OCR Text |
Show off to a jerky start Trent t'he ontset, we have been doubtful of the value of the Federal Government's great master plan for the Four Corners area, which involves the establishment establish-ment of a Four Corners Economical Development district. dis-trict. The district is to be headquartered somewhere in the area, is to staff its headquarters with federal employees attempting to breathe economic life into a geographical area through any means it cam employ, em-ploy, is to receive and dispense pockets full of goodies from Washington, etc. Planning and preliminary decisions on the District Dist-rict are to be made by the area's four state Governors. But now, it appears that partisan political problems are already entering in to the extent that the four gentlemen are divided even before they have properly proper-ly begun. Governors of three of the four states are Republicans. Re-publicans. The fourth, Utah's Governor Calvin L. Ramipton, is a Democrat. And so is the' administration administra-tion in Washington. Each of the four .governors wants the headquarters in his own state, and have agreed to meet to work the establishment, Out. But they apparently ap-parently will meet without Governor Rampton, who has indicated he did not plan to meet the other three, ' even though he has been pushing Monticello as the . District headquarters. (Other communities considered consider-ed and favored by respective governors are Page, Arizona Ari-zona ; Cortez, Colorado ; and Farmington, New Mexico.) Mex-ico.) And with Washington being what it is, we are doubtful about any .quick acceptance of recommendations recommen-dations frorrlhree -Republicaa;j;pyejnOTJbihje,Beinii; ocratic federal 'administration.7 " s. To .be successful, a district such as the one proposed pro-posed for our vast desert-area, should be established free from partisan politics, it should seek the experienced exper-ienced advice from industry with respect to promoting promot-ing additional. economics rather than utilize the theoretical the-oretical ideas of federal master-planners; and should proceed slowly, making sure that one type of development devel-opment done early and easily does not forestall other development. But that does not seem to'be the case. |