The Coconino sun., 1924-09-12

1I0 L UNA Dull, dn OIu llH6 OCluO
cratic paper under the heading of "Ar
Inexcusable Mistatement" has the fol
lowing to say relative to Governor
Hunt and his policies and platform:
We have never enjoyed the privi
lege of hearing Governor G. w. P
Hunt discuss the Colorado river, but
Judging by some of his reputed utter
ances which we have read, it must be
to him a subject as deep and unfath-
omable as the ocean into which il
empties.
We know that when he gets cal
het up"-that is, when he is explain
ing why it is necessary for him to
"save the state" by running a fifth
time for govemor-he is tiercely fer
ninst "that damnable pact;" but we
have utterly failed to catch it if he
has ever supplied an intelligible state
ment of the pact's damnabilities.
We observed some time since that
he had adopted as gospel truth the
MaXwellan canard of an asiatic col
ony in our neighboring territory OF
Baja Colifornia-a huge city of Or
ientals with certainties of overwhelm'
ing invasion, the unspeakable honors
of war, and annhilation instantly II
not quicker for all of us, via the aero
plane and gas-bomb route; but we
have not read the evidence of how
this is going to happen, with Mexico
following the course of the United
States with respect to Asiatic exclus-
ion, or how the awful catastrophe, Il
it is to descend upon US, can be avert
ed by the defeat Of a compact which
merely divides the Colorado's waters
between American States.
Recently we read, in a letter adj
dressed to the Yuma County Water
Users Association, that he would new
er agree to any compact that failed
to give Arizona justice; but nothing
then, nor yet, nor hereafter, to make
plain in what respect the Colorado
River Compact denies justice to this
State.
But our purpose in writing this edl-
torial is not to discuss the Compact.
Rather we have in mind the Colorado
River question as a whole, and the
fact that to Governor Hunt it appears
to be as a closed book, in language
far beyond him.
We have tried to keep up with his
dabs at the subject, but it has been
an awful task. We have gathered,
however, that he is opposed to private
development on the river; that he IS
for the privately owned Diamond
Creek project; that State ownership
is the thing; that the state is not
prepared to go into the power and lf,
rigation business; that the Federal
Power commission should give per-
nit to Girand; that Arizona should
not extend its permit to Grand; that
the State should construct dam at
Spencer Canyon, which would destroy
Diamond Creek; that the Diamond
Creek dam should be built, which
would destroy Spencer Canyon as a
damsite; that the State should bond
itself to build dam at Glen Canyon;
that we should economize; that he IS
against the Compact because Arizona
doesn't get enough water; that the
Compact would be satisfactory IT 1t
gave Arizona a royalty on power;
that he is for the Highline Canal; that
he wants a hundred thousand to find
out if the Highline is feasible; that
IaRue is a great authority when he
saws mavbe there isn't enough water
for everyone; that LaRue is no good
when he says the highline is the bunk;
that he is against Mexico getting any
water; that he is against California
getting any water, and thereby keep
ing Mexico from getting it.
And so on and on, now here and now
there, like the Irishman's flea; or,
which is perhaps more appropriate,
foundering abount like live fish IN
skillet of hot grease. But never an
exclamation Of diagram of any of his
marvellous gyrations. If there is any
explanation it is the poor old Gov
ernor is completely up in the air on
the whole subject of the Colorado rlv-
er. He ust simply does not, and if ne
really wants to, cannot grasp what 1t
is all about.
The latest proof Of this comes in
the form of a public statement at
tributed to him a short time ago, to
the effect that all of the talk about the
need for food control on the Colorado
river is bunk and meant to create
a false public sentiment while a big
steal-which he, naturally, must pre-