Las Vegas age. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1947, 1927-08-27
conference HOPES FOR AGREEMENT TODAY
DENVER COLORADO
RIVER CONFERENCE
Assembly of Governors and
Officials of Unusual I'M
portance. Future of West
vitality Affected.

Denver, Coorado, August 25.-
The Colorado River Conference at
| Denver this week is an assmeb-
lage of governors, officials and
leading men of the western states
not equalled in importance in the
west since the Santa Fe, N. M.
| Conference, November, 1922, at
which the Colorado River seven
state compact was formed.
Ths study Of Colorado River
problems has advanced much
| since the former conference and
in some respects the questions
involved have taken new signifi-
| cance. However, with the upper
basin states there is still the main
| issue the same as before, protec-
! tion OF their right to water for fu-
| tura development. 1t is because
of their anxiety to assure this pro-
| lection to their future that the
governors of the upper basin states
are now anxious to bring the
| lower basin states into agreement.
Arizona is In somewhat the
same position with regard to Cali
| fornia as the upper basin is to-
| ward the lower. Arizona there
fore feels it absolutely necessary
| hit in a compel between the lower
| basin states water for her future
| development be provided and held
safe against the more rapid de-
velopment and use of water by
| California
Nevada has some interest in
| this phase of the question, but
neither of the other states has
ehown any disinchnation to con-
cede to her the 100000 acre feet
per annum of water which Nevada
has requested.
But Nevada's great interest is
in the power. Our growth through
Ethe use Of water from the Col
orado River viii be but slight at
the best But the power to be
made available by the construc-
ton of the Boulder Canyon dam
is of vital importance to the state.
Nevada asserts that she has an
4. interest in the great power Op-
portunity placed by nature partly
within her territory. The protec-
ton Of shat interet is just as es-
sential to the growth and pros
perity of Nevada as is assurance
of water TO the other states. 1t
| practically our sole asset in ohe
Colorado River
The State of Nevada at this
conference has suggested that the
rOwer to be developd at Boulder
Dam shall be divided equally be-
tween Arizona, California and Ne
vada. Nevada believes she is en-
titled to the right to purchase
from the government at the power
house switch board, at the price
to be fixed as sufficient to cover
the amortization and operating
costs, ope-third of the power.
Through an amendment passed
by the last legislature, Nevada
has the right to lease or sell such
lpower at price to be agred upon,
to retain such part of the power
as she needs for her own use; and
to recapture power she may have
leased when necessity arises.
Such an arrangement will en-
; able Nevada to develop her mines
and to create industries. 1t will
provide cheap power for pumping
water for irrigation. 1t will bring
to the state an income to provide
for the building of roads, prisons
hospitals. schools and the many
other incidental requirements
which the building of the dam will
bring.
In short, Nevada, while willing
to share with other states the
benefits to come from Colorado
River development, insists thai
she shall be permitted to retain
for her own use a part of those
natural resources which nature
has placed within her borders.
So far as Nevada is concerned
then. the power question is the
vital one in this conference. With
Out assurances from the othel
states Of our right to receive
power, Nevada's permanent bene
fits will be small as compared
with the vast development that
will be made possible in Arizons
and California.
At the present writing an agree
ment upon the water controversy
between Arizona and Californfs
; seems possible. What disposal
the conference will make of thG
power matter, if any, is very un
certain. An attempt is beinf
made to induce Arizona to agree
to ratify the seven-state compact
leaving the power question to be
settled later. Whether such an
agreement can be framed in such
! shape as to he acceptable to both
Arizona and Nevada remains tC
be seen.
Notes of the Conference
Governor Balzar, accompanied
by True Vencil, state bank ex
aminer, arrived Wednesday morn
ing and joined in the conference
Nevada's delegation in Denvel
now consists of Gov Balzar, Sena
tor Key Pittman, True Vencil