Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-08-04
or THE CREEKS, BEAR.
ING GIFTS

t&tlouS VI tue people % II fdSo III
regard 10 a dam at Elephant Butte.
The Pass City folk now say. Lets all
pull together and secure two dams.
one the big International dam at Ell
Paso and the other the long talked OF
dam at Elephant Butte. II must be
remembered. now that the Ell Paso
people are at last calling for harmony,
that for years they have resisted most
bitterly every effort on the part OF
New Mexico to utilize her God given
right 10 the waters Of the Rio Grande.
Her frst ridiculous pr~etension OF the
navigability OF the stream acted as
= boomerang. When. having held up
the building of the Elephant Butte
dam, the FL Paso schemers bobbed up
with the international project, they
we're faced with their own former ar.
guments. II II isn't right to build 4
dam At Elephant Butte, why is it right
to build q much larger dam at FL
Paso?" was the natural query. In
vain did Stevens and Culberson at
tempt to induce congress to pass a bill
locating a dam at FL Paso and robbing
New Mexico Of her natural water
rights.
The FL Paso people understand that
the Rio Grande does not furnish suf-
acient water for the two proposed
reservoirs. On this. subject Engineer
Follett has said In the Times:
THE records OF discharge OF the
Rio Grande at Ell Paso for the past
fifteen years show conclusiyely that
considerably over half OF the time
the flow OF the river Is not large
enough Il furnish water for two res.
ervoirs. and that II two reservoirs
were built the El Paso one would be
without water nearly. II not quite.
half the time
The Ell Paso papers are calling for
harmony 30 they can secure the
building OF the international dam at
the expense Of the government. Per
haps they are ready now TO promise
that no restrictions should be placed
upon the use OF the water In New
| Mexico. This In doubtful. II Is even
more doubtful should New Mexico lis.
ten to the demand for harmony, that
the promise would be kept. The dam
once built the right Of the citizens of
Mexico and OF the lower Rio Grande
valley to prior appropriation Of water
would be urged and every effort In
the world would be put forth to pre-
vent New Mexico from using the
water OF the Rio Grande In her own
territory.
ri Paso has shown no disposition to
tote fair" what made you say my
father had no more sense than your
little yellow dog" said Tommy Jones
belligerantly to Bill Smith. Il never
said II, | said my little yellow dog had
more sense than your father, that's an
ever said" replied Bill.
Thus El Paso and New Mexico. In
the stephens bill a provision was In
serted ~curtailing the amount Of water
to be used by New Mexico. New Mex.
leans objected vigorously. Then a
new bill was introduced. FL Paso
papers and Texas congressman shout.
ed constantly and vociferously that the
demands Of New Mexico had been met
that the Objectionable provision had
been repealed and that In it's place
had been instead a clause generous
~ permitting New Mexico to use all
the surplus water that wasn't needed
TO MI the big reservoir at Ell Paso
AS long as OH reservoir Ia full New
Mexico a use all the water II wants
to-" And hoping TO get their bill
through before New Mexico could act,
they rushed matters In congress, all
the time keeping up the cry that New
Mexico's objection had been met.
Here Ia the situation. we might as
well face II. There Is not water
enough in the Rio Grande TO justify
the building Of a dam at Ell Paso I'M
less New Mexicans are prevented
from using their Just share. n may
be a selfiah policy, but nevertheless.
New Mcxicans Will resist the policy
Of allowing her own lands to 50 lar
rem thar the people of the state or
Texas and the people Of the republic
OF Mexico may derive the benefit.
Colorado uses what water Of the Rio
Grande in her territory that she
pleases. New Mexico takes what Is
left Nothing can be done TO rob Cob
orado because she Is a sovereign state.
II will be remembered that The pro.
visions OF the stephens bill touching
Colorado were stricken ont aui the
robbery was designed to affect New
Mexico. an unprotected territory.
alsre.
New Mesieo's right to the waters OF
the Rio Grande is as good. yes. bet