The border vidette., 1928-04-14
SENATOR ASHURST BATTLING
FOR ARlZONA'S RIGHTS

L
FOR ARlZONA'S RIGHTS
! Washington, April GA reck-
less and relentless assault on
Arizona Is the way Senator
Henry F. Ashurst of that state
describes the johnson Boulder
Canyon bill 10 a minority report
| fled today with the senate.
1T may indeed appeal to some
as a project of superb magni-
tude," he said, but the bill is
ruthless and cynical. Itswarms
with cryptic phrases. It is not
the voice of compromise or ex-
tension of the hand of amity and
friendship"
4 Declaring the bill was drawn
wholly in the interest Of Califor
| mia, the Arizonian said it "se-
| dulously and intentionally pro-
poses TO sever Arizona's jugula.
vein"
| THE bill is intended to be,
and is, an attempt to coerce
| Arizona, the report added.
'One administration unsuccess-
fully attempted to coerce Ari
zona into joint statehood with
| New Mexico. Another admins
tration unsnccessfully attempted
to coerce Arizona upon certain
| provisions of her constitution
and those who are attempting by
this legislation to coerce Arizona
will ultimately discover that they
have simply been standing like
large locomotives on sidetrack,
without driving rods. wasting
steam vociferous and futile sibi
liation."
| Answering that Arizona con-
stituted 43 per cent of the total
area of the Colorado river drain
age basin whereas, only II per
cent of the basin is in California,
/ Ashurst said the Boulder Can
yon plan of development allotted
to California 38 per cent of the
estimated constant supply Of the
Colorado river.
| The Arizonian then listed fif.
teen specific objections to the
bill. They we're:
That it tresp8sses on the SOY:
ereignty of Arizona and there
fore is unconstitutional.
/ Because it. would prohibit
| Arizona from the right to build
dams on streams wholly within
the state for development of
hydro electric power.
! Because it denies authority
of Arizona to amend its own con
stitution.
Because Arizona joins with
| the upper basin states in asking
that no legislation proposing
construction of any project upon
1.-The Colorado river should be
enacted by congress or otherwise
authorized by any federal agen
cies before negotiations now ia
progress have been completed
and every reasonable effort ex-
hausted to reach such an agree.
ment between the seven states.
| Because the construction of
any large storage project on the
main Colorado river in the ab
sence of q specific ALLEGATION of
water to Arizona will make water
available for use in Mexico and
thereby ultimately deprive the
lands in Arizona of it's use.
l Because the bill proposes in
| a sion of Arizona by the govern,
ment and usurpation of the use
of the bed of the Colorado river,
it's banks and lands Of water and
the delivery of this water to an
other state to the detriment of
Arizona.
Because under the terms of
the bill, Arizona will be depriv.
ed of the use of water essential
for her future growth and pros.
perity which could be made pos.
sible for the development of
power and the irrigation of her
lands.
Because of the misleading
language in the bill. which.
while declaring that q large irri
cation project in California shall
bear the cost of the canal and
of appurtenant structures neces.
sary to irrigate the lands in
California, the provisions of the
bill. in truth and in fact, will
require the power resources of
Arizona and Nevada to under.
write the repayment of the cost
of the main canal and appurten.
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