Nogales international., 1929-07-19
EDITORIAL COMMENT ON
BOULDER DAM EXTENSIVE

Editorial comment on Boulder Dam has been
very extensive since President Hoover proclaimed
the Swing Johnson Bill in effect and Secretary Will
bur announced that the government would, if prac-
ticabe sell falling water rather than electric cur
rent The Los Angeles Times, June 27 has an editor
al setting forth the present status of the project
'The most hopeful sign that Colorado River
control is actually to become reality is the dspos
ton, made manifest at Tuesdays and yesterdays
conferences with Secretary Wilbur and Commission
er Mead of the Reclamation Bureau, of the various
California power companies to cooperate with the
city and the Federal Government and to assure a
market for the power that will be produced South
ern California, it is apparent from the offers already
received stands ready to take all any part of this
power, estimated at 100000 horsepower so that with
out regard to Arizona and Nevada, each of which is
entitled to bid for one-third of it, the financing of
this great project, which means so much for the
prosperity Of the whole Southwest, seems to be as
sured The other two states under the terms of the
bl have six months in which to decide how much of
their shares they will ask for, but the guarantee
from California seems to be sufficient so that the
government will not have to wait for this decision
The ALLEGATION can be made later, and in the mean
time the other prelimlnares to actual construction
may be started.
president Hoover's proclamation of Tuesday
made the Boulder Dam bill effective. It was an Of
ficlal cerfcaon, required by law that six states
have fully ratified the Colorado River Compact and
have waived it's requirement that there be seven
State acceptance. The six ratfiers are California
Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Wyoming;
the seventh as everybody knows is Arizona whose
attitude is still factor of uncertainty in the situa
tion. -
"The plan of Secretary Wilbur to sell falling
water, rather than electric energy, seems to meet
with the. approval Of the local bidders for power.
Ihs plan would Obviate the necessity of government
construction of the power plants and reduce the gov
ernment commitment to the project by $31 100000
Or more, this being estimate of the cost of the
power plants, without transmission lines, which will
have to be built by the bidders for the power in any
event The joint cost Of power plants and transmits
sion Lines is set at somewhere between $56000000
and $90,000,0O0.
III the Wilbur plan is adopted, which now seems
probable, the amount which must be guaranteed to
the government before construction may be started
is reduced to approximately $7O,000,00O This figure
is to be arrived at by deducting in succession from
the total estimate of $65 000O 900 fixed in the Boud
er Dam blll-the estimate was made by the engine
erng commission headed by Maj Gen. Seibert-frst
S39,OOO,OOO as the cost of the Al-American Canal
next $25,0000O0 as government advance toward
Hood control, the repayment of which does not need
to be guaranteed the next $31 100000 as the proba
bic cost Of the power plants The AllAmerican Canal
is seperate project upon which the construction Of
the dam is in way dependent If built it's fnanc-
ing will have to be taken care of by Imperial Valley.
1T is obvious that commercial chance is being
taken by the power bidders, since no present market
exists which could absorb that amount of energy in
addition TO the amounts already produced. But, in
the first place. this power will not be available for
several years. and demand will naturally grow in the
meantime, and in the second place. the availability of
this cheap power will tend to create it's Market
so that the speculation appears reasonably safe
Not only in industry, but in the home is there po
tental market for vastly greater amount of electric
energy than is being used if it is for sale at low
rates House cooling as well as house heating is now
OF DEVELOPMENT, to mention OnlV one DOS
sibity Loads are being built up at the presest time
with electric refrigeration It is of increase
ed industrial load thatw add most to the growth Of
the community Cheap power cheap water, cheap fuel
access to materials and good transportation to
markets are the lodestones which attract industry,