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Show THE WESTERN WEB 83 States party to a suit to settle the Colorado River contro- versy. Because it involved only legal questions, they presumed the measure would be sent to the Judiciary Committee for hearings. Hayden and McFarland had no intention of per- mitting that to happen, and they were influential enough - especially Hayden - to have it referred to the Public Lands Committee, before which hearings on S. 1175 already had been held and on which a majority of members favored the Central Arizona Project. Objec- tions of the California and Nevada senators were futile, and SJ. 145 wound up before Millikin's subcommittee. The case was somewhat different in the House of Representatives. There similar resolutions had been introduced by five California Congressmen.* An attempt by Arizona congressmen, and some other House mem- bers friendly to them, to have the resolutions sent to the House Public Lands Committee, where Murdock of Arizona was ranking democrat, failed. The House leaders insisted on proper procedure, and the legal resolutions went to the Judiciary Committee.** California representatives at once set out to inform Congress and the nation of the importance of the reso- lutions to carry the controversy before the Supreme Court. Representative Cecil King went to see Attorney- general Tom Clark, then told the press:59 "The Judici- ary Committee wants a report from the Justice Depart- ment before taking any action. That is what I requested * Harry R. Sheppard, John Phillips, Norris Poulson, Bertrand W. Gearhart and Charles K. Fletcher. ** The numbers of the House Resolutions were 225, 226, 227, 236 and 4097, the latter differing only in form from the others. |