The Coconino sun., 1926-05-21
is THIS WHAT WE VOTED FOR?

The suggestion made by The Sun some months
ago that the development of the Colorado river
was an engineering problem using the best eng1-
neering talent of the United States rather than
political talent, seems to have found lodgment at
last So far only political talent has ever been
employed in developing the vote getting possibil-
ties of the great river. While The Sun does not
wish to claim any of the hon0rs for having made
this rather basic suggestion, we firmly believe
that it is the only grounds upon which Arizona
can base its claims and have them heard by the
whole people of the United States. It is re-
grettable condition of affairs, but east of the
great Mississippi river there are few people who
fully realize what is happening In the Southwest
at this time. The vastness of the proposition and
what it really means to the nation at large, has
not as vet reached them. In greater part, east
eTn congressman merely recognize the great flght
as a petty local squabble in which Los Angeles is
mainly interested in putting its scheme over on
the balance of the states interested. Los Angeles
claims California wants it. The truth of the mat
ter is that Los Angeles wants it that it may
strangle any striving industries which might To-
cate outside her boundaries and has made such
loud noise that congress believes that it is all Cal
ifornia making the fight.
It might be we'll for some dsinterested con-
gressman to take trip through the Owens river
country and get some information from the
ranchers there who have been so wrought up over
the high handed methods of Los Angeles that
they have been dynamiting dams in retaliation
for the water taken away from their ranches.
Digging into the details of this water scandal
might give the fasteners some small idea OF just
what is taking place in the west.
Arizona today is over political barrel. We
are being spanked for furnishing the barrel.
Governor Hunt has sent his man Friday, Cleve
VanDyke and specially selected committee of
his friends back to Washington, to; plead his
cause, whatever that may be. So far as Arizona
is concerned this only messes the mess that much
more.
Arizona has SO far only registered back east as
standing in the way.
If it is impossible to reach President Coolidge
and show him what is going on in, our great
Southwest, and backed by members of his cab
met who are great men, but influenced by pre-
ponderance of political noise Arizonans may just
as well sell out and move to Los Angeles. !,
We do not believe that President Coolidge will
sell Arizona to Les Angeles if he knows the facts.
Arizonas interests have been woefully misTnan-
aged in the interest of Los Angeles most highly
trained political financiers. They seem to have
on their staff many noted engineers who are will
ing to build rivers up into the clouds. Unfer-
tunately Arizona has developed few of the same
kind of engineers who are willing to stake their
reputation on being able to take the Colorado
river out of its bed and lead it through few
hundred miles of tunnels, spilingFlt here and
there as required by the voters.
The congressional committee turned down the
amendment made by Hayden which would have
given President Coolidge the authority of appoint
ing the best engineers available to go over the
grounds and make recommendations. Senatorial
committees have gone over the Los Angeles pro-
gram at Boulder Canyon dam site time and again.
None of them have taken the trouble to go furth-
er up the river and look the whole proposition
over Neither Work nor Hoover have ever taken
the trouble to look over the Glen Canyon end of
the Colorado river Evidently they believed all
that the Los Angeles boosters told them andWere
willing to let it go at that.