OCR Text |
Show THE WESTERN WEB 25 5 - On June 25, 1929, President Herbert Hoover proclaimed the Boulder Canyon Project Act effective, and so the Colorado River Compact also became operative, and, despite Arizona's efforts to block it, it became the basic law of the river. But Arizona had not given up its fight. 6 - The Secretary of the Interior, Ray Lyman Wil- bur, was faced with the problem of allocating the electric power to be produced by Boulder [later called Hoover] Dam. Contracts for the power had to be secured from users, and under the Boulder Canyon Act those contracts, guaranteeing full repayment to the government of the cost of the immense project, had to be signed before Congress appropriated the first money to build the dam. 7 - Wilbur called hearings. All parties interested in Hoover Dam power were present, except Arizona. Arizona remained adamant, rejecting all pleas from Wilbur and the other states. It maintained this attitude despite the fact that eighteen per cent of Hoover Dam power was reserved for Arizona's use at any time within fifty years. 8 - Wilbur proceeded to sign power contracts with communities and companies which would use it. That done, the way was cleared for Congress to make the first appropriation for the dam. It amounted to $10,660,000. 9 - Arizona sought to block the appropriation, op- posing it in Congress and filing an objection with the United States Comptroller-general. The appropriation was authorized. 10 - On October 13, 1930, Arizona filed suit in the United States Supreme Court against the Secretary of |