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<br />~ II.L <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Water - it has come up frequently that we are <br />running out of water as the important national <br />resource. It is next in importance to the air <br />we breathe. And the nation, as it is running <br />short on its supplies of water, is becoming <br />aware of the importance of doing some national <br />planning on this subject. I'm heartily in <br />accord with the basic objectives that are in- <br />herent in this proposal. <br /> <br />I also am heartily in accord with Congress- <br />man Aspinall's should-do's and should not do's. <br />He listed two things, things that the bil~ should <br />do. I am in favor of what he says the bill should <br />do. I am also very much in favor of those items <br />that he has mentioned that the bill should not do. <br />I am in complete accord with his should do's and his <br />should not do's: but I cannot agree that the bill, <br />in its present form, does the things that should <br />be done and prohibits the things that should not <br />be done. I think it's a matter of drafting: it's <br />'a matter of some basic changes. The bill as <br />drafted removes all local activity of every kind <br />and every nature and leaves everything to Washing- <br />ton. Reclamation halO done a great job in these <br />United States. It has taken the bull by the horns <br />and it has made great progress in the development <br />of. our water resources and it just seems terrible <br />to me that we should turn our backs upon this <br />whole program of reclamation and change it now <br />to a Washington function. And don't forget that <br />this bill is more than planning. It's basic for <br />policy making. Planning is one thing but policy <br />is set up and then the planners come in and they <br />work out the planning for that policy. But in <br />the absence of a policy-making organization to <br />institute a planning organization, the planning <br />organization, by necessity, also becomes the <br />policy-making organization. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I think we should be very sure, we must be <br />,very sure, considering the importance of water to <br />this whole area,.. to all of the semi-arid areas <br />elf the United states,'. we must be very careful <br />that we d6 not undo these fifty years of devoted <br />and dedicated work that ha~ been achieved and <br />accomplished in the development of our water re- <br />sources. Local vs. Washington. If we can put the <br />local interests back in this bill so that they will <br />