El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-05-19
SHOW INTEREST
IN ELECTION
Large Vote Expected on
Water District as Result
of Ysleta Meeting.

/ Owing to the great interest shown
by the land owners and farmers Of the
I FL Paso valley at the recent commit
I nitv meetings held at the towns of
I Clint. Fabens, Socorro, and Nsleta for
Z the discussion of drainage and irri9a-
ton improvements needed in the valley
and the ACCESSIBILITY of establishing a
water improvement district. a large
vote was expected TO be cast at the
election today favorable to the adop-
tion OF plans as advocated by the gov
eminent. providing the establishment
of public corporation TO be known as
the FL PasO Water Improvement district
represented directly by a board of five
directors, in lieu Of the present assOei-
alton of water users, which Is consid
erred as inadequate TO the needs
The only persons eligible 10 vote Al
the election are those who actually are
farming in the valley or who own land
within the proDosed irrigation district.
The precincts for casting votes are at
Lincoln Park. Ysleta, Socorro. San Eli
carlo. Clint. Fabens, Island, and Canu
tillO school houses e.. o.. go
Gives Reasons for Drainage.
4 large number of Ysleta agricul-
turists heard interesting talks in the
school house Friday evening by repre-
sentatives OF the recla nation service
and local Institutions. D. ". Murphy.
a drainage engineer in the reclamation
service. explained TO the farmers the
reason for the drainage ditch. He said:
''The rise IN the ground water and
water level carries upward alkah salts
which destroy the productive value Of
the ground. and 1t Is necessary TO keep
the water level low by drainage in or
der TO keep the salts down. This Is
not an experiment. but has made I'M
productive ground in the Mesilla val
lev productive. The drainage canals
proposed would affect the ground as
soon as several miles were completed
and it would require about three years
to construct the latersls as planned
parallel 20 the river.
Regarding the cost Mr.. Murphy said:
Farmers have 20 Years IN which to
nav their share and the productive in
crease of two or three years would pay
the cost
Government Works With Citizens.
G. J Blanchard. statistician for the
reclamation service in Washington. ID.
c.. said- ~The government trusts and
has confidence in the valley and has
spent over 100000 for the develop
ment of the project. There Is no IN
stance where the government has at
tempted to take advantage OF It's eitl-
zens and especially at this time when
food production Is OF vital Importance
does the government with its limited
funds not desire TO waste them need
lessIF and to infringe upon the citizens
Of the valley by advocating an ineffl-
Gent and undesirable form of Organi-
zstion The new form of oreapization
"a in no wav a criticism on the Fl
Paso Water Users association and We
have had no serious differences In I
dealing with that organization. but the /
new form Is advocated because Of its I
business possibilities and as more /
concrete organization
All Must Help, Says. IF
The main defect OF she water users
issociation is that every one does not
contribute according TO the benefit
which he receives" said P. ". Dent, II
district counsel in order to make the
lroiect a success there must be a means Il
or compelling everyone who is bene-
tied to pay his Iust contributions As II
n the case of drainage, one man makes |
DUPLICATION Tor the drainage and his /
leighbor derives the same benefit with |
nut paving for It" Mr.. Dent compli- I
nented the officials of the FL Paso as
upon their untiring work IN d
advancing the cause of the valley I
arners before the reclamation service
nd the department of the interior
There must be some understanding ]
between the valley farmers and the !
service before any effort |
VIII be made on the part Of the gov /
,, n ~
nents in the valley said L. NJ Law
on. The proposed form Of organiza-
ion viii solve the difficulties which /
,bstruct the present progress Of the |
water users association"
LeRarOn Optimistic.
The meeting was presided over by
ieOrge Z. LeBaTon, who secured the Il
services of Frank Candelario. OF Ysleta. II
IS Interpreter. Mr.. LeBaron expressed II
himself as confident that the agTicul-
wrists Of the valley would support H
ne election for the benefit of the CON-
nUnity at large, if not entirely for
heir personal interests and advantage. II
Must Drain at Once, Says.
The government Is extending aid to 4
he farmers IN the same way that line
S thrown TO a drowning man. Within
hree years this valley viii be drowned II
With water, at the present rate, unless
measures are used to eounteract the
eepage Influences said J. A. Smith.
resident Of the Ell Paso Water Users
ssociatioR. Il hope the men viii not
hink only Of their personal advantages
ut viii act for the interest OF the
alley as a whole and support the cleo
ion by the necessary two-thirds vote
Roe Says Plan Is Good.
". G. Roe, as the representative of
he chamber Of commerce, extended a
reeting and the. hearty approval of
hat body of the plans for the forma-
ion Of the irrigation district as con-
ributing 70 the best interests of the
Other representative of the reela-
lation service who attended the meet
u were Miss Alice B. Preuss, assistant
istriet counsel. and Ora McDernitt