Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-08-20
ARIZONA, CALF.
SEEK COLORADO
RIVER DIVISION


DENVER, Colo, Ag. 10 B-Pre-
liminary jockeying during which
neither side committed itself to any
definite program-expressing, how
ever, extreme optimism as to the
outcome of the parIey--characteriz
! the first meeting of the Arizona and
California Colorado river commissions
here today
| Cautiously feeling their way over
already well traversed ground, in an
endeavor to avoid the entangling
undergrowth which has halted many
4 conference heretofore, the repre-
| sentatives of the two states were
openly confidnt that the veXing ques-
ton of water ALLEGATION in the lower
basin Of the river would be settled
before the general seven state con-
ference next week is convened.
This confidnce was shared by Gov
ernor William H. Adams of Colorado.
who wished the conferees every sue
cess" Colorado is very hopeful, +"
said a statement by Governor Adams,
host to the two state and seven state
conclayes, "and we have every reason
to believe that an agreement will be-
reached.
There is genuineness in the
] feeling that the states drained by
the Colorado river must get together
now and settle this question in the
interest of development @
| An executive session of about an
hour took place during the afternoon.
j In statement for the two commls
sionS, w. B. Matthews, of Los Angeles,
a member of the California official
delegation, said: Z
"Today's informal session was de-
voted to a general discussion of the
issues involved with view to learning
exactly what we will take up at our
| first business session tomorrow. We
are here, of course, to settle the
difficulties among the lower basin
states, and today we talked generally
along that line, although the many
subdivisions of the question were not
taken up.
I Mulford Winsor, president of the
Arizona senate and member of the
states commission, said that Arizona
was earnestly deSirouS of getting to-
gether on the, question of water It
was unanimously agreed at the meet
! ing, Winsor added, that concessions
would have to be made if any head
way was to be gained; and Arizona
I was ready to make those concessions.
/ Mathews indicated that California
/ was willing to make any concessions
within reason. RI ~ r4
Precipitated by the desire of the
states drained by the river to obtain
full signature to the famous Santa
Fee N-e me-, compact of 1922 before,
any development for flood control,
irrigation and domestic water and
power takes place, the conference will
consider only the division of the
100000 acre feet of water allotted
TO the lower basin states es-Arizona,
California and Nevada
Arizona has agreed that the ques-
ton of power royalties on power de-
veloped by a dam at Boulder or
Black canyons, on the Arizona Nevada
state line, will not come up at the
argued by the two states without
success at o series of conferences
extending back to December /, 1926.
The question of water ALLEGATION,
however, has so many ramifications
that only the groundwork for the
general conference next week could
be laid by the commissions Saturday,
it was said.
The ultimate goal of the conferees
is full signature of the compact. That
signed, the upper basin states are
protected against prior appropriations
of water in the lower basin. Arizona
is angling for a subsidiary agreement
with California and Nevada respecting
the ALLEGATION of water between the
three states before agreeing to sign
the instrument.