
ter rights of the several states, Win
the director and the chief engineer OF
the United States reclamation serv-
ice, to orga piZe a permanent engln-
eering commission, to be called the
Colorado river commission, TO study
the Colorado river basin as a whole
and prepare a comprehensive plan
for immediate action, looking to the
early development of the Colorado
river" directing that a chairman be
selected to call a meeting at the
earliest convenient date to devise a
plan of action in order that the work
of the commissioners working indt-
vidually might be co-ordinated into
one general plan OF development. 1t
being understood that to the COM
mission was delegated the duty ol
collecting information as to the wa
ter supply of the Colorado river basin,
the acreage of irrigated lands and
the additional acreage that might be
reclaimed, and the duty of water nee
essary for the same, the feasibility OF
fIOOQ cOnLrOl anu the SNOld6o anu
regulation of the flow Of the Colorado
river for irrigation and the possibih-
ties of electric power.
A meeting was held by those OF the
engineers present in Denver at the
time and the chief engineer of the
United States reclamation service. A
chairman was selected and those who
were not present, but included in the
resolution, were notified Of the action,
and the members of the commission
began their work Of investigation. A
meeting was called for further con-
ference, by the chairman, to convene
in Salt Lake City on Jan. 21, 1921,
at which meeting all Of the members
of the commission were present, with
the exception of Director Arthur P.
Davis of the United States reclan1a-
ton service. The legal status Of the
commission and the results of their
labors having been brought into
question, as it was intended that a
part of the duties OF the commission
was to determine the rights OF the
states to the use and benefits Of the
waters of the Colorado river and its