Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-05-04
Tells Committee On Irrigation
That Desert and Stone Laws
Won't Hurt New Mexico
HAS KNOWN FRAUDS
hut These We're Under Home
stead Law III Favor Of
Catticmen

and irrigAted portion Of this natior
that We know Of. The Rio Grandt
valley from where the Hio Grande de
bouches here treferring to d map on
the WALL. from the deep canyoni
where II comes down out Of Colorado
10 Embndo. New Mexico. clear % ri
Paso. has been irrigated and cultivat.
ed from time immemorial, first by the
Pueblo Indians before the day Cor.
ten, and up TO the present time, with
long periods intervening. when large
sections went Idle again.
l have spent considerable time IN
going 10 the reclamation bureau and
importuning the officials for consider
alton; they pretend to be going after
data about irrigation In New Mexico
and in fact are o doing so. but there
was more data In Major PowelI's day
In the geological survey about New
Mexico. as | am informed, than about
any other portion Of this nation,
am contending that New Mexico. be
cause Of its settled condition, ID en-,
tilted to consideration under the rec.
lamation act in preference TO local..
ties where no settlers exist. or at least
to equal consideration with such pla-
ces, and | do not think that We are
getting It.
Another thing i want to mention,
and win take about three minutes TO
state Il: ! want the gentlemen Of this
committee to know all about II be-
cause It relates TO the present condi.
ton Of irrigation In u Territory. In
the treaty Of Guadalupe HIdalgo moth.
Ing was said between the two govern.
ments with reference to water rights
In New Mexico. There Ii d provision
In that treaty setting out that neither
nation shall inaugnrate anything with
reference 10 lettering navigation from
the point where the Rio Grande begins
TO the International boundary dowr
to the Gulf Of Mexico-that Is. be
tween Texas and old Mexico. Moth
.lH.Ns ENa6%.5 MN#AAN@
Ing Is said about water rights In New
Mexico at all. A few years ago irri
cation enterprises IN Colorado and
the drought that existed for many
years In the catchment area OF New
Mexico resulted In i great scarcit,
Of water all through New Mexico
down 70 the southern border at T.
paso, where II Joins Texas, The PEG
pie living In the other republic. oppo
site III paso. in the city of Juarez
then made q claim 70 our state depart
ment for damages for deprivation q
water-a claim for $4,000 900: III,
next year they increased Ii is $40,
0oo, 1000. The succeeding year the,
q II up to $40. 900, 900, and the mex
n 10 sio.ooo.oO0: and now damages
are claimed In, ! believe, the sum b
$50. 100000 against this government
on the ground Of deprivation Of water
that Is damages TO crops over In III,
other republic. The Mexican ambas
sador also asked our government /,
prevent lis citizens from using III,
water In New Mexico, 80 that Il nigh
run down to Juarez for the use o
Mexican citizens there.
Mr.. Hitchcock: What was the pun
pose Of The international dam?
II was built with It's north end Oh
American soil. a little above III pasc
and to cede TO Mexico d small picc,
OF Y Territory, no that the souther,
end OF Il might be on Mexican sol
The government Of Mexico was /
waive or give UP TO this government
It's claim OF s60.000.000 for damage
which ] referred 70 Just a momer
ago. and which, OF course, had n
foundation In equity. law or the conf,
OF nations, and deserved no consider,
tion for the building and maintenance
Of this dam by our government, an
giving Mexico half The water ther
impounded, We were 10 maintai
the dam At our " expense for rive
That vas q monstgous proposition
so monstrous that we were FOR q nun
Der Of years very much alarmed at /
but We have fought Il on successful
up 70 this umc.
Attorney General Harmon. In ISs
when the question was first presen
ed to him. held. / belieyes-bui ii
opinion will be found IN volume 22 j,
the opinions Of the attorney general
that there was no such thing as a
international prior appropriation ,
water, and nothing In the comfy /,
nations or IN the treaty q caadalup