Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-11-28
LAUNCH MOVE

tContfnueu from page one.l
taking in the whole Of Wiliacy coun-
~, and the securing Of water from
some Of the irrigation districts now
operating in the lower Valley.
A meeting Of representative peo-
pie from various sections Of the
county was held 1t the high school
auditorium, at which w. A. Harding.
pioneer developer Of Willacy county.
presided. George r. Lochrie. secre-
tary OF the Raymondville Chamber
Of Commerce, was elected secretary
Of the meeting. A committee Of
three. composed Of r. c. Archer. OF
Lyford, and J. L. Corbin and Attor-
ney ID. +. Decker, both Of Raymond
vile, was appointed to investigate
the proposition, and TO report back
to a later meeting Of all Of the peo-
pie Of Willacy county, which would
be held here in two weeks.
c. II. Pease. Of Washington, ID. c.,
was the principal speaker for the oc-
casion. He stated that the matter Of
irrigating this entire section with
water furnished by one Of the irri-
cation districts in the Valley was
entirely feasible, and could be ac-
complished at less overhead expense
than than OF operating the other dis
tricts in the Valley. He pointed out
the necessity Of filing for water
rights from the Rio Grande while
there was time, and stated that IL
too long delayed, the section would
forever be condemned to remain q
dry farming territory.
He stated that there was three
times as much land in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley subject 90 irrigation
as there was water with which to
irrigate. and that those sections
which filed and secured the right,
would have precedence over other
sections which did not. The Rio
Grande, he stated, is a river Of
Liquid gold" and said the water
was ten times more valuable than
the land.
Probably the greatest surprise
brought out ut the meeting is the
fallacy that there Ia a federal law,
or a clause in a treaty between the
United States and Mexico. which
specifically forbids the use or wa
ter from the Rio Grande for irriga-
ton purposes further than the
eighteen mile limit. Pease denied
that any such law or treaty was In
existence.
He stated that the only. treaty be-
tween the United States and Mex
leo in which the Rio Grande IL
mentioned IS that Of Guadalupe Hi
dalgo, made in 184S. and that treaty
only referred 20 the river as a raw
igable stream. He stated the treaty
provided nothing should be done by
either nation TO interfere with the
navigability Of the Rio Grande. and
that pumping or water for irrigation
purposes was in direct violation Of
the treaty. He stated, however, that
q new treaty would be made by the
two countries in the near future.
w. A. Harding stated that IL had
just come to his attention that ]. G.
EnRlcman. also a pioneer developer
in the lower Valley. was now hav-
ing q 5000 acre tract north Of the
Donna Irrigation District and beyond
the is-mile limit, surveyed for the
purpose Of having II watered from
water from the Rio Grande.
He called attention 20 the fact
that Willacy county as a dry farm
ing territory was unexcelled as such
BY any tract in the world, but that
he realized a much greater develop
ment would be possible with irri-
CATION. As q dry farming country,
hea stated, the land would continue
TO sell at from SIPS 70 $3.50 per acre,
while with irrigation the price would
60 to from $1,000 to $4,000 per acre.