The border vidette., 1922-12-02
PACT IS SIGNED.
Will Become Bir ding When Ratified
 by Congress.

Santa Fe, N. M NOV. Zf--lD the historic Ben Hur room Of the old Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, and on the lap board on which General Lew Wallace wrote most of his man uscript for Ben Hur, represent atives of seven states, at 6:15 o'clock tonight, signed compact to secure the expeditions agri cultural and industrial develop ment of the Colorado river basin, the storage of it's waters and the protection of life and property from flood.
 The states signatory to this compact, the first of it's kind in America, are Arizona, Califor pia, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The signers in the order of states given are W. 6. Norviel. W. F. Mcclure, Delph E Carpenter, J. G. Scrueham, Stephen B. Davis, Jr.. R. E. Caldwell and Frank c. Emerson.
 Herbert Hoover, secretary of commerce, representing the fed eral government, who has pre- sided at the conference of the Colorado river commission, com posed for the foregoing, handed the signers the special gold pen provided by the state of New Mexico for the purpose which will be preserved in the state archives. Governor Mechem, of New Mexico, and a small group of Santa Fe men and women were present at the signing. Photographs were taken of Sec retary Hoover and the commiS sioners in the act of afhxipg their signatures.
 The compact, completed after 16 days of intense application by the com missioners at Bishops lodge is less than 2,OOO words in length and is composed of II articles. 5-'-51--+---s z--- se----- 1s-f
 It's purposes, expressed in the first article, include the follow ing;
 TO provide for the equitable division and apportionment of the use of the waters of the Col orado river; to esta blish relative importance of difference benef cial uses of water, to promote inter state comity and to remove causes of present and future controversies.
 Briefly, the compact divides the river basin into two divi sions, the upper, including Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico; the lower, Arizona. Nevada and California. The agreement apportions in perpe tuity to each section the 'ex elusive beneficial use" of 7,5OO,. GOO acre feet of water annually, including water necessary for supplying existing rights.
 The lower basin is also given the right to increase such use of the water by 100000 acre feet per annum. It is provided that if the United States recognizes any right Of Mexico to use of the Colorado waters, it shall be sup piled by the surplus, by the two divisions equally. Further ap portionnent of unapportioned waters may be made 10 years hence, if the present apportion ment has been fully utilized. Use of the river for navigation is made subservient to agricul tural use. The right of no state to regulate water use within it's boundaries is abridged.
 Through the appointment of commissioners, whose acts are subject to legislative approval, a provision is made for settling future inter state controversies. Present perfected rights to the beneficial use of water are un impaired; the compact may be terminated at any time by un animous consent; nothing in it is to affect obligations by the government to the Indians, nor shall anything in it limit legal proceedings to enforce it. Provision also is made for the setting up of committee of state and national water officials, for the collection of information and the measurement of the flow of the river. The compact is to become binding when ratified by the state legislatures and con- gross.
 . -