Albuquerque citizen., 1907-12-05
DAM WILL
BE BEGUN At
ONCE
So Says Major LleWellyn Who
Has Just Returned From
Washington.

Major w. II. H. Llewellyn speaks
most encouragingly of an early begin
ming of the construction of the big
Elephant Butte dam.
Major Llewellyn said: you can
say that the Engle project win be
begun and pushed to completion as
soon as possible unless all present
indications fail.
Governor Curry and myself had
conference with the president, and
he will do all he can TO get an APP
preparation of S2,00O,0OO to begin
work on the great dam. The entire
project will cost $7,200,0 600, of which
100000 has already been spent on
the Leasburg diversion dam. The
last congress made a straight appro-
priation of s1,000,000 which Is to
pay for the water furnished Mexico
in accordance with the treaty made
last year wherein Mexico agreed to
withdraw certain old claims for wat
er against the United states If our
government would furnish Mexico
with 10000 acre-feet of water each
year after the completion of the
Engle project.
Mexico Says Hurry"
"The reclamation service engineers
do not want to commence work until
there are at least $4,000 avail
able, therefore the present congress
will be asked for $2,000,000 more.
which will get the work started. This
s2,00O.000 will be asked in the ma
ture of loan to the reclamation
fund, TO be repaid to the treasury.
There is no objection in Washing
ton to II that l could find. In fact,
everyone there who is interested has
no hesitancy in saying it will pass.
The secretary of the interior will do
all he can to get it through. Another
thing which practically decides the
matter is that the other day Senor
Creel, the Mexican AMBASSADOR, call
ed on the state department and in
quired why work had not yet been
begun on the Engle dam in accord
ance with the treaty. Thus the state
possible to get the appropriation
made so that work can be begun at
once.
''The bill will be introduced by
Congressman Smith, of Texas. and
will be endorsed by the reclamation
service. Congressman Smith is well
acquainted in Washington and is a
very able man. He and Mr.. An
drews, of New Mexico, will handle
the matter through. 1 do not know
that it will be necessary to send a
delegation to Washington from here,
but, of course, a strong delegation
would do lots of good"
StatenOOd prospects.
''The prospects for New Mexico
being admitted to statehood during
the present congress are flattering,
to say the least. Nowhere did Gov
ernor Curry and myself hear any
objection whatever. The entire dele
cation from Pennsylvania will help
us. Every congressman and senator
we could find in Washington was in
favor of it. The fact that New
Mexico, at the last election, endorsed
Joint statehood, thereby indicating
that she wanted statehood at any
cost, will be a strong card in our
favor. We have now nearly half a
million people. The immigration to
New Mexico is immense. For the
year ending July LIST, 1907, New
Mexico had 10000 land entries be-
desert claims. The success which is
being made in dry farming is filling
the country up wonderfully fast.
There is no reason why New
Mexico should not be a state. The
statehood meeting at Santa Fe last
Saturday was a very good one and
strong delegation will be sent to
year. have been asked to join the
delegation and win go as soon as l
can get away after January 1st."
Llewellyn's New Work
on his return Major Ilewellyn re-
ceived his oRIIniSsion as assistant
TO the attorney general of the uni
ted states ami at once started to
clean up his desk and ship the rec
ords of the United States district at
torney to United States Attorney
Leahy at Las Vegas. Major Lew
ellyn will SILL have his office at Las
Cruces but his work will be the trial
of any cases to which he is especial
ly assigned by the attorney general
at Washington. The first case to
which he Will be signed is the not
ed Tallmadge land case al Roswell,
which win be begun on December
Sth.
The finest Cohee Substitute ever