Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-08-30
Rodey's Splendid Work

Assuring sou Of my high regard. |
am Sincerely yours,
b. s RoDEY.
Delegate IN Congress from Sew Mex
ico.
The reply 10 Mr.. Rpdeyts oommunf
cation n HI follows
Hen. b 4. Roaeg Albuquerque, Nnw
Mexico.
Sir The department Is Ii receipt
of y9ur communication ef the 2ias
patibo. addressed 70 tbe secretary. NJ
iatIfs q Fly condition of the HI
Graade valley I'll New Mexfca with lit.
efefec h Irrigation
fToa ppt special stress upon the fact
that ne territory and ~ people are
tiesf hand ana foot by the national
government, and Sou aay your IKE
partment IA responsible Tor & god
deal 81 it and In regard To the
a~melioratjon Of tho conditions of
which you speak. yoll Wy nor II your
department acting quickly enough ii
the premises" In this connection, /
have tbs honor TO advise o that the
conditions III which yon speak are the
result " the claim preferred by the
government of Mexico for damages
/ apatnef fhn
Cd States because of The alleged use
~ the waters 0f the Mo Grande
above tae international boundary line
by citizens n The United States ID
Colorado and New Mexico, which use
the government Of Mexico alleges has
greatly damaged citizens of that gov.
eminent hy reason N being deprived
of their equitable portion of the vat.
ers Of said river Tor purposes on irrl.
cation
AZ long ago as April 80. 1890, con.
gross passed i concurrent resolution
authorizing the president 70 take ac.
ton looking toward the adjustment
OF said claim, or OF the controversy
between tho two governments by rca
son thereof Al d result or that con,
current resolution. an international
wafcr boundary commission was apn
pointed BY the president, Of which
General Anson Mills ii the chairman.
The duty imposed upon that board. ar
commission, was % ascertain. first,
The amount of water taken from The
Rio Grande BY the irrigation canals
constructed Iii the United states
second. The average amount of water
d said river, year hy year, before
the construction Of laid irrigation
canals and aimee their construction
third, the best ana most practicable
mode of regulating file uae 81 The vat.
era 81 the river no as to secure Ia
each country and 10 Tho border land
owncre on both sides OF the river their
lefai and equitable right and interest
~ said waters.
Aftor the appointment Of said com
mission, and on the request Of the
secretary Of state, this department al.
reetci the commissioner II the ron
eral land office g suspend action on
any and all applications for right OF
way through public lands for the pur
pose % IRRIGATION by using the waters
of the Rio Grande. Or any of It's trib
ntaries ~ Colorado and New Mexico,
above the point where II becomes the
International boundary. until further
Instructed BY the department. Thus
u Will be secn that this department,
can hardly be charged with being re
Hponsible for tho conditions OF which
you complain. nor Of their continu
ancc.
What prograsa the international
boundary commission has made IN the
adjustment Of the Mexican claim. this
department is not advised. I can say,
however, that the claim OF the gov.
eminent of Mexico has again been re-.
Gently called 60 the attention Of this
government by the Mexican ambassa
dor Mt the capital and has been tho
subject ~ correspondence between
this department and the department
of state, and that m effort Is now
being named 20 see IL a practical solus
tion Of the question at Issue between
the two governments cannot bo ac
comnlished under the reclamation act
One 81 The first matters taken up FOR
serious consideration after The pas.
sage of that act on July ~, 1902. vas
the Rio Grande. Surveys have been
conducted along this stream. utilizing
The Information obtained By the opera
tion ~ thehsdrographie branch az
the geological survey. some Of which
were begun on the Rio Grande IN
1858
nm advised ~ the geological sur