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<br />
<br />STATES'
<br />PERSPECTIVES
<br />
<br />determination, as did many things, of A.P. Davis, the
<br />head of the Reclamation Service, and Interior
<br />Secretary Albert Fall. In December of '21, sensing the
<br />futility of the state of Nevada's position, Scrugham
<br />wrote a confidential memo to the members of the
<br />southern Nevada delegation: "In case the federal
<br />agency is decided upon as the best organization for
<br />handling the work, it appears unlikely that the state
<br />of Nevada will be able to enforce either taxation or
<br />rate regulation in the power project."
<br />In December of that year, the Nevadans attended
<br />two meetings in California. The first was in Riverside
<br />and the second in San Diego with Secretary of the
<br />Interior Fall.
<br />Reporting on
<br />those meetings,
<br />Gov. Boyle sent a
<br />memo to the
<br />development
<br />commISSIOn
<br />stating, "Secretary
<br />Fall at the San
<br />Diego conference"
<br />- which was the
<br />official one -
<br />"declared flatly
<br />that the govern-
<br />ment had never
<br />relinquished its
<br />righrs to either the
<br />Colorado or Rio
<br />Grande rivers, and what might be done on the
<br />Colorado would be done by the federal government.
<br />Since the government is the only agency which
<br />proposes the construction of large works at Boulder
<br />Canyon, there appears to be done all that we can do,
<br />except to promote the activities of the Department of
<br />the Interior in this respect. I can assure you that no
<br />stone has been left unturned to protect our interest in
<br />the matter, nor is there any likelihood whatever of
<br />any other agency than the government being permit-
<br />ted to operate on that stream." And that is certainly
<br />consistent with a lot of things that happened.
<br />I would just add as an aside, because of some of
<br />the seven states' meetings that I've attended in the last
<br />several years, a quote out of a letter from Scrugham
<br />to Hoover. When he wrote, he said, "At the recent
<br />meeting of the Colorado River Commission in
<br />Washington, there appeared to be a regrettable lack of
<br />coordinated constructive ideas, for which deficiency
<br />each of the state commissioners was partly respon-
<br />sible. The situation was not particularly clarified by
<br />the rhetorical contributions from the various senators
<br />and congressmen who met at your invitation on last
<br />Sunday night. And in view of the urgent necessities of
<br />
<br />The people in northern
<br />
<br />southern Nevada, and
<br />
<br />
<br />Nevada never understood
<br />
<br />Nevada representative to
<br />
<br />SYMPOSIUM
<br />PROCEEDINGS
<br />MAY 1997
<br />
<br />o
<br />
<br />we definitely would
<br />
<br />not send any northern
<br />
<br />represent our interests.
<br />
<br />- Richard Bunker
<br />
<br />the case, I take the liberty of presenting the attached
<br />suggestions for your consideration."
<br />That would basically conclude Nevada's position. I
<br />would only say that in retrospect, something that is
<br />true today would have been true in 1922. And that is
<br />that the people in northern Nevada never understood
<br />southern Nevada, and we definitely would not send
<br />any northern Nevada representative to represent our
<br />mterests.
<br />
<br />ROBERT KING, CHIEF OF INTERSTATE
<br />
<br />STREAMS FOR UTAH
<br />Utah recognized the issues facing the seven states,
<br />particularly in the Lower Basin - Boulder Canyon,
<br />the flooding problems in 1922. I did a little research
<br />and I'd like to present Utah's perspective. A lot of this
<br />is drawn from the hearings that were held in Salt
<br />Lake City on March 27 and 28, 1922, by the
<br />Commission.
<br />I'd like to start with a quote from Utah's governor,
<br />Charles R. Mabey, and as an aside, we have a relative
<br />here [at the symposium], Jack Barnett, who many of
<br />you know. Mabey is his great uncle, and this is part of
<br />his statement to the Commission: "Exactly three-
<br />quarters of a century ago, the Mormon pioneers came
<br />into this valley and turning aside the waters of the
<br />mountain streams, founded Anglo-Saxon irrigation.
<br />Every season since that July day of 1847 has wit-
<br />nessed the steady growth to this system of soil
<br />cultivation through the arid West. In due course,
<br />settlements sprang up and cities came into being,
<br />each having as its chief support some such supply of
<br />the refreshing fluid. This commonwealth is a direct
<br />result of irrigation. Wirhout it, a civilized people
<br />could not possibly exisr in this region.
<br />"From that humble origin proceeded the develop-
<br />ment of the agricultural resources of 17 of the
<br />Western states - some to a greater and some to a
<br />lesser degree. ... This people have regarded such
<br />successes with the pride of a fond parent witnessing
<br />the triumph of a loved offspring."
<br />These sentiments were further echoed by state-
<br />ments by Dr. John A. Widstoe, the prominent Utah
<br />businessman and civic and religious leader: "Coinci-
<br />dent with the settlement of Salt Lake City, groups of
<br />men and women were sent out to settle other
<br />available places. Northward into the high and snowy
<br />Bear Lake Valley and southward into the Valley of the
<br />Muddy, and into San Bernardino, settlements were
<br />established from east to west, from mountain to
<br />mountain, and from the north to the south, from the
<br />rim of the Great Basin to the Pacific Ocean - there
<br />was an almost simultaneous pioneer development.
<br />The country in which the pioneers had settled was
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