El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-01-18

THE PROPOSED RIVER BONDS.
Editor e. Paso Herald
It was a very fortunate. or very
wise choice Of ways which led you
to write on the proposed river bonds
in an inQuiring spirit There is very
much to be said on either side of the
question, and il might have been a
serious matter to have Tne Herald
committed from the first to view
which at least, might not be the whole
Many, If not most. OF the questions
you propounded Will OF necessity re-
main unanswered and II viii be seen
presently that ia view Of the fact OF
this being asked from special point
OF view, answers TO them, no matter
how complete or truthful could not
but be misleading in that they would
aspect Of the case which is not the
most important OF the several when
the whole question presents.
You are ,1rre- Il in assuming thet
be served directly in the matter,
Some OF these may be large; some or
the individual cases may be OF na-
ture 10 invite a popular demand that
they look out for themselves. out or
their own ample resources. Possibly
some plan might be devised 10 cal
these cases to account in some way
directly TO the fund for such speclal
share OF the benefits they may receive
directly from it. No one vail cues
tiOn that such q plan would be ooth
wise and fair but 10 is seldom that
such a division Is ever successfully
made or carried out and If IL should
prove impossible in this case, Whal
we have to inquire into specially Is
whether OF not this failure 10 get
special contributions from special IN
terests should be allowed TO shut out
the possibility OF curbing the river
u this time Nearly all taxation pen
VI
leaving the community at large 10
benefit through them or otherwise IN
directly
Before taking up that siGe Of the
question. il may ns IN 1rier for the
writer 10 say inas he believes there
is, OF should be a very much better
and less expensive means OF doing the
work than by an embankment ana rip
rap as proposed. Any one who knows
the Rio Graude knows that the havoc
II makes is at the curves Inc 81 Ssln
passes down the valley IN series
OF s shaped contortions which are con-
tinualy changing so tnat the Eea-
width of the stream Is the Wiutn pc
tween the extreme of its slnuosities
plus whatever fnroads IL may make
into the second bench from year 70
year. Inasmuch as the river Wouiu
run indefinitely in reaSopaDly
straight course and inasmueh as me
locks in the 5 arc were sand bars ana
cannot be used. owing TO their certainty
OF overflow and change, any pldh
which might be arranged as DetWeeh-
the United States and Mexican govern
ments to cut across them. would give
each side an actual increase IN aEali-
able territory IN that Il would reclalIn
from the river. wide area OF anu
which might just as Wen De actualIy
under water all the time as constantly
under the presumption or PENS uH1eI
water at the next rise.
In this view X The IiaJ.sI' - 49,
not seem possible that in this progress
sive age the mere technicaltcs aiu I
sentimentalities OF the boundary should
be allowed to stand any lcn<eI ln tie Z
way of so mutually adVantag sous 4
settlement once ii Is ably ana per
sistently pressed on the attention OF
the proper departments. The Iact that
the river still ravages STRIP OF cum
year when a few hundred rect IS al I
it requires must surely De only pc
cause no one has yet got close enough ]
TO the question TO see that IL Is y -
simple remedy is had With this ooun- /
dry question out Of the way. uo1en /
scraper teams for few days on eaG ca /
Of the dozen or 15 hooks between II i
Paso and Fabens would put the FlNer /
in harness to do its own stralghl ellhs /
before or al the next rise. A mere lIac-
tion OF the proposed bond issue would /
pay the bill
But this is not all Suppose this ar
is for some ridiculous rea-
son not made possible to US IN time, /
has the community as a whole Lhen no I
interest I'm such protection as Is next /
IN order?
tween the river and the second bench 1
land. Under present conditions fully 1
One-half the valley upland Is held ]
from year 10 year on the assumption /
that while the river viii get some OF I
IT, il VIII always be the part that be- /
longs TO some one else, but the fact is. 4
there are few acres on which one can /
step and say with absolute assurance, J.
the river viii not be here after May