El Nuevo mexicano., 1919-03-20
WATERS ARE
SOURCE OF ARTES|AN
SUPPLY AT ROSWELL
DR.. JOHNSON POINTS OUT AppI-
TlONAL ARGUMENT AGAINST
DIVERSION OF FLOW BY RAIL
ROAD COMPANY.

Roswell, N, M, March 17.--Dr. s..
M. Johnson has sent the following let
ter to the assistant secretary Of the
interior:
Hon. S. G. Hopkins, assistant secre-
tary Of interior department, Washing
tony d. G.. My Dear Mr.. Hopkins: /
write to thank you for Your copy of
your letter Of March / to Mr.. r. M.
Schumacher, president, Ell Paso &
Rock Island Railway Company, New
York City, in regard to the revocation
Of the permit to construct pipe line
across the Mescalero Indian reserva-
ton for the purpose of diverting wa
ter from the north fork of the Ruidoso
river. / desiresto thank you for your
action in this matter and in particular
because thisp ermit, has been revoked
without prejudice in the event that
the company should make application
for similar permit in the future" AS
| understand you have placed both par.
ties back in the position which they
occupied before this permit was
granted and if my understanding is
correct the situation now is that
should the railway company renew its
application it will be necessary for
them to show that they have title to
the water which they propose to di-
vert and also that 1t will be necessary
for the department to ascertain wheth-
err or not the granting of this permit
is not incompatible with the public
welfare In regard to the latter point,
the showing which | have made and
which is in your files clearly reveals
that | and those whom / represent
maintain that the diversion of the wa
tiers of the north fork of the Ruidoso
from their natural watershed and thc
change Of their use for that of irriga-
ton to that of locomotive use is in
compatible with the welfare of the wa
ter users in the natural drainage sys-
tenn.
AS stated in the protest on file in
your office, the products of the area
under cultivation in the region depend
ing upon the water from this source
constitute a total of at least ten mil
lion dollars a year.. The department
has made a thorough investigation OF
the source OF the artesian water sup
ply Of the Roswell artesian area. The
findings are embodied in the report OF
Cassius Fisher in the geological sur
vey and is embodied in the bulletin
which the department has issued. Mr..
Fisher states in his report that the
source of the Roswell artesian area is
the headwaters of the stream in ques-
ton in the White mountains to the
west. We, therefore, hold that your
department, having established by
thorough investigation the connection
between the waters of the north fork
of the RuidosO and the Roswell ar
tesian area and this finding being con
firmed by many evidences, that you
will agree with us that to divert any
of the waters of the north fork of the
Ruidoso from their present natural
course would diminish by so much the
already too scant supply Of the arte-
sian area; would be detrimental to the
public welfare; and that, therefore,
though the company should re-
new this application and present evil
dence of title to water which might
thus be diverted, that you could not
under the law grant them a permit to
divert this water.
In addition | desire to state that
should the railway company make ap-
.plication for another permit we desire
be informed Of this fact and to be
given time in which to submit addi-
tional showing Of fact that the grant
Ing of the permit would be incompati-
BILE with the public welfare.
Again thanking you for your kindly
consideration and for the protection
which you have willingly granted to
us, ! remain, Sincerely yours,
S. M. JOHNSON