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<br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />had had a chance to review and prepare a statement to be given in <br />Washington on Thursday. He said that he definitely would be going <br />to Washington. As I left this morning his final statement was being <br />typed up. I had a chance to review it and it does express the prin- <br />cipal points which we discussed at our last board meeting. The <br />Governor asked me to work up some additional facts to substantiate <br />some of the general statements that I presented to the board at the <br />last meeting. As you will recall. I stated that the price support <br />program. which the National Water Commission sort of blamed on recla- <br />mation. was not the cause of that program. Actually. of the total <br />crop support program about 2.4 percent. or less than 3 percent. can <br />be attributed to reclamation. We also dug out the statistics on <br />nationwide agricultural production. We found out that the overwhelming <br />proportion of the crop support program is generated by crops grown on <br />nonirrigated lands. And conversely. the overwhelming proportion of <br />those crops which are not supported are grown on irrigated land. This <br />is exactly the converse of what the National Water Commission indi- <br />cated in its report. This statistic comes from the Department of <br />Agriculture. It makes sense because price supports are for peanuts, <br />tobacco, soy beans. whoat and cotton. The bulk of those crops are <br />grown in the south and in the plains areas which are not irrigated. <br />He is going to suggest that Reclamation is willing to pay its own way. <br />including an interest rate. but that if this is the case, let's <br />eliminate all agricultural subsidies. He intends to suggest that <br />irrigation is being unjustly accused as a major cause of crop sur- <br />pluses in this country. As a matter of fact. there is a question of <br />whether there are any crop surpluses anymore. You will note that <br />the Department of Agriculture is now removing all limitations on <br />raising grain crops. the principal crops supported by crop subsidy. <br />Corn is by far the largest grain crop which is under the subsidy. <br />Most of that is grown in the MidwElst. <br /> <br />I hurriedly read over the Governor's statement this morning. Its in <br />line with what has already been suggested by this board and by the <br />Colorado Water Congress. It will be given at about ten o'clock this <br />Thursday morning in Washington. D. C. That morning has been reserved <br />for the governors of various states to present their statements <br />before the National Water Commission. <br /> <br />Mr. Stapleton: Can you review for us who these people are who are <br />on the Commission? <br /> <br />Mr. Sparks: They are people selected by the President. <br /> <br />-17- <br />