The Coolidge examiner., 1940-03-21
AS 1T APPEARS TO YOUR

The tabulations of snow surveys
and other precipitation data for
the Colorado and Gila River water
sheds are before me, and they in
dicate in figures what the anxious
farmers of Arizona know to be
the fact. This shortage of mois-
ture has been called to the at
tention of several House commit
tees, and | have talked it over with
Senator Hayden in producing argu-
ments for appropriations for re-
clamation purposes. The appro-
priation bills which were rather
drastically cut by the House un-
der the Budget estimate are now
before the Senate, and | have rea-
son to believe that the water facil-
tiles item will be included and
quite likely payments for certain
farm crops will be replaced by the
Senate.
Yesterday the Rivers and Har-
bors Congress closed it's two-day
session here, a session such as
this advisory body has been hold
ing annually for nearly half a
century. The spirit of the meeting
seemed "low" in general, because
the apparent demand for economy
indicates that less than half the
amount needed for flood control
can be hoped for this year. One
significant note appeared promln-
ent-and that is that reclamation
and soil conservation are now in
cluded as a part of the program
and general interest of this or
eanization. One Western Congress-
man even went so far as to point
out the need of flood control for
the flash floods on innocent look
ing Western streams. OF course,
this organization has directed its
attention in the past to great
water developments such as on
the mighty Mississippi and tribu-
taries. lot of opposition was
shown in this meeting to the st.
Lawrence Waterway proposal. An
energetic woman, descendant OF
the builder of the Erie Canal, put
in a plea for a deep waterway from
the Hudson River to Lake Erie and
invited the fleet to visit her at
her home on the shores of one OF
the Great Lakes.
1t is a matter of congratulation
that two great competing radio
companies in Arizona have expand
ed their facilities and have had
petitions favorably acted upon by
the Federal Communications Com
mission recently. Because of this
improvement on the part Of these
two and the establishment OF
some new stations, Arizona should
become more and more one con-
solidated community and "a whis-
pering gallery" for anyone who
has anything to say. This means
very much in the broadened scope
of educational opportunity for all
the people.
Increasing interest is shown in
an intensive study of the unem-
ployment problem to which atten-
ton was called some weeks ago
by one small House group. | was
chosen secretary of the group and
thereby get in on all the angles OF
the varied study going on. One
proposal which looks interesting
provides for a perpetual census or
unemployment. This would not
necessarily be carried on by the
Census Bureau, but would be based
on the census to be taken next
month and then kept up to date
by the proper machinery there
after.
Next week the appropriation bill
involving CCC camps and the Ma
tional Youth Administration will
be before the House. There are
lumors of heavy cuts below the
Budget recommendation Last year
Congressman Ross Collins of Miss
issippi, Jed Johnson of Oklahoma,
and |, hearing rumors of COM
mittee cut on NYA appropriation
far under the Budget estimate at
that time, organized forces and
we're able to add $19,000,000 to the
NYA appropriation for the cur
rent year. I have talked this mat
ter over with those two gentlemen
again, and we hope to do some
thing about it this time. Of course
7 received letters and kilograms
a year ago protesting reduction