El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-03
ALBUQUERQUE STILL POUNDING 1T
THE ELEPHANT BUTTE DAM PROJECT
Hopes in Mass Meeting the 18th to Deal Hard Blow
Elk Governor Hagerman Says He Thinks The People
Are Hasty and Defends the Project Wonders
Why People Have Changed Front.

Elephant Butte Dam, says the Ell Paso
Herald in carmine headlines over
dispatch announcing the recent action
OF the local Commercial club 10 pro-
tect the interests Of the upper valley
"Oh, no. friend, far from it. You
have the wrong idea. Albuquerque is
in favor of the Elephant Butte dam.
Albuquerque always stands for q fair
diry.' There is nothing of the por-
cine about US. We believe in the Ele-
plant Butte dam. But while friendly
toward Ell Paso and interested in the
development Of Old Mexico, ahruism
has its limits. The only trouble with
Albuquerque is an inability TO work
up any strenuous enthusiasm over con-
tributing the entire Rio Grande for
the benefit of FL Paso. We merely wish
to reserve the right to go dip out a
pailful once in a while and call it our
own. There IS no desire to be glut-
tonish.
No, we are not trying to injure the
Elephant Butte dam. But Albuquer-
que incidentally stands for Albuquer-
que and New Mexico, after We have
done all We can for FL Paso. There
is a not unnatural desire TO retain
at least the bed of New Mexico's three
hundred and fifty miles of river after
We have given Ell Paso the contents.
THE water users under the Engle
project say they would like the privi-
lege Of sending delegation to the
Albuquerque mass meeting and state
their side of the case. 1t is good
idea and may result IN a little clearer
understanding on both sides. The peo-
pie of the upper valley are not disposed
to be unreasonable in the premises. On
the other hand, the water users of Ell
Paso and the Mesllla valley probably
have failed to fully consider what II
means to New Mexico 70 halt all pri-
vate irrigation in the valley of the Rio
Grande"
Hagerman Favors Dam.
H 7. Hagerman, ex-governor OF the
territory, is in favor OF the conStruc-
ton of the dam and the Journal prints
a lengthy article from him in which he
says he believes the people in the
northern part of the state are acting
hastily His article follows:
tBy Herbert j. Hagerman)
L have noticed with much interest
the movement to prevent the federal
government from securing control of
the Rio Grande water north of the Ele-
plant Butte dam. The protests which
have been made at Albuquerque. Santa
Fe and Las Vegas show that the peo-
pie are beginning to comprehend the
magnitude of the Elephant Butte pro-
ject. And yet, without any desire to
appear critical, I venture the opinion
l. AZ the magnitude of the project is
not yet fully understood by many peo-
pie.
In an instructive paper by Robert
L. Cooper and read to the Commercial
club of Santa Fe, published in the
Santa Fe Eagle recently, some essen
tial facts as to the project are given
Mr. Cooper says:
-One Of the most vital questions IN
New Mexico today is the holding up
%. the waters of the Rio Grande and
It's tributaries above Eng1e, n. NJ.
These waters are to be stored in the
Engle reservoir, commonly known as
the Elephant Butte dam, and used for
i1rigating 205,000 acres of land, no.
600 of which lies in New Mexico. So, 900
acres in Texas and 10000 acres in Mex
ico.. This matter is of interest to US
as residents of Santa Fe in particular,
because thousands of acres of irrigable
land, which could be irrigated by stor-
ing flood waters on the tributaries Of
the Pho Grande and building high line
bitches. lie adjacent and tributary to
Santa Fe. Such land lying in the val
ley of the Chama and its tributaries
from Chamita, at IT'S mouth. to Chama
at the Colorado line and on the east
side in the valleys of the Taos river