The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-05-29
Land Directly Tributary to
Albuquerque Offers One. Of
Greatest Opportunities for
Development Left.
JUDGE GETS
NEW VIEW OF VALLEY
Roswell Jurist Curious to
Know What Our Senators
Have Been Doing In Wash
ingtOn While Opportunity
Waited.

Returning from a drive over n
lnrse part OF the central Rio Grande
valley yesterday with Assistant state
Engineer JOHNSON, judge q. A, Rich
ardson OF Roswell last night made
the assertion hat there II room for
a million people on farm land IN this
valley. between White took canyon
ard the Elephant Buite dam. and
further expressed his conviction that
the time will come when this TEEN
ina population actually will be fonnd
farming the now idle %irrigable acre
age Of the Albuquerque agricultural
district.
That this population might be re-
allied within the life OF the present
generation he thinks probable u I'M
mediate financial aid can be secured
for the consolidation of irrigation
systems. Drainage aud flood protec-
ton for the valley tributary To his
city. The federal government is he
only source Of such financial aid. and
Ia this end judge Richardson favors
"a campaign ~ an aroused and an
! awakened New Mexico, which viii
seek from congress a gift of five mil
lion acres OF the remaining public do
main In the state, which may be sold
az a minimum OF 81 an acre. Of the
ten million dollars 20 realized he ad-
yocatea the use Of four millions on
the construction OF state highways
and six millions for realizing the de-
veloBment 81 the central Rio Grande
valley.
This gift Of public land to the state
has been advocated hy Judge Rich
ardson for some time. He has had IA
up with our congressman and he aud
others have canscd Il 10 be suggested
TO the New Mexico senators Judge
Richardson now asks the pertinent
question. what have our senators
been doing In congress during the
past three yeafs; during which time
no suggestion OF federal aid for amy
thing In the state has come from
them.
Il have driven through his por-
tion Of the Rio Grandc valley many
times Haid Judge Richardson "a the
Herald. hut ] am seeing Il now from
a new angle u IN u new light. {
am seeing IL IN the light of ~ r
Developments possibilities and these
! have only been able TO realize 10y
a recent trip through the Mesillu val
ley, from Las Cruces to the great Elc-
rhant Butte dam, now nearing cOm-
Fiction. A miracle has been wrought
la ths southern Rio Grande valley in
this state. and q further miracle of
development h al hand there. !
make the prediction now. with ubso-
lutte certainty Of lis realization. that
tHfH HFs tho 49, .E.LN .... -. III
tional population OF not less than
10000 VIII have been located per.
usnnently in the Rio Grande valley
between Elephant Butte aud Las
Cruces. Already this population Is
streaming N and with the compile
ton Of the Rio Grande project and
IL irrigation and power system.
viii c0me In a veritable hood.
Retaliation of the transformation
wrought in the lower valley has made
10 possible for me- 10 see what can
Doe, and what some time will be done
~ this valley tributary To this city
The transformation that has come
about in the south can he repeated
here. only upon "a larger scale.
Whether IL IL brought about within
the life Of the present generation
rests wholly with the activity Of the
people ~ New Mexico. and especially
with the people OF Albuquerque. An
awakening is needed amour our pcu.
pie, AN awakening to the possihllltIcs
Tor development aud prosperity and
wealth lying ready 60 hand around
ua. our ease has been lott Co drag
az the tail end of the national dcyei-
"pm"nt procession, Oy Indifferent
public servants who have been Iudii-
i"rent because our people have mo-
demanded activity.
Ncw Mexico land nnd Ncw Mexico
water, tiEhtfully ours. have been
used u" settle tho winter and bound
airy controversies of Texas ana the
republic Of MoNlrp. The first, mid
de ana last great benefit of the Eie-
rhn"t Butte project, while II IN To-
cntcd iu New Mexico. viii go to the
city "i El paso, Texas. That city
has literally appropriated the project
"ud u viii make pf ~ Puso u great
city. u H time Tor New Mexico To-
d" something FOR New Mexico. We
have contributed enough 60 adjust
ucnt of the troubles Of others. II
h mp Co us Co a" something for our
selves.
Three things must be- accomplish
cd Tor the central Ria urunde Nalie,
hei"Ie Hs true development period
can b'gin The valley must be-
drained. u must be supplied with
q 81 irrigutiun system, Tor which
mere " abundant water, ana Il must
D' gwen adequate protection from
l'""ds This means the ohannolng
ANA diiung Of the MO Grande, ali the
way from White Rock canyon Ia san
Mul'ihl This BE- not q dream. Il is
pl1'licnl engineering proposition IN
"hl'h the out of any practical cnei.
n'cr would dcllght.
Ihis great undertaking, however.
can only be carried Qua with the ex-
p'hdiiure OF huge sums of money.
ne t'derai government h the only
source TO which We can look for ado-