Las Vegas age. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1947, 1928-01-14
URGE FURTHER TRI-
STATE MEETINGS
UPPER BASIN STATE REPRESENTATIVES, URGE FUR
THEIR TRI-STATE MEETINGS.
BALzAR CHANGES OPINION AFTER RECEIVING LAT
Err INFORMATION

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13. - The
outstanding feature OF the hearing
on the Swing-Johnson iMll before
the house committee this week is
the unanimity with which the rep
resentatives OF the upper basin
states urge a continuation of the
conferences between the three
lower basin states with a view to
securing the ratification of the
Colorado River Compact.
Governor Dern in reviewing the
Denver conferences stated that a
great advance toward an agree
ment has been made and urged
that all action toward legislation
be suspended until a compact Is
reached. Francis Wilson for
Wyoming. Ward Bannister for the
City of Denver and DELPHI Car
penter for Colorado urged that
the conferences. be resumed. Ban
mister spoke strongly in favor of
thu Boulder Dam bill but at the
same time advocated that the
states made an agreement Gov
ernor Emerson of Wyoming urged
that action be reasonably delay ed
to enable the states to get to9eth-
er, but If this Is impossible he is
willing to support the bill with
the six state compact idea.
In the course of the questioning
Congressman Swing made some
uncomplimentary remarks about
Governor Hunt of Arizona which
McCluskey, Hunts secretary, TAX
ing the floor, strongly resented.
Swing also intimated that Cali
fornia Is being forced to buy the
support OF Arizona and Nevada by
the payment of power revenue
Congressman Arentz entered a
vigorous denial Of the charge and
offered to show that California,
under provisions of the Swing
johnson dill will receive far great
er payments from power develop
ment than Arizona or Nevada.
George w. Malone, as the per-
sonal representative OF Governor
Balzar and secretary OF the Col
orado River Commission read q
letter from the Governor stating
that Nevada is ready and willing
to confer with Arizona and Cali
fornia on water and power. Con-
gressman Douglass of Arizona read
letter from Governor Balzar to
Governor Hunt, dated December
q. which said in part, Our rep
resentatives in Congress can be
depended upon to earnestly oppose
the Swing johnson bill in its pres
ent form, or any bill attempting
to allocate the waters of the Col
orado River or the benefits to be
derived therefrom. that is not
satisfactory to all of the seven
river states" Douglass asked II
this is the position of Nevada and
Malone replied that the Governor
has changed his opinion on ac-
count of information which he re-
ceived later. When asked II Ne
vada wishes the present legisla-
tion passed, Malone stated that It
does with certain amendments.
Malone then offered for the record
compilation of engineering data
obtained during the conferences
at Denver and San Francisco on
both water and power questions.
John p, Hoang, engineer OF New
York summoned by Congressman
Douglass, gave as his opinion that
the Boulder Dam project under
the setup of the Swing-Johnson
bill would cost from 18O to 210
million dollars, and that the in
vestment could not be ammortize1
by the sale of power. He stated
that he was asked to study the
problem two weeks ago. Con-
grsssman Arentz criticized the
presumption of testifying on so
great problem with 80 meagre
an examination.
The committee viii devote to-
mororE to proponents OF the
bill. The whole situation Is COM
plicated and renewal of the three
state negotiations offers the only
substantial hopef or legislation at
This session.