El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-05-05
WATER AGAIN FLOWS IN CANALS;
TEMPORARY INJUNCTION GRANTED
Mesa Valley Farmers Garry Their Contention With the
Reclamation Service to Court the FL Paso Dele
cation Fails in It's Mission of Peace
Ditch Riders Guard Canals
TEMPORARY writ Of il

TEMPORARY writ Of injunction
a forcing officials Of the recla-
I n nation service to turn water
into the upper MesiIa valley canals,
which have not had water since May
J. was issued Tuesday night at Las
Cruces by judge F. L Medler, OF the
third district court
The mediation committee Of Fl
Pasoans, headed by r 3. Orndortf,
which went to Las Cruces Tuesday with
the purpose of persuadlng the upper
valley farmers from carrying the mat
ter into the courts, failed IN It's mis-
sion. Although the FL PasOans were
warmly received. their arguments Tor
peace were unheeded.
Injunction Served at Night.
The injunction issued Tuesday night
was served at $50 p. m on Charles a.
Burns, OF the reclamation office IN
Las Cruces It instructed him and all
his agents TO Immediately cause the
water, which had been diverted from
the canals operated by the water users
OF the upper Mesilla valley, to again
flow into the bitches and canals It
also restraints the reclamation Off
Gals from imposing any Illegal
charges for operation and mainte-
nance" IN connection with the Elephant
Butte irrigation project
The writ is temporary and will be
further heard before judge Medler on
Thursday, May 13, when attorneys for
the water users and reclamation ser
vice will begin the battle to decide
whether II viii be set aside or made
permanent Assistant manager Burns
immediately Obeyed the Injunction and
water IS now flowing through the
Mesills valley canals.
MediatOrB Disappointed.
Fl PasO's peace commissioners"
were disappointed when they returned
10 FL PasO. r. b OrndOrff, president
OF the chamber Of commerce and chair
man Of the mediation commission
said 17rrneH1v~ night that the ELnnnlnE
Butte water users had set their minds
against signing the irrigation con-
tracts presented TO them by the recla-
nation service and no amount OF ar
Eumeut could prevail on them TO
change The FL Pasoans, among whom,
besides Mr. OrndOrffr were o S Stew
art, ". G. Roe, J. N wyatt, NJ L. Cad
wallader, George R. LeBaron ana
George Il Clements, reached Las
Cruces at II o'clock Tuesday morning
and Immediately went into session with
officers Of the Elephant Butte Water
Users association Present were Ia
Clapp, president OF the association,
Mark B. Thompson and H b Holt, at
JOrueys, and about 20 members and
and directors.
OrndOrh Urges Peace.
Mr. Orndorff urged on the Mesilla
valley men the necessity for signing
the contracts now and settling the mat
ter afterwards through the proper au-
thOrities. He told them that their policy
was one which could not bring them
any lasting benefit and pointed out 10
them how 95 percent Of the FL Paso
valley water users had signed contracts
which called for 65 cents per acre more
than these presented to the upper val
ley farmers. he pleaded with them to
adopt peaceful measures now. in view
Of the fact the congressional apprOpri-
alton committee viii visit this sec
ton soon and may refuse further ap-
propriatiOns for the irrigation project
IN case a fight IS in progress between
the government and the farmers.
Not Money But Principle.
Attorneys for the Las Cruces water
users answered most Of the arguments.
made by the FL Pasoans. They con
Lcnded that they were fiEhting not SO