The Coconino sun., 1924-10-03
HOW GOV. HUNT HAS
WOBBLED ON THE PACT
Phoenix, Ariz., Sept. "a.
Editor of the Gazette:

county democratic committee, as
adopted yesterday, September %,
1924, are almost wholly devoted to the
Colorado river development and the
compact, and apparently in desper-
ate effort to sustain the position taken
by Governor Hunt on this the most
vital question before the people of
Arizona at the present time. No mat
ter how erroneous the governor has
been and is now on that question, un-
der the circumstances the party is
compelled to indorse his position on
the compact, whether it be ruinous to
the state or not.
What the resolutions might contain
would be none of my particular bust
ness, and I would not have said a
word against them, and only do so now
because in the fourth article of the
resolutions the committee went out Of
its way to make a more or less ma
liciOus attack on me personally for no
other apparent purpose than to boil
ster up Governor Hunts position on
the Diamond creek permit, so called.
The committee stated in the article
of the resolutions referred to, with
reference to the permit" that it ''was
and now is, in probable violation of
law and of the water CODE This con-
dition was recognized by the governor
as early as May, 1928" While that
statement is camouflaged under the
words probable violation" but the
evident intention was to leave the i'm
preston that the granting of this per-
nit was illegal. Therefore, take this
opportunity to state that the granting
was legal then, NOW is" and not in
violation of any law nor the water
code, without any probable" about
last hours of my term, for there was
at that time left of my term of office
more than two years, | having been
appointed for six-year term, ac-
cording to law passed by democratic
legislature and commission issued to
me for that period of time.
Furthermore, Governor Hunt fa-
vored the granting Of the permit in
the following words:
Honorable Herbert Hoover, chair
man, and to the members of the Colo
rada River commission, Bishops
Lodge, Santa Fe New Mexico: | be-
lieve the public sentiment of Arizona
is practically unanimous for immed-
late construction of Diamond creek
power project and heartily favor it
myself and believe that no conces-
.sions should be asked of Arizona as
condition precedent to granting Of
Diamond creek permit. That tub
should stand on it's own bottom.
"GEO. w. P. HUNT,
"751P."
Being a member of the Colorado
river commission, | received a copy of
the telegram and had a right to be-
lieve Governor Hunt meant what he
said.
And, further, the governor and his
special committee of nine, before the
federal power commission, in a care
fully prepared statement, called "The
Arizona PIan," said:
eve believe Diamond creek is the
most commercially feasible site in the
canyon for making a start in the de-
veIopmept of power. We would hike
the Diamond creek license for the
state of Arizona, but we are not in a
position to ask for it. We believe,
however, Arizona's best interests de-
mand that this committee interpose
no hindrance that will in any way de-
lay the issuance of any license and the
realization of the great benefits from
development that are bound to result
not only to our state but to adjoin-
ing states and to the nation"
And further, in the same statement
and with reference to the same Dia-
mond creek permit, the statement con-
tains the following:
eve believe the state of Arizona
can safely bind itself to waive any
right of priority existing laws might
give this power dam over subsequent
appropriations in the upper states. We
cannot see how the upper states can
justly ask more"
That was presented to the federal
power commission on September "a,
1923, long after the resolutions COM
mittee says Governor Hunt discovered
the granting of the permit was an
probable violation" of the law. Gov
ernor Hunt signed and approved the
statement presented to the federal
power commission from which the
above excerpts are taken.
Therefore, at the time the permit
was granted Governor Hunt heartily
favored it himself, as he said in a
telegram to me as member of the
Colorado river commission, and, fur
ther, according to his statement in
the same telegram, "the public senti-
ment of Arizona is practically unani=