El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-09-08
NEW PLAN FOR
VALLEY FARMERS
Irrigation Districts Are Ad
vocated for Handling
Land Matters.

tax lien" for default in payment o
such tax. not a lien Of record for tn
! entire indebtedness
Removes the Lien.
I In other words. in abstractinE
/ title for the purpose of procuring
I loan. no lien will be disclosed there
/ BY. unless il be for one or more un
I paid instruments Of taxes levied
1t viii thus be observed that. /
I those on reclamation projects are e
receive the equal benefits of the fed
eral banking act. rural credit loans, o.
even loans by the state, or loans bl
] large loaning companies. the projects
will have to substitute the irrigation
district plan for the present system.
Two or three states have adopted
the irrigation district plan Gin lieu o.
the water users plan) under existing
laws As result, the laws pertaining
thereto were amended at the last ses
sions of the various legislatures II
such manner as to permit the bringing
Of the reclamation projects hereunder
1t is still important that these laws bt
further amended in some particulars
Need for Prompt Action.
AN districts should. therefore. be
the next legislature, for by so doins
any defect now undiscovered may
speedily be met by procuring from the
legislatures soon to convene the re-
quired amendment or amendments
without waiting two years more for
these benefits.
The district plan OF organization. OF
course, viii not provide a water supply
where none exists or make good land
out OF bad. nor viii it convert into a
success a reservoir which. by reason of
natural formation OF its surroundings,
may be fatally defective
Solves Drainage Problem.
In arid sections where irrigation is
relied upon. there is implicitly included
in the irrigation district plan the right
10 make all necessary contracts look
ing towards the drainage of such parts
of the district as might be found neces-
sary. This position has been upheld
by the supreme court of Idaho where
the plan has been fully tried out and
properly presented to the courts for
determination. The irrigation district
plan will. therefore, solve the drainage
demands.
IN the case of drainage of lands
within the irrigation district becoming
necessary. taxation for drainage pur-
poses in most states is in proportion
to the benefits received Drainage dis
tricts were only devised for use in To-
calities where drainage. and drainage
only. Is necessary. such as part of
where bitches and canals are necessary
to keep water off the land and not with
the view Of running water onto il.
Drainage districts will not solve the
irrigation problem. but irrigation dis
tricts include and solve the drainage
problem Hence. when irrigation is
necessary. irrigation and not drainage
districts should be organized. This is
the settled policy OF the recalmat ton
commission.
TO perfect an organizat ton under
the irrigation district system and the
dealing with the United States. the
time for doing so under the different
statutes varies from three to six
months As above indicated, therefore.
il is important that steps should be
taken in this direction without delay,
with a view to receiving such legisla-
tive aid. II required. prior TO the COM
ing session Of your legislature.
Assistance Offered.
The reclamation commission has
decided in favor of recon-
mendins the irrigation district plan
and the law section has placed in the
general field service one of the dis
trict counsel &c. W Burr. Of North
\ akima. WaSh) for the purpose OF as
slsting district counsel on the projects
IN the organization OF irrigation dis
tricts, In addition thereto. the supply
-He VI any HpttldA OF general iuTOrm1-
ton desired will be furnished direct
from the legal division of either the
Denver or Washington offices
a more extensive and detailed dis
cussion OF the benefits Of irritation
district plans will be found in the
Exclamation records of October. 1914. ..
sol. Nov. 1914. .. 40S. and January.
-sle. p IS. consisting OF discussions
IF the subject by district counsel B. r
'toutemyer. or Boise. Idaho. and dis
riot counsel Z. ". Burr. of North YAK
ma. Wash In each of the states rep
'esented by these district counsel. irri
ration districts have long since been
substituted for water users associa- I
ions with excellent results. none of I
which localities would. for a moment.
consider the returning to the common
Y known water users association plan
n force in most jurisdictions"
Mt Burr. who was here for some
weeks. was enthusiastic over the wsv 4
n which the FL Paso valley and EIe I
'hant Butte water users boards are
aklnS uD the suggestion for the or
anization of irrigation districts. and I
e said the prospects OF early drainage
I the valley We're very bright. his .
eadquarters is North Yakima. and he /
cent by way Of Yuma. Orland. Cal. ana !
Klamath. Ore '-'u