El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-05-25

lAfLE or coal and wood and coke goes higher ana
" ever higher with talk Of labor shortage and short
age, in Fl Paso the valley and the region roundabout
60 nothing to develop the power available at Elephant
with the increasing use Of gasoline on the farm for
numerous purposes to which power animal power
vas formerly applied we still do nothing to develop electric
Gasoline continues to rise in price and are told that
there VII be greater scarcity Of crude oil and distates
IN the future, with rising prices.
Yet We do nothing to develop electric power
In the cities public utilities ask for increased rates
account Of increased COSTS yet do nothing to develop
our water power to the end Of substituting cheap electricity
for many power purposes and heating purposes de-
msnding the consumption Of coal and wood, gas and
gasoline
The mines are hampered BY the high cost of power Yet
with an abundance of water power available, we do moth
ing to turn it to use.
Industries cities and subject TO increasing
costs account Of high power COSTS yet do nothing
to provide cheap electricity from Elephant Butte dam
There water stored behind Elephant Butte dam
than in any other artificial lake IN the world The water
leTe high the drops the valley great that
the potential water power for conversion into electricity
IS huge, yet we do nothing to tuEn it to use
We could have an Electric City If we would Yet we
DO nothing to bring It about.
The great and Tsh city Of E Paso IS Of the worst
lighted cities IN the United States for its size Yet with
abundant water power available conversion into cleo
tricity we do nothing to utilize It.
Every unit Of water power that could be converted into
electricity would release just much fuel for other pur-
poses coal and wood, coke gas gasoline and crude OIL and
have its effect N lowering prices Of fuel and power costs
To develop the water power would be the quickest and
sIt method to conserve fuel and promote economy in all
Industry.
Orr farms are lighted with lamps and candles, when
they might have electricity cheaply Electricity might
be supplied from the dam to every community within 200
miles We talk about It idly, and do nothing.
Pumping plants operated BY electricity would cheaply
develop water everywhere, since the underground waters
exhaustless But do nothing.
From John ". Harm, a successful farm N the
81 Paso valley comes the following communication directed
especially to the water under the Elephant Butte
project Il contains that which should inspire FL Pasoans
and valley land owners to take steps without delay toward
developing The power possln11rles at the dam;
ii took century before the idea conceived
harness the Mississippi river at keOku, Iowa which
ranks OF the greatest and cosest electric power
plants in the world supplying towns and cities within
radius Of 500 miles private corporation constructed
shfs great dam which spans the river
end there being sufficient rainfall In thar aecon IS NOT
he Elephant Butte dam serves only one purpose at
In supplying the upper and lower valleys VIII
Irrigation water when IL Just well serve two IN
using irrigation that through the dam 10
rs water power chambers are already built in the
the engineers did not overlook the
possibility for generating cheap electric power
which the water are apparently slow IN taxing al
6s water users have tAe right to construct great
power plant at the DAM and govern an revenues derived
from power which would aid materially IN paying Us
construction cost and ultimately pay dividends 10 the
rhat electric power Is great community builder Is
clearly demonstrated when rides down the Fl Paso
valley road the 1nterurban line has been
structed; splendid modernzed farms. and fine
section which the Interurban line built
spsrsely settled and backward The lower valley is
by the lower valley residents IN
laying their farms and fine type Of homes are some
thing every e Pascan can point to with pride
Electricity hard work made this possible.
erhel Roosevelt dam with its power plant Is rapidly
about the results in the salt River valley
Nov Let all Of Us water users under the Elephant