Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-05-03
Major Llewellyn Gives His Opinion
Of That Measure Aimed At New
Mexico Interests.
VERY SELFISH PROPOSITION
The International Dam Would Not Only
Hurt the Interests of the Mesilla VAL
ley But Those of Ell Paso
As Well.


Paso. He had carefully read and stud
led the Stephens bill as it had been in
troduced in both houses of congress
and he pronounced it one Of the mos
perniciOus measures that any man hal
ever dared to advance for his persona
interests. He pointed out the unexam
pied selfishness in the bill and the per,
sonal motives that are behind it.
1T WOULD HARM Ell PASO.
In the first place the construction Of
the International dam would do as
much harm to Ell Paso itself as it woult
to the Mesilla valley. Eminent physi
clans have declared it as their belle
that the formation of the proposed res
ervoir would cause swamps in the vicin
ity of the Pass City. that would forever
destroy its fame and usefulness as {
health resort. 1t would make it the
home Of malaria, and would help to de
populate the city. 1t would also be &
standing menace to the city, for expe.
rience has proved that the strongest
dam is not safe, and a dam break at the
site where the dam Is to be constructed
would create immense havoc, and would
probably not only cause great damage
but also great loss of life.
IT'S GREAT COST.
1t would cost more to buy the land
and to change the railroad tracks for
the international dam site than it would
to construct the entire Elephant Butte
dam. It would cost three to four times
as much to maintain, and the land that
could be reclaimed and irrigated would
be much less than that that would be
reclaimed and irrigated by the Ele-
phant Butte dam.
WOULD CAUSE LITIGATION.
Even in it's amended form the bill
would prevent the construction of any
new irrigation works above FL Paso
Litigation. such as Kansas Is now
bringing against Colorado, would be
constant, and what for? All for the
benefit of Col. Anson Mills and his mon.
ey hungry essoc'atess
THE ELEPHANT BUTTE DAM.
The Mesilla valley adds much to the
prosperity Of Ell Paso. If the Elephant
Butte dam Is constructed 1t Is proposed
to furnish water not only to the Mesilla
valley, but to both the Texas and the
Mexico side of the Rio Grande around
Ell Paso. 1t would not only serve the
purposes of the International dam with
out any of its disadvantages, but would
in addition supply the Mesilla valley
with water for irrigation. 1t would cost
less and accomplish more for FL Pasc
than would the International.
EXTREME SELFISHNESS.
1t Is the extreme selfshness Of Col
Anson Mills, who has for years been in.
triguing and working against the con-
struction of the ELEPHANT Butte dam
that Is climaxed by the provisions OF
the Stephens bill. Mr. Stephens was not
aware of this, or else he would not have
had anything to do with the measure
Congress will never pass it, for the
friends of New Mexico in the senate
and in the house of representatives
have been informed of the iniquity anG
injustice of the bill, and they will not
allow 1t to become a. law.
AS 1T SHOULD READ.
The whereases of the original bill
should read as follows. said Mai. Llew
ellyn: ......
Whereas, Col. Anson Mills Is the
owner of large blocks Of real estate ir
Ell Paso, no one else on top Of the eartf
should have a right to improve his prop.
erty or to use water for irrigation.
Whereas, The International bound
ary commission (Col. Anson Mills) In
vestigated the flow of the waters Of th'
Rio Grande, and for the reason tina
said investigation was made under th'
direction Of Colonel Mills, therefore, tn
findings Of the commission should b.
of such character as to be necessaril!
turned to the pecuniary benefit of SAT-
Colonel Mills. =
Whereas, 1t was discovered by Col
Mills that people in, New Mexico Nigh
build reservoir and thus supply irri
CATION not only for lands in New Mexi
co, but also for lands on both sides o
the Rio Grande at Ell Paso, and thu
prevent Colonel Mills and some of hi
copartners from reaping large pecu
mary reward and receiving large sum
Of money for lands which the so-calle
international reservoir would submerg
by impounding the waters Of the Ri
Grande, therefore the dam in New Mex
leo should not be built.
Whereas, The two government
jointly directed the international bound
ary commission, heretofore mentioned
to investigate and report upon the fea
sibility of the project (internatione
damp, that Is to say, the project of Co
Mills, owner of the aforesaid Ell Pas
real estate and interested in the land
be submerged, and one Max Weber, {
Juarez, Mex, equally interested in til
various schemes to make money, there
fore, the report was made against a
other dams except the one champione
by Colonel Mills and Mr.. Max Weber.
Whereas. Colonel Mills, Mr.. Ms
Weber and partners cannot be beneflte
by the construction of any other da
except the International dam, thereto
no other dam must be built.
Whereas. The two governments, tn
is to say, Colonel Mills and Mr.. MI