The Alamogordo news. (Alamogordo, N.M.) 1899-1912, 1907-08-10
TREE IRRIGATION QUESTION
interviews With Prominent Citizens and
Property owners.
NEWS STORY CAUSES MUCH DISCUSSION

of the intention OF Une water
works company to charge for ir-
rigation of trees, there has been
considerable discussion of the
proposed innovation, and the
News has obtained the opinions
of leading citizens, which shows
the diversity of opinion upon the
subject.
Judge Byron Sherry: There
can be no question about the
ownership of the water that flows
in the bitches and irrigates the
trees on the streets, and the
water works company, being sole
owner Of the water, can make any
use of it in any manner that they
may desire. They can divert
the water to any point and leave
Alamogordo street bitches dry
and permit the trees to die from
want of water, but the water
works company can not force the
property owners to pay for the
irrigation of trees on the county
roads, nor can they include in a
bill for water from the city
mains, the charge for irrigating
trees on the roads that belong
to the county and not to the
property holders.
In making application for a
tax for use of city water from
the water company's street
mains, nothing is said about OBJ
ligating the user to pay for
water from any other source
than that which is delivered to
them through a meter, hence no
penalty can be exacted for water
from another source used on
trees on the county roads, as the
water did not pass through their
meter and is not part of the
contract. AS long as any user
of city pipe water meets the
terms of his contract and makes
his payments in accordance there
with, there can be no penalty
ensuing from an altogether diff
ferent source or claim
George Warnock: Il have
been expecting this matter to
come up for several years past,
and am really glad that it will
be brought to focus at last.
There has always been feeling
of uncertainty in my mind about
the rights of the Improvement
company and the water works
company, and the citizens of
Alsmogordo, and if this matter
of charging for irrigating the
trees on the streets will estab-
lish the status of each, then
for one am glad the question has
been raised. | am aware of the
fact that the arrangement will
increase the cost of maintaining
my property, but if it will firmly
establish the final rights of each,
then let us take the matter UP
calmly and carefully and ascer-
tain exactly what each can de-
pend upon for all time to come
j. @. Grant: Il can see nc
serious objection to each prop
erty owner paying for the water
that irrigates and improves the
trees in front of his property
but | am opposed to the manner
in which the water works COM
pany proposes to collect for the
irrigation. | would much pre-
fer that the general charge
should be made against the
county and they in turn could
add the proper amount to my
annual tax bills and through
that source | will willingly pay
for the irrigation of trees III
front of my property, as | con
slider that without the trees Ala
mogordo would not be such q
splendid place to live"
j. H. McRae: II am certainly
and strongly opposed to any such
arbitrary manner of trying tc
force the collection for something
that we have never asked for
We did make application for the