Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-08-26
Arizona, California Differ
ences Remain to be Iron
ed Out.
MEDIATION PLAN
Governors of Upper States
to Mediate on Water
Rights.

DENVER, Aug IS tP-Mediation
proposals of the four upper states OF
the Colorado river basin in an at
tempt to straighten out differences
existing between California and Ariz,
ona over the Colorado river seven
state compact struck a snag today
as the governors met in conference
to draft the proposal. The plan for
a mediation proposal came shortly
after noon today when the seven state
conference, which has been III session
here four days this week, suddenly
came to an end.
The conference concluded with the
declaration by Mulford Winsor, mem
ber, OF the Arizona river commission.
that Arizona will unqualifiedly ratify
the seven state Colorado river COM
pact if IN agreement on ALLEGATION
of water between the lower basin
states is reached here and if Cali
fornia will withdraw its reservations
to ratification The answer of Mr..
Winsor came in reply to a direct
question propounded to him by Gov
ernor Frank Emerson of Wyoming.
The conference called by the four
governors representing the states OF
the upper basin was for the purpose
of bringing about compromise be-
tween Arizona and California to per-
nit of the putting into effect OF the
compact signed in 1922 at Santa Fe,
N. M, apportiening the waters OF the
Colorado river between the upper
and lower basin states.
The mediation proposal to be pre-
sented by the. governors OF the upper
states in an attempt to compromise
the Arizona California differences
came following adoption of a motion
by w. r. Wallace, Of Utah, one OF
the representatives of the state to
the conference.
Drafting CT this proposal was start
ed during the afternoon by the four
governors of the upper states but en-
countered a snag when it became
evident that Utah, through its rep
resentatives, held the idea no agree
raent could be reached at the con,
! ference here without declaration
of principles with regard to power,
Other states present at the conference
sought to keep the power proposal
out of the deliberations, contending
that the final putting into effect OF
the seven state compact was con-
t tingent only on the agreement be-
! tween California and Arizona over
/ the ALLEGATION of waters between those
two states After much debate, during
which, at times, the voices of the
| CebaterS could be heard audib1y ouS-
! side the executive chambers, agree
ment finally was reached that the
! mediation proposals to be presented
] the governors of the lower basin
states would contain no reference to
the power question. Attempts at
drafting such proposal, however,
met considerable opposition with the
result that adjournment was taken
without the completion of the work
J At the morning session Governor
] f. D. Balzar, of Nevada, and George
Malone, state engineer of Nevada,
! pre- /,nted Nevada's position to the
conference. The ALLEGATION of 100000
acre feet of water annually from the
liver was declared agreeable but
! notice was served that Nevada would
demand the right to purchase one
third of any and all power that might
be developed at any power plant
erected for the purpose of carrying
out the Swing johnson bill. Both
Governor Balzar and Malone, how
ever, made it plain that Nevada'$
acceptance of the water ALLEGATION
was not made contingent on consid-
GRAFTON of the states power demands
Following this statement of fact
Arizona presented its rebuttal evi-
dence and closed presentation OF it:
case.
Shortly before the noon adjourn
ment committee consisting of Gov
4 Continued on Page Eight)