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

page A116

A116 APPENDIX 213 March 29th; at Denver, March 31st and April 1st; and at Cheyenne, April 2nd. These meetings held in the various States above-mentioned, had the double purpose of permitting the interested States to be heard as to their views on the Colorado River water-right problems and of acquainting the members of the Commission and its Chairman with the facts, so far as they could be gleaned, from those who wished to be heard before the Commission. A complete record of all these sessions is on file in the State Engineer's Office for the State of Utah. At Denver, Colorado, at an informal session held in the Palace Hotel, Denver, the Commission agreed to meet at the call of the Chairman somewhere in the West, approximately sixty days after the record was complete and in the hands of the various commissioners. It was later proposed to hold this meeting at Santa Fe, New Mexico, August 1st, but for unavoidable reasons it was postponed to meet November 9th. It began with a session on November 9th, and ended with a session on the 24th day of November. The sessions held at Santa Fe were attended by all of the members of the Commission and the Chairman, which members were spokesmen for the respective States and the Chairman for the United States of America. Though all the sessions except one were executive, it was agreed by the members of the Commission that certain persons might be admitted. Each commissioner was permitted to have, if he wished it, at each session a legal and an engineering adviser, also such governors of the Basin States as were on the ground were invited to be present at the session. The participants in the discussions were the members of the Commission and the Chairman. The sessions at Santa Fe were most interesting, and I think of great general interest and benefit. The result of these sessions is a compact signed by all of the State representatives and the representative of the United States of America. A complete record of these sessions, I understand, will be made available for the files of each of the States concerned and the Governor of each State has been furnished with a certified copy of the compact as prepared and signed. THE COMPACT The compact as signed seemed to meet with the favor of all of the Commissioners and of the Chairman of the Commission. The compact though signed by the representatives of the States and the Chairman of the Commission is not binding until ratified by each of the legislatures of the several States and by the Congress of the United States. I have heard of no objection to the ratification so far from any State or from the Federal Government except that it