Arizona republican., 1922-03-17

as it were, striving TO impress upon
the chairman and members of the
commission the thought that the thing
desired most was action" There
was an apparent feeling among the
speakers that the building of the
Boulder Canyon dam should be un-
dertaken without delay. without at-
tempt of the states to enter into a
seven power treaty which would end
litigation in the ALLEGATION of power
and water rights" Such treaty,
they held, would be natural Sc
quence to the dam construction. In
it's place, they suggested a '1itiga-
tion holiday" Presentation of these
facts changed the entire aspect of the
hearings. The avowed purpose of the
hearings, Chairman Hoover declaI ed
on the opening day, was to arrive at
basic principle upon which the
seven states can agree concerning al
location of water and power rights.
Legal Aspects Are Discussed.
Legal aspects of the question were
most ably discussed at some length in
an address by Richard E. Sloan. city
attorney of Phoenix, the first speaker
on the morning progrars in the fed
eral court room. His address in full
will be found elsewhere. He was fol-
lowed by John c, Hoyt of the United
States geological survey, hydraulic
engineer in charge OF the division of
surface waters, who gave what he
said was an analysis by disinterest-
ed government bureau of the problem
Of utilization of the Colorado's
waters. The morning session ad-
journed at IL: 10 o'clock.
The high school auditorium was
well filled with spectators and inter
ested parties when the afternoon
session convened at o'clock sharp.
Prof. G. E. p. Smith, irrigation en-
gineer at the University of Arizona,
was the first witness of the after
noon.
States on the upper reaches of the
Colorado are demanding water ap-
preparations for the reclamation of
100000 acres of land. Each state
engineer is loathe to abandon any of
the proposed projects, but so long as
economic conditions maintain as they
are today, there could not be realiza-
ton of those plans.
"The water necessary for these
lands would take away so per cent
of the potential hydro electric power
which river development in the Grand
Canyon proposes.
why should states OF the lower
reaches guarantee water rights to the
upper states? 2" Professor Smith
asked, adding, ''let them get those
rights in the usual way.
1T would be unjust to exclude the
man in the lower reaches from par
ticipating in the benefits accruing
from the great water system.
Where is there any necessity for
advance distribution of water in the
Boulder Canyon project? Lands of
the upper basin have no quit claim to
these water rights today. Why, then,
should they have them tomorrow?
BOULDER DAM is NO INTER
FERENCE
CONSTRUCTION of the Boulder Can
yon dam does not validate or in
validate the water rights in any state
Power rights also have ample pro-
lection in the upper states. As a last
resort, Colorado would have the lower
states waive rights of priority for 20
years rather than to give warranty
deed to rights for 100000 acres of
land.
There Is an additional area in Mex
leo TO be considered, how much
cannot say. Sonora lands which
total the Mexican acreage, aggre-
gate about 100000 acres. Is there
to be a division of waters made in
the United States? l would say that
Mexico is not going TO acquire any
water rights under this development
unless she participates in its cost.
Colorado hopes to divert 100000
acre feet from the Colorado basin to
the Mississippi basin. This is one Of
the biggest questions before this COM
mission and should be brought be-
fore the United States supreme
court for final adjudication.
"This loss OF water will reduce the
potential hydro electric power 100000
horsepower, worth s500,000 annually
Agricultural gains in Colorado will
not compensate for the loss of this
power. 1t is a question fun of dyna-
mite and I hesitate to discuss II.
Now Colorado offers a new basis
for settlement of interstate water
rights; she says the water belongs to
the state in which the rain falls.
say it belongs TO the state where 1t
can be used to the best advantage.
Such a basis will come nearer doing
justice to the states Of the Colorado
river basin"
Referring to the proposals to
build dams at Lees Ferry and Glen