El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-22

Q Llt End1lDtr OF commerce ASKED q
I have the ban replaced on publi'
J gatherings. although IL had advanced
I over $4,000 to prepare for the big eN
position. The chamber pocketed thi.
{ loss rather than further jeopardize
/ the health of the city and all the ex
] hibitOrs, who were invited to The
] meeting to hear the matter discussed
I agreed willingly to have the exposi-
I ton called off
at was then stated that the ex-
I hibits would be placed and the big
( hail opened free TO the public, that
. the exhibitors might get some public
ity and advertising. but after more
I ties feared the place would be
/ crowded and deemed it best to canoe.
/ this arrangement.
No Awards Made.
Then it was announced that rib
bOns and cups would he awarded but
the cash prizes would not be given.
Some Of the exhibitors completed
their displays for this. but as Mr..
Harweu was taken i'll, 1 decided not
TO finish our exhibit and it was just
as well, for Sunday mornings Kansas
City papers announced that all the
judges were either taken i'll Saturday
night OF were called home on account
of illness in their families and that
no prizes could be given.
spoil, We gave to the newspapers Of
Kansas City and to officials Of the
convention hall. who had been very
kind 10 US. All our pears but one box;
all our peaches and most Of our
grapes had spoiled in cold storage or
en- route The cold storage people
blamed il on the express company
Still, we could have made a fine dis
play of apples and forage and grains
and vegetables, with enough grapes
to make a showing if the exposition
had been held We had fine location
for our booth. in the center of the big
hall and would have made big show
II the exposition had been held
1T is not certain where the next
meeting viii be held. but Kansas City
can have It If it asks for it again.
because Of the financial loss sustained
by the chamber OF commerce OF that
city this year W / Drummond,
chairman OF the board OF governors
Of the exposition, was most kind to
US and gave US every possible help
So did his assistant. Fred J. Wilmarth-
Both we're here at FL Paso two years
ago when the exposition was held
Back To The Land.
The story in the Kansas City Post
Sunday morning under big head
As result OF conferences held in
Kansas City during the past few days
by DR.. E1wood Mead, OF California;
George Albert Smith, of Salt Lake
City. Utah, and other leading men OF
the southwest, the proposal Of secre-
tary Of the interior Lane TO place re-
turned soldiers on the available lands
Of the west and southwest was given
impetus and IL IS possible that many
new government projects for the rec
lamation Of land will be undertaken
The international Farm congress.
D. .-l- in in x
City for several days past gave Of
fetal Endorsement to the plan Mr.
smith was elected president Of this
congress. which is a combining OF the
former international Dry Farm con-
eress and the International Irriga-l
At the sessions Of the eonventionI
next year. this project Of placing SOL
diers on lands in the west viii be a
big feature for discussion DR.. Mead
has taken a prominent part in the
plans OF secretary Lane in this
project since its inception
Irrigation Projects.
For many years. the government
has been constructing irrigation
projects for the reclamation Of arid
lands in the west This work is to
be redoubled and every effort made
to place soldiers on this land after
their return from France In the
construction OF these projects, the
government does the work and gives
the farmers benefiting therefrom. 20
years in which 10 repay the cost OF
construction
G. A. Martin OF Fl Paso. who came
here TO bring an exhibit Of fruits, for
age crops and vegetables from the
Rio Grande valley for the lnterna-
tfonal Soil Products exposition, which |
failed to materialize because Of the
n a
project
The Elephant Butte project" hei
said was constructed by the govern I
ment TO reclaim 225.000 acres OF land
north and south Of FL Paso and now
every acre virtually is in cultiva ton.
and, while the construction OF the
dam and canals cost a total of about
SIS an acre for each acre reclaimed I
land that was not worth IS an acre
Il years ago is now selling as high
as $500 per acre. This, OF course
is close TO FL Paso and is in fruit
However, all land has advanced IN
value twice the cost Of the dam and
the farmers still have Is years or
more TO complete their payments
They are assured Of water for every
hour in the year.
Seven Years To Construct.
In constructing Elephant Butte
dam and canals the government was
about seven years. The dam itself
is larger than the United States cap
ftaI. in fact the national capital
if turned upside down. would not
fiji the space occupied by this dam
The lake formed by the dam is 40
miles long and the dam would hold
the entire flow OF the Rio Grande
for three years If not drop Of water
was taken out II is estimated that
it will require IS years for the water
to flow over the spilway OF the dam
estimating the amount the irrigation
lists will take out each year.
The water is released from the
dam and permitted TO flow down the
Rio Grande 10 various diversion dams
which turn it into canals for irrigat-
ing the land About $1,000 acres OF
the land lies on the Mexican side OF
the river. the rest in Texas and New
Mexico. As il is an international
stream. the United States. before II
could dam the Rio Grande, had 10
sign a treaty with Mexico agreeing 10
water a certain acreage Of Mexican
land free Of cost forever"