Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-08-19

continued from page One.)
times. Yet it is as fertile today as
ever. While the fertility of Egypt
has at all times depended in great
measure on the annual overflow of
the Nile. yet it has a~bundan:ly been
supplemented by artificial irriga-
ton. Far up the Nile, above the
first cataract, the ancient Egyptians
constructed the first great reservoir,
Lake Moeris, hence the Egyptians
were the first conservers OF water.
And mind you, this was 1880 years
before Christ.
The English government has ex-
pended thirty millions Of dollars in
construction of dams across the Nile
to conserve the water, and in canals
for irrigation. A million and a
quarter acres of desert land has been
reclaimed. This land is now worth
from $3.50 to $500 per acre.
1t is imperative that the waters
Of the Rio Grande should be con-
served for two reasons. The Valley
Is menaced every year either by
drouth, due to low water in the
river, DR. to floods from overflow
both destructive to property, and
the constant fear retards develop
ment and depression of values. An
abundance of water goes to waste
every year, enough to irrigate all
the Valley from Ell Paso to Bagdad,
if it were conserved and distributed
economically as needed.
The United States and Mexico
should jointly construct as many
dams as necessary to impound the
waters in the canons which extend
a great part of the way down the
river. This would make a lake of
the river much of the way. These
dams would retain the flood waters
and they could be released as needed.
The water should be taken out at
the upper end of the delta from a
reservoir constructed there, and
brought down in gravity canals and
distributed to all the canal systems
in the Valley for a fixed charge.
The canal companies would be bene-
fitted as the expense of pumping
would be eliminated.
The two governments could issue
bonds for the construction guaran-
teed, Jointly or not, in accordance
an agreement for the construc-
ton.
There is no one who doubts that
this is the only way to solve this
problem, and since this is so, why
delay and retard the development Of
Valley? There are a million
today who are land hungry.
ten acres in this Valley. prop
erly irrigated and titled, will sup
port and educate a family. 1t is
like the land of Goshen, in Egypt,
flowed with milk and honey,
when watered and cultivated as it
should be.
I hope that I may live to see this
the garden spot Of the New
World as Egypt was of the old.
want to see it the homes of many
thousands Of farmers with happy
families.
The government has turned over
that paradise on earth, the Sand
witch Islands, to the sugar kings
their peon labor. Those islands
should have been the heritage of our
people. | do not wish TO see this
go in that way. Already we
Americans here from every
part Of the United States and
Canada, enough to see that this Val
ley shall be the home of churches,
houses and American families.
Gentlemen, we W to those who
will come after us to see that our
country does not go as did Hawaii.
are derelict in our duty if we
fail to lay the foundation for those
who will come after us. The future
prosperity of the Valley will be
made or married by our atcion dur
ing this generation.
About Irrigation Laws.
Concerning the irrigation laws OF
the state, We know that they are not
up to date. There is no uniformity
in the rules and regulations of the
numerous companies. I regret to
say that some of the companies
should not be allowed to do business.
Some have violated their contracts
with impunity, and the farmers
living on their lands are thoroughly
discouraged, and some Of them have
been ruined by the bad faith and
extortion of such concerns.
Coma ~ ithaca faruorc haya haau