The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-08-28

Q&H 81 ne partisan nevspepesz opposing the election Of San.
o>or Bursun have refssrsd ~ihehfinsiy 70 that portion Of his
sddrsss bssors ne republican state convention with references
"a ~ plans and hopes for bringing about federal aid for rccis-
nation for New Mexicoi iriesbls and undra;nsd lands These op-
ponsnts ak Why Senator Buryun has not procured definite results
IN construction 81 ssolauadon works instead Of giving US plans
1his kind ef partisan comment was to be expected. obssrvans
eisizens win recognise instantly the unreasonahlsress Of expecting
results IN the form Of federal appropriations from q senator whose
active service has been iess than sx months. In q congress whose
time and attention have been absorbed BY all absorbing problems
as revenue revision, business rehabilitation and the making Of q
senator pussuru has made no exaggerated claims as to his &C.
complshments toward federal aid for reclamation In our state. He
has bean very modest about what he has actually accomplished
and the very definite progress he has made In the address referred
to above he said very plainly that he did not anticipate the psss~se
Of The MoNuy bill Immediately. None Of It's champions hope for
that He said he was confident that the MeNary bill, or some SINH
lar measure for western reclamation, would be enacted during the
long session Of congress. He did refer, very briefly, TO some def
mite work that he has done and that It was essential to have done in
order for New Mexico 70 participate fairly in the fruits Of reclama-
ton Legislation when congress shai have enacted 1t.
II 10 happens that Senator Bursum has been able 70 bring about
two very important things, both essential 70 any federal participa-
tiu IN reclamation work in this state They are things that have
needed attention since federal reclamation was initiated under
Roosevelt and which have never had any serious attention from any
representative Of New Mexico until Bursum entered the senate.
One Of these thinp Is the specific inclusion Of drainage a a
necessary part Of any fedsrsl reclamation program. It has been
talked Of in q very general WY, but at Senator Bursum 8 inistence,
the members Of congress behind the reclamation legislation have
accepted In principal and in fact his amendment including the
drainage Of wsterlogged lands as a part Of federal reclamation &C
tiyiiy. Nothing more important could have been brought about for
the future of the vastly valuable and now half inundated area of
the Rio orande valley between White Rock Canyon and the Ee-
plant Butte dam. Il opens the way for, and makes fairly certain,
the inclusion Of this area, containing nearly one third of the irri-
gable area Of the stste. in the NEXT program Of reclamation the
federal government undertakes.
The other ornamental thing Senator Bursum has accomplished
for the reclamation Of our isigable areas Is the PASSAGE Of the
act creating . federal commission for adjustment Of the water
rights Of the Colorado river watershed. Six states participate in
the waters Of this great water shed. The future of the San Juan
basin depends upon New Mexicos obtaining its fair share of the
wuter from the Colorado watershed. Private project after private
project aiming at large reclamation works in San Juan county. has
withdrawn from the field because Of controversy and threatened
litigation over the water rights as between the states. There has
been more than a threat Of the total loss Of New Mexicos share Of
this water, through the activities Of public and private interests in
Utah, Colorado and Arizona.
Through ths federal commission initiated by Senator Bursums