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Show BOULDER CANYON PROJECT 29 project, will be sold to such applicants as the State of Nevada, the State of Arizona, the cities of Los Angeles, Pasadena, Riverside, and Glendale, in California, and to strong private corporations like the Southern California Edison Co., operating in southern California. Each of these agencies has expressed intentions of becoming an applicant for power. These contracts will be binding and enforc-ible, and the Secretary is not permitted to make any expenditures on the project until such contracts are secured. After the Government has been repaid, charges for use of the dam and works at the dam shall be on such basis as Congress may authorize. The effect of this provision, when taken in connection with provisions in section 6 that the title to the dam and works there shall remain in the Government until otherwise provided by Congress, is to allow the Government to have these great works even after they have been paid for by the beneficiaries. Prices for electrical energy are to be fixed to meet revenue requirements and determination of conflicting applications are to be governed by the provisions of Federal water power act, with special preference to adjacent States. Within a specified time limitation, the Secretary of the Interior may require larger agencies securing power to permit smaller similar agencies to share in transmission lines, upon an equitable basis. Section 6 requires that water shall be released from the dam, first, in the interest of flood control and river regulation and improvement of navigation; second, in the interest of irrigation and domestic uses, and lastly, for power, thus making power a subordinate use. The title to the dam and works at the dam are always to remain in the United States, which will manage and control the same. There is a proviso in this section, however, permitting the Secretary of the Interior either to lease units of the power plant, if he elects to construct the power plant or instead of constructing a power plant, to lease the privilege of using water discharged for the generation of power. If he pursues either of these alternatives, various provisions of the Federal water power act intended to safeguard the public interest will govern. CONCLUSION This is a project which should appeal both to the imagination and the hard business sense of the American people. A mighty river now a source of destruction is to be curbed and put to work in the interest of society. The people of the Southwest are not asking of the Government this great public improvement as a gift. All they ask is that the Government lend its good offices to make this development possible. Established communities and responsible agencies will bind themselves to return to the Government all moneys expended. The varied interests concerned with the development make a centralized agency necessary. The Government is the logical agency. The beneficiaries assume all the financial obligations. Nor is this quite all. After the development is paid for the Government still will retain ownership and control of the dam for such use as the Congress may deem wise and just. |
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Original book: [State of Arizona, complainant v. State of California, Palo Verde Irrigation District, Coachella Valley County Water District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, City of Los Angeles, California, City of San Diego, California, and County of San Diego, California, defendants, United States of America, State of Nevada, State of New Mexico, State of Utah, interveners] : California exhibits. |