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Show -93- to the compact, specifically reserves to the United States all of the rights and responsibilities which it now has in the use and control of the waters of the basin." The new compact, which has been ratified by the State legislatures, has been drawn with the express purpose of meeting the objections in the Presidential veto* It is my sincere hope that the Senate committee will report favorably on the same. The Great Plains area is badly in need of retaining the water that falls in that area. The States have reaohed an agreement on an equitable distribution of this water, and I am positive the early enactment of this legislation with t he amendments which have been suggested -will speed the day when the States and Federal Government can co- operate in working out a water-control program. With your permission I would like to include a copy of a letter written by George S. Knapp, chief engineer, division of water resources of Kansas, written Hon. Payne Ho Ratner, Governor of Kansas, on January 7* 19U3* Kansas State Board of Agriculture Topeka, Kans., January "], 19^4-3• Hon» Payne H. Ratner, Governor of Kansas, State House, Topeka9 Kans o Dear>Governor Ratner: I have the honor to report that a compact be- tween the States of Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska providing for the equit- able division and apportionment of the waters of the Republican River Basin was completed at Lincoln, Nebr., on the 31s-t day °f December 19k2» Mr. Glenn L. Parker, representative of the United States upon the commission, has signed a statement appended to the compact stating that he proposes to report favorably thereon to the Congress of the United States. A compact covering the same matter was signed at Denver, Colo., on March 19, I9I4I. Thereafter it was ratified by the legislatures of the three States* Later an act approving the compact passed both Houses of Congress but was vetoed by the President. ¦ In his veto message the President stated that while he approved of the purpose of the compact as a means of making the necessary apportion- ment of the waters of the basin, the compact was unsatisfactory in that it sought to withdraw the jurisdiction of the United States over the waters of the Republican River Basin for purposes of navigation] it appeared to restrict the authority of the United States to construct irrigation worlds, and would unduly limit the exercise of the established national interests in such development. He stated further that he would be glad to approve a bill which, in assenting to the compact, specifically reserved to the United States all of the rights and responsibilities which it has in the use and control of the waters of the basin. Subsequently the Congress enacted legislation giving consent to the three States to negotiate a new compact upon the condition that a person, to be appointed by the President of the United States, should participa-te |