Arizona republican., 1922-06-29
He WOULD INSURE To
ARIZONA BENEFITS
Of COLORADO RIVER
A. C. McGregor Calls At
tention Of Luncheon
Club To Injustice To
State Of Swing-Johnson
Bill

Dill
IF Arizona is denied her just
| rights, and if her own citizens are
denied the privilege of private de-
velopment, Arizona rather than lose
the benefits of this great heritage to
her citizens and the benefits of cheap
power to her neighbors, must take
matters into her own hands and go
into the power business and establish
a monopoly on her own account the
| same as California now proposes to
| do. but with more efficient manage
ment."
| The above declaration was made
yesterday noon by A. B. McGregor
of Bisbee, member of the Arizona
resources board, in an address given
| before the members of the Valley
| Luncheon club. About So attended
| the luncheon which was held in the
| Hotel Adams. Mr. McGregor spoke
| on the Objectionable features of the
| Swing johnson bill now pending be-
! fore congress and which he says must
| be overcome to protect the interests
| of Arizona in the plan proposed by
| this bill for the development of the
| Colorado river.
Ignore Arizona Interests
Arizona's interests, Mr. McGregor
| declared, are being entirely ignored
| by the proponents of the bill which
| in the first section nationaliZes the
river from it's mouth to the Green
river, giving the federal government
| the exclusive right to construct. pro-
| vide and control dams on the river,
/ the intent being APPARENTLY to deprive
| Arizona of any tax benefits from her
resources.
1--WE are interested in seeing that
| the development of the Canyon is
| based upon sound engineering and
financial policies" Mr.. McGregor
said, mot only that we may have the
| cheapest possible power for our
selves. but in order also that our
neighbors will quickly avail them
selves of it and thus stimulate and
! hasten the more complete develop
ment of our resources"
According to Mr.. McGregor there
are only two locations in the Colo
rado canyon having the necessary
storage for flood control dams, one at
Lee Ferry or Glen Canyon in Arizona,
and the other at Boulder Canyon on
the Arizona Nevada boundary. From
the standpoint of flood control and
reclamation, he asserted. there is
little choice except the decided diff
ference in cost. He estimated that
a rock fill dam in Glen Canyon which
would be more suitable could be built
with transmission lines to the power
markets at less than one half the cost
of concrete dam at Boulder Canyon
where the foundation must be made
1876 feet below the river to reach bed
rock.
Mines Need Cheap Power
AS the proposed plan for the Boul-
dam rails for the
ment of the cost from the sale of
power while the cost of the power
developed by a dam in Glen Canyon
will consist of charges for the capital
used in the construction, he declared,
it will be necessary to charge twice
as much for the power generated by
the Boulder Canyon plan than would
be charged for power generated at
Lee Ferry.
"Arizona's mining industry needs
cheaper power now" Mr.. MeGregor
| avowed. I'VE that are now living
wish to witness the benefit from the
| great development of our desert wall
| leys that will result from cheap
| power for irrigation pumping, and
more important. California is In dire
need of flood control now but with
! the Boulder Canyon dam, flood con-
troll will be three times farther off
| than With the Lee Ferry dam as it
| can be built in one third of the time.
With good management, the can
yon of the Colorado will produce the
cheapest power in the world and the
I citizens OF Arizona and California
must prevent a power monopoly of
the canyon to be managed by the
politicians of Washington. Under
stand, do not believe good manage
ment of government owned mon
opoly is impossible. 1t is impossible
| however, by the plan of management
now proposed"
! Cooperative Plan
! Mr.. McGregor then outlined plan
| for the management of the power
! development through a cooperative
| organization of the power users or
| those who pay the bills, and who
would be more vitally Interested in
| good management. He declared that
| the responsibility of the administra-
ton would then fall upon them sub
! ject to the rulings of the corporation
commissions of Arizona and Cali
| fornia. and the other states using the
| power, and the government depart
ment having jurisdiction. This would
remove all these purely engineering
| and financial questions from inter-
state and national politics forever.
| How far" Mrs McGregor asked
| would the federal government get il
| trying to Swing Johnson the resour-
ces of the state of Texas or the state
of California. Why doesn't the gov
ernment try to nationaliZe the river
1 above the mouth of the Green river?
| Was greater insult ever offered to
| the intelligence of the free citizens
| of any state in the union by men in
the citizens of Arizona by the authors
high places, than is now offered to
of the Swing johnson bill and It's
hackers in Washington
Must Arouse People
! Arizona must be aroused: Cali
| fornia must be educated: Lee Ferry
8 compared with the Boulder Can
yon will give California flood control
in e-third the time and power at
one-half the COST Mr.. McGregor de-
clared in closing.
Mr.. McGregor estimated that the
cost of the Glen Canyon dam would
be about $25, 200, 900 as compared to
an estimated cost of s55,000,000 for
the Boulder Canyon dam. If man
aged rightly, he said, the Glen Can
yon dam would furnish power at ap-
proximatelv $12 per horsepower as
/ compared to a power charge in Ari-
zona now of $40 per horse power.
One of the exhibits at the lecture
which caused much comment was
model relief map made by Major
| John D. York. an engineer of New
York City. The model was made of
plaster and showed the topography
! OF the Colorado river canyon from
! Glen Canyon to the Boulder Canyon.
Mr.. York in 1911 under the direction
of Theodore Roosevelt made a relief
map of the Panama canal and the
canal zone. He was state art COM
/ ,,nircinrn,, nf Illinois under. CtnNernnr