The border vidette., 1923-04-21


from Governor Hant to Mr.. and
Mrs. Jack Hoffman, of Yuma,
explains the chief executives
position on the Colorado River
compact, and will be of interest
to all citizens of Arizona:
Phoenix, Ariz., 3, 1923.
My Dear Friends
am in receipt of your letter
of March 31st.
am very much interested in
your comment concerning the
situation in Yuma Valley and
the sentiment in connection with
the Colorado river compact. OF
course, as you know, l carefully
refrained from taking any posi-
tion on the pact except to recon
mend the utmost care in study
ing it's provisions in order that
the rights of the state of Arizona
might be fully protected.
You will recall that there was
introduced into the senate and
the house a resolution, a concur
rent resolution, which proposed
to ratify something that purport
ed to be the Colorado river com
pact; that this resolution was in
troduced prior to the time that
I announced I would lay the mat.
ter before tho legislature Off
cially.
Of course you will understand
that it was necessary, in laying
the matter before the members
of the legislature, for me to have
the original certified copies Of
the pact made by the secretary
of state, which of course requir-
ed several days time, and the
matter was officially placed be
fore the senate and house ten
days after the legislature Assem-
bled. There appears to have
been a rather studied attempt on
the part of some people to mis-
represent my attitude toward the
pact, which was indicated by the
almost immediate introd uction of
this concurrent resolution in the
house and senate, to approve the
pact.
AS you know, a concurrent re-.
solution is an action between the
two houses of the legislature.
It bears no enacting clause and
does not require the signature of
the governor. It is not legisla
ton. All the other states in ap.
proving the pact, approved it
either by an act" or Joint
resolution" both Of which are
'acts" requiring the signature of
the governor. 1t is apparent
that the pro pactists sought to
take such action OH the pact as
would deprive the governor of
the state of Arizona of his au.
thority to represent the people
in the matter.
The pro pacists in the legisla
ture having adopted this atti
tude, I took occasion in laying
the pact before the legislature,
to call attention to the fact that
I was acting in a "ministerial''
capacity, and l further recon.
mended the approval or disap
proval of the pact to the legisla
ture or to any of its members.
Both houses of the legislature
refused to approve the pact in
it's present form, the majority of
the members believing that it
did not fully or adequately pro
tect the rights of Arizona, and
for that reason the pact was not
approved in the regular session
of the Sixth Legislature.
There is at the present time a
very subtle and insidious attempt
being made by certain Republi-
cans who favor the pact, and by
certain Democrats who favor the
pact, as written, to misrepresent
my position and attitude toward
the pact.
I can we'll sympathize with the
people in the Yuma Valley in
their concern over the necessity
of flood control and the elimina
ton of the terrible menace which
hangs over them. And let it be
said that personally I have an
interest, a definite interest both
as governor of the state, as a
citizen of the state and as an in
vestor in the Yuma Valley, in
seeing that this food menace is
eliminated, and I rather resent
the attempt of some people &c
impugn my motives in refrain
ing from attempting to use my
position as governor of the state
of Arizona, to dictate to the
| looiSlotpra hnu IL shall act Or