Imperial Valley press., 1927-08-22
GOVERNOR
OF UTAH
DEFIANT
Dern Declares Govern
ment Should Keep Hands
Off Western Waters.
THEORY IS WRONG
Northern States Willing
to Aid CalifOrnia-Ari-
ZOna Reach Basis.
Nv United Press Leased Wire


DENVER, Colo, Aug. 22.--The
federal government should keep its
hands off waters of western streams,
Governor George l.. Dern, of Utah,
told delegates to the Seven State
Colorado River Conference today.
Dern, chairman of the river con-
ference, assailed the right of the
federal government to dispose OF
water and DECLARED that right rests
solely with the states through which
the streams pass.
1.-THE theory which has been ad-
vanced by attorneys for the bureau
of reclamation, that congress has
the power to allocate and apportion
the waters Of any western river
among the states regardless of their
will, is abhorrent to our whole plan
Of government, Dern said.
"It proceeds from the vicious
bureaucratic hypothesis that in all
the western states the United States
and not the state owns and may dis
pose Of the waters of any stream
and that congress at any time may
wholly remove the control of such
waters from the state.'
The difficulties over apportion-
ment of water between Arizona and
California should be discussed ami
cably, Dern said. The four upper
basin states, he declared. are will.
ing to devote every effort to bring
ing about settlement of the two
states controversy.
Hope For Agreement
When the conference got under
way 1t appeared to most delegates
that both Arizona and California
would go at least half way in an
attempt to agree as to the alloca,
tion of waters among the lower
basin states.
Arizona delegates still held ou.
for a revision of the seven state
compact but appeared willing to
bring that about by a sub-compact
between the three lower basin
states, which might be ratified lat
er by the upper states.
States power resources on rav1-
gable streams should not be given
away or sold, Dern said. They
should be leased, he declared, so
that the rentals could help relieve
property tax burdens.
In this connection, Dern referred
to the obstruction by the depart
ment of the interior of the Boulder
Dam and proposed sale of hydro
electric power from the dam.
"lf we sleep on our rights and
let the federal government grab
the power resources we shall for
ever close this avenue of relief to
property owners" Dern asserted.
Furthermore. if the states retain
perpetual ownership they can In
clude regulation of rates in the
terms of the leases from time to
time and thereby prevent the lessee
from gouging the public.''
Young Suggests Arbitration
A proposal that the dispute be-
tween California and Arizona be
settled definitely by disinterested
parties 81 was made by Governor G.
{. Young of California. Young de-
clared thar inasmuch as there seems
to be no chance of either Of the
states compromising it would be to
the best interests of all concerned
in disposition of the rivers water
to have committee composed Of
one representative of each Of the
seven states together with two en-.
gineers appointed by President
Coolidge settle the controversy.
The decision of the committee
would be final, according to Youngs
proposal.
81 believe" Young said, "that
since Arizona and California have
not come to an agreement. the
facts as to our respective necessi-
ties should be settled for Us by dis.
interested parties"
"Caifornia," Young continued,
Continued on page 81