Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1912-07-19
NEW MEXICO MUST
BOOST HER RESOURCES
Former State Engineer Chas.
D. Miller Furnishes Inter-
esting Statistics
PUMPING INDUSTRY FINE
Some Good Things to Know
About our Rapidly Grow
ing State.

While irrigation conditions have
improved rapidly during the past
two years. there Is much that can
he done in the immediate future to-
ward lettering our conditions along
this particular line, by assisting the
various irrigation companies in the
colonization, settlement. develop
ment and disposal of lands. II is to
be regretted that the Immigration
Bureaus facilities are restricted, as
the one greatest need in our irriga.
lion development to-day, in the
opinion of the writer. is the proper
settlement of our irrigation projects
now constructed.
The western states, more partic-
ularly Colorado, Oregon and Wash
iogton, are cxpnding large sums of
money circulating literature de-
@riptive of their natural resources,
in the middle eastern and middle
western states, where westward i'm.
migration principally originates.
Unless New Mexico can do some.
thing along this line as a matter of
competition with the other states,
settlement and the consequent de-
yeopmcnt of irrigated lands will be
held in allegiance for many years.
Where we have good soil and the
proper storage of water. no other
place can compete with New Mexico
in the production of crops and in
general desirability as place of
residence. Many good irrigation
projects which have ample water
and storage facilitates, already con
structcd, for the irrigation of large
acreages of land, have. up tc the
present time, put only a small pro-
portion of the area under cultiva
ton. In many cases the State En-
ginecr'S office has had, from time tC
timr, to extend the period allowed
before the application to beneficial
use of the water is required, on this
account. Our needs do not lie in
the direction of new irrigation pro
jects for ut least the next five or si>
years, but more attention should b,
given to the upbulding and settle
ment of those projects already com
mehccd and which have the con
siruction far enough along to guar
antec 10 the settler under the pro
ject ample water for the land h,
purchases.
The development of power pro
jNcts which have been outlined II
the state should he encouraged. W
TO the present time there are NJ
powcr, projects of any commercial
Importance developed upon on
streams, except possibly the lowe
Pecos valley. The power projects
situated on the Gila river would. !
developed, do much toward assisting
thH mining industry in the Mogollo
Mountains; pumping for irrigation
inthe Mimbres Valley, and would b
the source of much revenue il con
yeyed and sold into the mininI
caiaps Of Clifton and Morenci, Ar
iona. II is known these latter pre-
jects have an unlimited demand fo
the sale Of power as above outlined
hut their development has b &c
greatly retarded by the lack of il
formation as to the quantity of WI
ter available.
One important result obtaine
during the last Legislature in tn
matter of irrigation was the pas
age of bill appropriating $l5.W'
annually. for the measurement q
our streams for storage purpose
and such records can at the san
time be generally used to finance ar
exploit the power propositions whit
are found on the Gila river. Pee