AZ vs. CA:24 California Exhibits, Vol. XXIV; Miscellaneous

page A74

A74 APPENDIX 2 09 By the authority vested in him through this Act, Hon. William D. Stephens, then Governor of California, appointed State Engineer W. F. McClure as the duly authorized Commissioner for California, and he represented this State upon the Colorado River Commission, which on November 24th, at Santa Fe, New Mexico, unanimously subscribed to the Colorado River Compact. commissioners' power The signature of the Commissioner for California is made in accordance with Chapter 88 of the 1921 Statutes and with special reference to the provision in section one of Chapter 88, which reads as follows: * * * provided, however, that any agreement so entered ii.to by said states and the United States of America shall not be binding or obligatory upon any of the high contracting parties thereto unless and until such agreement shall have been ratified and approved by the legislature of each of the above-mentioned states and by the congress of the United States. This provision is common to the Acts passed by the Legislatures of the several states interested and, in reflecting the mutual understanding of the Commissioners on this point, Article XI of the Compact provides that it shall become effective only after its approval by the legislatures of the states interested, and by the congress of the United States. FORM OF COMPACT The form of the Compact was only determined after a most thorough study of the many different phases of the problems presented in connection with the apportionment and use of the water of the great Colorado River System. It was the endeavor of the Commission to frame a document that would be as concise as possible without sacrifice of clarity. Every word and phrase was carefully considered with a view of obtaining a final form that could not be misinterpreted. The agreement does not attempt to do too much. Certain broad basic principles to govern the apportionment and use of the waters of the Colorado River System are laid down by plain statements that can be understood by the layman, without the necessity of complete information concerning the involved technical and legal phases of the whole problem. The following is a copy of the Compact signed at Santa Fe, New Mexico: (Note.-The full text of the compact appears at this point in Mr. McClure's report, but is omitted here to avoid duplication.) SOLUTION Through these eleven articles of agreement it is believed that a clear workable basis for the equitable apportionment and use of the waters