Las Vegas age. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1947, 1927-01-15
WITHDRAWAL OF UTAH
FROM RIVER COMPACT
IS NEW PROPOSE
Swing-Johnson Bill Must be
Amended To Meet Utah
Views, is Demand
(Salt Lake TrIbune)


Offering suggestions for all
protection OF the rights of the
state OF Utah in the Colorado
river system and looking to full
development OF the stream and
its TRIBUTARIES, and whicn means
pracLlcally the redrafting OF the
Swlng-J ohnSon Dill, the sub
committee appointed by Governor
Derns Colorado river advisory
committee prepared its recommen-
dations at a meeting Tuesday
afternoon. If the Swing-J ohnson
bill cannot be amended or re-
drafted so as to meet the situa-
ton, the subcommittee recon-
mends Utah's withdrawal from
the Colorado river compact.
The report was approved by a
majority of the committee, which
includes; Malcolm A. Keyser,
chairman; A. w. WINS, s. H.
Love, w. w. Armstrong, C. w.
Morse and W. w. Ray, with Will
lam r. Wallace, Colorado river
commissioner for Utah, serving
ex-officio. A minority report al
so probably will be presented for
the consideration of the general
committee, which urges immedi-
ate repeal of Utah's ratification
of the six-states' compact and
amendment of the seven-states'
compact in that part in which
the commercial navigability of the
stream is renounced.
Copies of the majority report
will be forwarded Wednesday to
members of the general commit
tee to permit study of the re-
concentrations in advance of the
meeting of the general committee,
which probably will be held
Thursday.
Majority Report
The majority report follows:
"Your committee, in view of
Arizona's non-aherence to the
seven-state pact, and Of Calf
ornia's qualified adherence to the
six-state pact, considers that Utah
has the moral and legal right to
withdraw it's adherence to both
pacts unless, in its opinion, the
Swing johnson bill as now drawn
fairly protects the rights of the
state of Utah to the waters and
the bed of the Colorado river.
a. That the rights of the state
Of Utah, or Uah and he upper
basin states, in the waters of the
Colorado river and it's tributaries
be so fixed that prior use of
such waters by lower appropria-
tors shall not diminish such
rights.
"2 That the right of the state
Of Utah or Utah and the upper
of the Colorado river lying within
it's boundaries be confirmed.
'3 That the rights of the
Mexican government in the
waters of the Colorado river be
determined at earliest possible
date.
a. During any period when
the state of Utah is not actually
using its fixed proportion of the
waters of the river, such unused
waters may be used by any other
state, but such use shall not be
construed as an abandonment by
the state of Utah or ripen into
a right of use in the state of its
citizens using such excess. The
state using such excess shall
pay to the state or states owning
such excess fixed considera-
ton for such use.
Question of Title
90. When the United States
has been repaid all money ad-
vanced by it for the develop
ment of any pro- ect on the Colo
RADIO river, toge he with inter
est thereon, then title to said
development shall be in the state
or states to which the power sites
and the water Lelong, and all
funds accruing from said develop
ment after such payment shall
be used for the development of
the usable possibilities of the
Colorado river and its tributaries
within the states lying within
the Colorado river basin.
sc. That the sum of $250,00O
appropriated by the Swing-John-
son bill shall be used to gather
data as to possibilities of develop
ment on the Colorado river and
it's tributaries for irrigation, do
mestic and power purposes
throughout the entire Colorado
river basin.
"7. That irrigation or power
developments, whether on state,
federal or private lands, may be
taxed by the states in which
they are situated.
"8. That all electrical power
produced by any installation built
by money advanced by the United
States shall be sold on a COM
petitive basis, to the end that
the moneys advanced by the
United States, and the interest
thereon, shall be repaid at the
earliest date possible.
Fifty Years Time Limit
80. Fifty years shall be the
limit of time of any contract for
the sale of electrical power, and
such contract shall not carry the