The border vidette., 1925-08-22
MEMORANDUM OF SPEECH DE-
LlVEREO BY GOV. HUNT At
THE COLORADO RIVER
CONFERENCE
Phoenix, Aug. II, 1925.

| ference in an endeavOr to ind a
remedy for, and to reconcile
some of the defects contained in,
the Colorado River Compact,
| which was negotiated at Santa
Fe, New Mexico. This compact
pur ports to allocate the waters
of the Colorado River in accord
ance with the terms of Uniform
law passed by Congress and the
seven states in the Colorado Ri
yer basin. By referring to the
law you will ascertain the fact
that it authorizes compact ap
portioning the water of the Colo
RADIO River between the states.
The first fundamental error in
the compact is that it does not
apportian the water as autboriz
ed by law between the States"
but between arbitrary divisions
called basins, the upper" and
the lower" basins, and this was
done without consideration of
conditions existing in the two
arbitrary basins created. Under
the arbitrary conditions estab
lished for the division of the
division of the water, Arizona,
due to economic conditions, is
subject to the same difficulties
IS the upper basin states and by
signing the compact would, in
competition with California, be
signing away all her rights and
hopes for future development.
The second fundamental error
in the compact is that all of the
water that.the upper basin states
can ever use land some eminent
engineers claim more water than
they can ever use) has been ap
portioned to them, while INSULT
cient water was allocated to the
lower basin to irrigate all of the
lands susceptible to feasible de
velopment and in return for this
advantage in ALLEGATION of water
they give nothing to the lower
basin either in recognition of
rights, of storage facilities or
otherwise, unless we expect pos
sible freedom from legislative
and departmental coercion and
threatened law suits.
The third defect in the com
pact is tina no provision is made
to prevent water stored in the
United States, when it is releas
ed and the low water flow in
creased from being applied to
Mexican lands and possible
water rights acquired in that
country.
The fourth defect is that in
the ALLEGATION of water the upper
basin states will be served from
the normal flow of the river,
while the lower basin must de
pend on storage and no allow
ance is made for evaporation
loses which will result to the
lower basin from the stored
water.
/ What is the reason for any
compact being negotiated which
| sets aside the present we'll es
tablished and defined water laws
which govern the utilization Of
water in all of the states of the
states of the basin and the prin
ciples of which we're held by
the United States Supreme Court
to govern as between the states
in the basin? The only answer
that can be made, logically and
truthfully, is that it is dictated
by the farsighted business acu
men of some of the states in the
basin who are endeavoring tt
securs for use in the distant fu
ture, rights which they do not
now possess under the law
The upper basin states are man
ifesting no altruism in demand
ing a compact. They do no
take the position that it is ion
material where development il
undertaken so long as it is ir
the United States. They are
demanding all that they can ge
for their political subdivisions OF
states. Why should we not d.
likewise?
Economic law may be harsh
but it is the only law that gov
ems. We are told by eminen
authorities that $150,OOO,000 ii
unearned increment will become
attached to the lands of the I'm
perial Valley as soon as ade
quate storage facilities are pro
vided to insure steady supply
of water for irrigation and fooC
control; and that additional hun
dreds of millions or perhaps bill