The border vidette., 1926-02-13
GOVERNOR HUNT PROTESTS

GOVERNOR HUNT PROTESTS
Washington. "A letter from
Governor Hunt of Arizona, de
nouncing the provisions of the
new Swing johnson bill for con.
struction of the Boulder canyon
project on the Colorado river.
was presented to the senate to-.
day by Senator Ashurst, Demo.
crat, Arizona.
Los Angeles and California, :"
Governor Hunt wrote, with
their wealth and arrogance, their
newspapers, propaganda agen.
cies, their distinguished repre-.
sentatives and senators, Commis.
sioner of Reclamation Mead, the
powerful influence of the Cali.
fornia Hoover in the cabinet, and
the cooperation of Secretary
Work of the department of in
terror, may succeed in inducing
the United States and the other
states of the basin to join in the
rape of Arizona. using the guise
of the sheep of the flood protec
ton to cover up the wolf of
power and water greed"
But it never will be done with
Arizona's legal CONSENT" the
governor said, and If I am in a
position to have anything to say
in the matter, which I hope I
may-it will be over Arizona's
physical protest.
Opposition to the Coolidge
dam project on the Gila river ex
pressed in recent hearings before
the irrigation and reclamation
committee, Governor Hunt
charged, was an attempted coer..
cion of Arizona and a "reprisal
for her failure to ratify com.
pact which would destroy her. "
California" the governor
wrote, which only compromises
two and half per cent of the
Colorado river drainage area,
wants 81 per cent of the water
aud the majority of the power.
The repeated statements of
the representatives of California
are ample to justify the belief
that California intends to leave
Arizona nothing in the Colorado
river if it can possibly be obtain.
ed for California's use, and that
no recompense will te made to
Arizona for use of its resources,
if these resources can be obtain
ed by some subterfuge without
cost to California. But the most
interesting factor in the Califor
MIA position is in the endeavor to-
use United States. government
money to build a power dam
located in two other states, the
government to repaid from pow.
er generated in these two states,
and California lands to furnished
a canal, flood control and muni
cipal water at the expense of
these two other states. If Cal.
ifornia can satisfy the five other
states in the basin by agreeing
to a six state compact 10 order
to get what she wants, the testi
mony of her representatives in.
dicates she would do so. But I
cannot understand the willing.
ness of the other states to accept
such q proposition at the ex.
pense of Arizona"
The state of Arizona, Cover.
nor Hunts letter said, is now
prepared by state bond issue
to erect a gigantic project on the
Colorado river, wholly Within
the state and would have no
financial difficulty in doing so.
Negotiations are now pending in
an effort to reach an agreement
between California, Arizona and
Nevada on the division of the
waters of the lower basin. Other
meetings of committees appoint
ed by governors of the states
are waiting action by the Cal.
ifornia committee.
Concluding his letter, Cover
nor Hunt wrote:
THE proposal of Secretary
Work, which [ believe is the
Hoover California plan, has
caused me to become het up on
this matter"
Captain J. A. Klein. adjutant
of the 25th Infantry at Camp