Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-11-25

waters and the protection
flood.
The states signatory to this COM
pact, the first of its kind in America,
are Arizona, California, Colorado,
Nevada, New Mexico. Utah and
wyoming. The signers in the order
Of states given are w. 5. Noryiel,
w. L. Mcclure. DELPHI z. Carpen-
ter. j. G. Scrugham, stephen B.
Davis, Jr., +. r. CaldWell ana
Frank c. Emerson.
Will Preserve Gold Pen
Herbert Hoover, secretary OF
commerce, representing the fed
eral government, who has presided
at the conferences Of the Colorado
river commission, composed for the
foregoing, handed the signers the
special gold pen provided by the
state of New Mexico for the pur-
pose which will be preserved in
the state archives. .-...
Secretary Hoover also appended
lis signature. Governor Mechem
of New Mexico and a small group
OF Santa Fe men and women We're
present at the signing, photographs
were taken of Secretary Hoover
and the commissioner in the act OF
affixing their signatures.
The compact completed after
eighteen days of intense .applica-
tion by the commission at Bishop
Lodge in less than 1000 words i
length and is composed Of clever
articles. It's purposes expressed il
the first article include the follow.
ing.
ITO provide for the equitable
division and apportionment of the
use of the waters of the Colorado
river system; to establish the rela.
tive Importance of different bene.
ficial uses Of water, to promote in
terstate comfy and to remove
causes Of preseht ana future con.
troversies."
River Basin Divided
Briefly. the compact divides the
river basin into two divisions. tn,
upper Including Wyonine, Utah
Colorado and New Mexico; til,
lower Arizona, Nevada and Cali
fornia. The agreement apportioni
in perpetuity to each section tht
exclusive beneficial use" of 1900,
900 acre feet Of wate" annually
including water necessary for sup
plying existing rights
The lower basin is also given tht
right to increase such use of watei
by 100000 acre feet per annum
II is provided that if the United
States recognizes any right o
Mexico TO use Of the Colorado
waters it shall be supplied by the
surplus, by the two divisions
equally Further apportionment o
unapportioned waters may be mao,
forty years hence, if the presen
apportionment has been fully util
lied. Use OF the river for naviga
ton Is made subservient to agri
cultural use. The right of no statt
TO regulate w,ter use within 4
boundaries is abridged.
Settling Controversies.
Through the appointment o
commissioners whose acts are sub
ject to legislative approval. provi
sion is made for settling future in
terstate. controversies. Presen
perfected rights 10 the beneficial
use of water are unimpaired: th,
compact may be terminated at an
time by unanimous consent; moth
ing in it is to affect obligations by
the government to the Indians, no
shall anything in it limit legal pro
ceedings to enforce it,
Provision also is made for tn,
setting up o. committee of stat,
and national water officials, fo
the collection of information an,
the measurement of the flow of tn,
river. The compact is to becon,
binding when ratified by the stat,
legislatures and congress.
Secretary Hoover and the com
missioners will leave tomorrow
Confidence that all the state legis
latures will AZ prove the compac
was expressed by various commits
sioners.
The complete text of the com
pact follows:
"The states of Arizona, Cali
fornia, Colorado. Nevada. New
Mexico, Utah and Wyoming hav
ing resolved to enter into a com
pact under the act OF congress o
the United States Of America, ap
proved August 19, 1921 (42 statute
at large, page I'D. and the acts o
the legislatures of the said state
have, through their governors, ap
pointed as their commissioners
w. S. Norviel for the state of Ari
zona, w. f. Mcclure for the stat,
Of California, DELPHI E. Carpente
for the state of Colorado, J. G
Scrugham for the state Of Nevada
Stephen B. Davis. Jr.. for the stat,
Of New Mexico. + Il. Caldwell 70
the state of Utah and Frank C
Emerson for the state of Wyoming