Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1922-11-17

garding what should be done in the development of power and reclamation along the reaches of the stream. This position was taken when an attempt was made to intlUde the Diamond Canyon project on the meeting, MT. Hoover stating that this was a mat ter for the federal power commission to settle. Power along the river is in the hands of the Secretary of the Interior and the Federal Power Com mission, and the reclamation service will control the reclamation projects. This view clarifies the situation nightly, leaving the one thing for the River Commission to agree upon, and that is the control of or the alloca- tion of the water of the stream among the various states.
 Of course, even this is without the law, the federal government having absolute control, the settlement of the question with the states being simply to create agreement and ac- cord among the legislators, so that something tangible may come of the effort to build flood control dam in the river and then allow the waters to be used for power. The west must be in sympathy with reclamation de- velopment to get any agreement with
 the representative of the eastern states, especially for appropriations for the further development of arid lands ,and to do this there must be some concession to the people of the states along the head waters of the Colorado river. But, while the states may agree to matters affecting the rights of each other in the stream it cannot divest the United States government of its prior rights to the waters of the great river. No more can the states acquire rights in the Mississippi river than in the Colorado. Both streams are navigable, although the Colorado at the present time is not carrying much traffic. Its char acter has been maintained by the government ,and no obstruction may be placed in the stream without the consent of the War and Interior De- partments.
 While our opinion has always been against the Colorado River Commits sion securing worth while concessions from the states of the upper basin, we are strongly in hopes that Mir. Hoover's personality will impose some measure that will give congress basis for development appropriations, such as will enable the reclamation service to build a dam in the river for flood control. And we are fur ther of the opinion that the building of dam at Diamond Canyon will have no bearing on the other essential pro- jects on the river and we have no an- tagonism against the building of this project. Our only fear for private projects on the stream is it might es- tablish a precedent that would final ly initiate against government own ership. Government ownership of power and irrigation is essential tc better development of our infant in. dustries. AS an illustration of this view one has to look over the situa. ton in southern California, where Los Angeles is selling power for abou, one-third of the rate set by the Southern California Edison and tho Sierra Power companies, which put every other section of the south par of the state out of competition fo: manufactures. It would be the sam,
 in this state were private ownershi
 to obtain, as against government ow1
 ership. The development of powe:
 we know, is essential to the welfar
 of the copper and other large indu: tries ,and if these corporations bull, the dam for their own use, no one can be injured unless it be them