El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-01-03
By R. E. BASSETT.

engineering advice upon the feasibility
and adVlsabllity of temporarily divert
ing portion Of the funds now allotLed
70 the elephant Butte dam to Jne
cons uction OF canal systems Oh luS
project II found to be feasible ana
wise.
Farm Unit. 100 Acres.
One of the biggest achievements OF
the committee especially in view OF
secretary Lanes published ideas. was
tne IecoInninendat1on of the comml ss Sion
10 secretary Lane and his authOrlzeu
announcement that on all lands under
the PROJECT whose owners have enleFeu
into contract with the Water Users
association and the United states
<Whefe Sucn contracts have been ap-
proved by the secretary of The interior)
water rights will be granted to one
owner for 100 acres. In other words,
the farm unit, under the Elephant Butte
project. mas been placed at 100 acres as
against recently published announce
menJ that 40 acres would be the maxi
mum on some Of the projects.
Recognizes Wife's Rights.
Recognizing as just the law OF New
Mexico, which cOnfers upon the wife
the right OF separate property, water
rights viii be granted to separate hold
lngs OF private property for the hus-
band and for the wife within the linn
its set forth. Water will not be fur
nlshed, however, to land which has
been decided to their minor children
by owners who have themselves re-
tanned ownership Of the full acreage
permitted by their contracts.
COmmends Advertising Campaign.
Early last fall the Elephant Butte
Water Users association completed
plans for carrying out an advertising
and immigration campaign whereby
complete and accurate information with
regard to the farming lands in the val
leys Of New Mexico under the Ele-
plant Butte project would be given
nd 4
cry possible assistance in securing the
right kind of a location where they
could succeed, and in helping the new
conner in every way possible after he
had become located. This work was
undertaken altogether for the benefit
of the outsider who might be inter
ested in this section and to bring in
the right kind OF people as neighbOrs
who would help to develop the lands
and not in any sense for a financial
return. Options on good lands have
been obtained by the association and
they have employed locating agents TO
show the lands which are sold at a
fixed price-there is no sliding scale Of
prices.
The reclamation has taken occasion
in the letter to the shareholders of
the association to make particular COM
ment upon this work and to say that
they believe that this undertaking upon
the announced basis is of the highest
unitarian value to the entire cOmmu-
nifty and If continued in the spirit OF
this declaration of its purposes, it will
have the support, encourage and
assistance of the commission in every
legitimate endeavOr.
Publishes Commissions Letter
The Elephant Butte Water Users
association, recognizing the extreme
Importance of the results obtained by
its committee, and the natural interest
which all of the shareholders of. the
association and others of this section
have in the matter is having published
in leaflet form the letter from the
commission, approved by secretary
Lane, addressed to the shareholders of
this association for free distribution
to all the shareholders and to others
wishing a copy
With the settlement Of all important
matters in connection with the push
ing to completion the dam and the dis
tributing canal system, land owners
and others interested in this project
may now rest more comfortably than
they have been able to do for some time
and in perfect confidence that the dam
will be sufficiently complete at the
date announced, tho spring of 1915, for
distribution of water for irrigation, and
that there will be canals ready to re-
eeive and distribute yhis water. 1t is
not difficult to anticipate the wonderful
development which viii take place at
an early date in view Of the rapid com
pletton OF the dam ard the early bene-
fits which nav be reaDed theTefrOm.