Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-09-18
j. s. OWNERS
Of IRRIGATION
PROJECTS URGED
Water Users Under Ele-
phant Butte Dam Wish
to Solve Problem OF De-
livery to Mexico.
Special TO The journal

Las Cruces, n. NJ, Sept. IT,
II farmers on the Rio Grande
project will introduce a bill for
the adjustment of the operation
and maintenance costs for deliv-
cry Of water to Mexico, according
to the treaty Of 1906, Secretary
OF the Interior Fall will recon-
mend relief, probably in the form
of a lump sum, approXimating
S1,OOO.000, to be credited toward
the cost of the Elephant Butte
dam.
II. Fl. Brook, president manager
OF the Elephant Butte irrigation
district, has announced that
Joint meeting of directors of the
Eel Paso and the Elephant Butte
districts will be called soon to
agree upon a program and policy
in the matter OF adjusting the
construction charges-whether to
undertake an immediate settle
ment or await the possible adop-
ton. by congress of the principle
of federal ownership.
"The operation and a mainte-
nance cost is an entirely separate
matter from the construction
charge" Mr.. Brook said, land
grows out Of the treaty. which
says that the United States agrees
TO pay the whole cost of storing
the said quantity Of water
of conveying same, of measuring
said water and of delivering it
in the river bed above the head
of the Mexican canal"
Two Proposals.
In response to a question Mr..
Brook said that with reference
TO the adjustment of the con-
struction charge, the Rio Grande
project is faced with two propo-
sails. One is to ask for an imme-
date adjustment because of the
increased construction cost not
having been prorated to Mexico.
as in the original instance, in
which event the additional credit |
might be in the neighborhood of |
S1,000.000. The other is to defer /.
this adjustment of construction /
charges until congress has adopt !.
ed some policy or principle, which |
is for the ownership of dams |
controlling international, inter-
state and technically navigable .
streams for power, flood control .
and irrigation"
This, briefly. is the report
brought from Washington, D. c., /
by Maj. Richard +. Burgess of .
I'll Paso, and NJ. B. Thompson of
Las Cruces.
The principle of federal owner
ship was first voiced by Mr.. Brook
as deduced from citations of the
published views of Director Davis
of the U. S. reclamation service,
Secretary Hoover of the Colorado |
river commission, and Secretary of !
the Interior Fall, on the Swing bill |
for the construction of the Boulder
dam on the Colorado river.
1.-THE United States must sooner
or later determine upon a policy
for the control Of international
streams" Mr.. Brook said, land the
only logical solution Is that OF fed
eral ownership. The problem will
]
ect, because Mexico is receiving and
using about twice as much water as
the treaty allotted. When this ex-
cessive use is stopped, as 1t must be,
when the irrigated area in the
United States grows, there will be
q new hcwl from Mexico.
ut is palpably absurd that two
small quasi municipal irrigation
districts-El Paso and Elephant
different state laws,
should be responsible for deliver
ing water through an uncontrolled
and torrential river bed to a foreign
nation in maintenance of national
treaty obligation.
An Acute Situation Il
ION the Colorado river the situa-
ton is already acute and all bu- j
reaus of the government have fav- !
ored federal ownership. Here also '
Mexico is at a disadvantage. The |
lower Rio Grande project. which
has been faVorably reported on by
the u. S. reclamation service. rep
resents case where Mexico can
deprive immensely valuable Ameri. !
can lands of practically all water
now used, or that 1t is proposed to
use in the future. 1t Is needless to
say that Mexico will not be found
asleep in the matter Of trading.
''These three propositions are in
and distinctly national !
in scope. They should be settled at !
he same time in perpetuity by a
forward looking, statesmanlike ]
agreement based upon a sound |
consistently followed in
zach case. otherwise, vast Ameri- ,
2an interests will be jeopardized ..