Show california senator cross examines utah governor on seven state compact D c jan 19 gov govi i arnor george H bem ot at utah after concluding his statement before the senate irrigation committee today in opposition to passage of the swing johnson boulder dam bill in advance ot a seven state agreement s a position which later was supported eup ported by delph carpenter speaking tor for the goer governor nor ot of colorado the utah executive had a taste ot of grilling at the hands of senator hiram bohnson the r 1111 ornia colon solon one ot of the most olt cross questioners in congress ri 11 y 1 ted from his policy ot of yesterday lest erday and repeatedly asked governor dern trick questions as well as others that bere ere fair enough his manifest first purpose being to show that governor darn VIM was hot not an unbiased mediator at the demer denver conferences his second effort was vas to show the governor was aas opposing all flood control on the lower colorado or a eo aher this cross examination ra ran n tor for hall an hour before the noon recess and was resumed at the opening 0 of f the afternoon session F following 0 governor dern francis wilson speaking for the governor of new mexico said governor hunt yes berday had in effect told the committee that under no circumstances would he allow arizona to ratify the seven sta compact that it if the leg should pass an act of ratification he would veto it considering that statement and the fact that new mexico has ratified the six st state a tv compact he again took issue with sith governor dern and advocated proceeding under a six state compact 1 A which he admitted affords less pro t ebion to the upper states than would the seven attorney general boat bright of colorado read the statement prepared by delph carponter Car pinter who was as prevented by illi illness nev from attend ink an idea of the cross examination to which governor dern was subjected may be gathered from the following quotations the questions being by sen ator johnson the replies by the utah executive the denver conference being under discussion at the outset you consider yourself an indart t lal fat medi alor ye yes in view of lour testimony before this committee do you consider yr elf self an impartial mediator yes did ou wire the governor of colorado asking him to recall mr air bannister 1 I wired him saying unless bannister te was um recalled he make the same statements before this committee he made before the house bannister was not in harmony with the upper basin program do lou ou still ilder yourself aej an impartial mediator yes do ou question Bannis accuracy 2 I 1 yes I 1 do bannister made an argument in favor of six stafe ratan cierel 1 cation our eferts at denv deny r P 1 directed to bringing about seven I 1 ratification ratin cotlon I 1 felt he had practically ir I 1 renounced the whole object of our denver conference still you ou consider an impartial mediator yes you say iou are not interested in the question of power development f t en you recite every conceivable conce hable oble jeta jet ciui tiui 1 you t raise to this bill but which you sal ta you do not raise do you consider that the attitude of an I 1 impartial mediator I 1 pointed out I 1 might oppose the bill on entirely derent different grounds from ft bat tat I 1 stated as my objections la Is there any argument against this proposition that you have not endeavored deavo red to put forth before this com earn tee I 1 i 1 I am m willing to support this legis I 1 lations if it Is amended in the particulars I 1 have specified and ind will not oppose it on the other grounds which might be raised against it 1 I appreciate that sort of sympathy this from johnson you deny the power of the united states government to build hood flood control I 1 works in a stream under constitutional limitations congress can ran build flood control works i on the river for instance the united states does not need t the e consent of a state in order to erect flood flod control works I 1 continued on page six lAA MISt ON 0 sl hl 1 VI I N continued continued from page 1 where e there can be sufficient con shoeing it 13 regulating commerce I 1 aln not a constitutional lawyer then why did you ou hae haie so much to fay any in your our paper about constitutional questions quest loni you deny the right of the federal government goern eo eminent ment to erect flood coil control works as such yes if it they be erected simply for flood control then the of trie the government docs does not until the seven state compare L t bignel you ou would mould object to any flood control in the colorado yes I 1 do not consider there li Is any crisis in the imperial valley know now the plan of this development depends for its pa benj on an the development of power yea yes you recognize it mould be imps 1 sible to ret get an appropriation of 0 without a plan of reini reimbursement burse and that the only way may you can cant reimburse Is through I 1 yes I 1 assume so you dent dont object to hood flood control it tho the necessity exists I 1 1 I object to flood control being put its lr the river in of 0 providing our right rights ns as intended by the tile colorado riser compact 1 thin aou do object to flood control in the absence of tit execution of tho tile amen state compare senator johnson took up tip uraha withdrawal from the state compact and asked many questions as to the conditions leadin leading up tip to that action lie ile said he lie leatherwood mood amend indents which bere cre amendments to take the government out of the power mire u the only amendments rejected by the house commit tee end and follow ing their rejection the entire utah delegation joined in a telegram recommending that utah withdraw from the six state compact u as the mcana means of protecting lt ita rights governor dern aid said he lie as not intimately ti familiar with conditions that lay back of the action of the deleba lion tion johnson then recalled governor derin derns indignation over the et ef lort fort through vicious propaganda to nuke make it appear that power interests were vero holi hold responsible cespon tible for the fight light on the swing johnson bill and the governor to vernor laid told his indignation as 03 directed to the fact that the attitude of tho the power interests am being used to becloud utah objection and that of other states to the enactment of the bill you do not take umbrage tit the fait fact the amer interests are trying to prevent the passage 0 of this bill as asked ked johnson 1 I am pathetic with mth them to i large entena nal d the roer nor I 1 object to maalis it appear that theirs is the sole 1 the delator sei ator turned lili hii attention to the utah colorado user ff frit ct finding commission that organization Is not a organization it lia has no off official iclal standing it Is a constituted self bation explained the goNer gornor nor you repudiate it yes ansi answered ered the goer governor nor I 1 am glad to hear that chimed johnon continuing the govera or said sold it was as organized m without it hout my knowledge 1 I was us not consulted about its lie its personal person ml cl and dont know how they form their conclusions many of thila conclusion conclusions are con arary to my own I 1 he ile aid said he differed with will their criticism of los angeles for wanting to get colorado river wal wat cr er that objection he bald sold as bad taste he ile also disapproved their at regarding imperial valley 1 I 1 1 have consistently taken the bland stand said the go governor lernor that as eoon soon as our water are protected it li is 1 one tone of our bui business siness what hat the lower loer basin does with ith its it share ot of the water ater did you ever repudiate that com nils stil clon stion in ili utah 1 I ei anis answered dern by whom hoin ts is it financed it stands tor for the utah Indus and lutat state farm bureau I 1 assume it Is financed by associated indu industries 6 ate ale Us its officers and members laree large part taken from the etith power at light co go I 1 do not know kno benator johnson read into the nc ord the tile bill enacted by the february rebr uary 28 26 1927 di dt haring enrin In rin utah a claim to the bed of the tile colorado Co orado river if the supreme chirt coi rt should deside against utah hat would mould b be th the situation asked johnson linson Jo tn lit that event the declaration by tho the slature would mould cut no figure would you still adhere to the compact in that event I 1 think so replied the io governor vernor senator johnon linon Jo asked governor Oo vernor dern dens tt if he had received u litter from governor hunt of arizona saying he ho would not negotiate further mith the other governors until the swing john son bill was indefinitely postponed yes replied dern 1 I tried to dwuane him from that position 1 some ot of ui are difficult dini cult to die dis 1 sunde commented the senator UPI when hood flood control again caroe came up the governor said the question Ln of flood control Is only na one of the purposes of this bill flood control flaa hardly mentioned I 1 at the denver deliver conferences not much importance was attached to it there california by reservation refused to accept flood control except at the price of her one particular project cac topped stopped congress from front giving her flood control california Is not deehl concerned ned about flood control I 1 Ans answering Nering further questions the governor laid said he lie would be glad to e arizona and nevada waive malve their tie demands for cement ement in lieu of taxes hut but he ht added it Is their and if they the Y do biot not want ant to give it away I 1 do not riot ice see how we me can call force them I 1 would be delighted it could find sonic constitutional i way ay to do it I 1 it if ve tie cin cill find somo some vav 1 R V of doing dohig this I 1 will take it up tip mith senator kini king here and I 1 ho to w ill convince ion and then you are in favor of the dissart of this bill all ou aint removed from our I 1 ind Is flit doubt as to tile constitutionality of tills this bill pursued Johns johnsoh yea it there Is a men seven state ratification fi of the compact replied the governor the thing that concerns you in utah Is the sev saven compact pursued johnson yes I 1 it if you were kere assured that this meas 1 ure would mould give gist iou ou the full lion tion of the seven state compact ou opposition would mould be withdrawn ith drawn yes if it a measure could be devised by bi which you would be given the i alon of the seven state compact ou then would withdraw Aith draw your opposition to this bill yes first we e want nant seven stale state ratification then an understanding with ith mexico and recognition ot of z elate tote ownership of the water and of the bed ot of the river once the water ater pisses lees ferry ou are not endangered q quelled so led johnson I 1 not necessarily responded the tile governor it priori es are established below aces terry lerry in advance of 0 the ratification of the leven even state compact t cither either priorities for the develop nent of power or for then our rights arc are the bater water allocated to the upper basin will III go down doti stream past lees ferry for many before we me nc ae ready to put it to use johnson liked Goic mr nir dern how long 1 it would mould be before arimont auld or would utilize her tier shire of the water tier cf the colorado governor dern replied I 1 can cant t siy sty probably a erod good many years if california CaU fornIa has her way may arizona will have no water to utilize interjected senator ashurst 1 I icis lescot crit that snapped johnson hut but that did not deter ashurst who added we would use our share of alie water quickly if we bere ft ere dazed as a california Is in this bill I 1 senator king who ho stai fitting sitting at the hearing was as permitted to ask governor dern a question suppose the tile federal go eminent should make an of twenty five mil trill lion fifty million or a hundred million dollars to put in a dam near oreen green niver river tor for Ird irrigating rating landa lands in that vicinity and for power purposes how long before utah would mould utilize the water ater allocated to her under ahr th wen state compact ther Is possibility of a large broj cl that could be reclaimed if 11 we me had the mony mom to do it replied the governor I 1 am not in faor of starting any new project in lit utah at this time this Is a poor time to start them in our part of the country we cannot get settlers and faril farn rs cannot meke a living governor dorn was mas permitted to tile for the record a statement of the ultimate benefits which may come to utah from utilization of the vaten vater tha that would be allotted to her under the seeli state compact senator johnson wanted to know it if the upper tipper basin state had ever made any attempt to apportion among themselves the water mater allocated to them by the compact the governor said they had not an upper basin distribution aas as largely dictated by natural conditions the caters aters of 0 the utah tributaries of the colorado can only be utilized in utah those of colorado must be utilized locally and EO to as to the other states there is 1 little overlapping ot of interests governor hunt of arizona has not yet furnished the committee with the promised written replies to senator johnsona johnson 3 questions |