Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-11-06
ELECTION WILL
Be CALLED IN
new DISTRICT
Includes Parts OF Hi
dalgo an Cameron
Counties; Petition Is
Approved
Especial 10 The Herald

MERCEDES, Nov. 5.-The Hidalgo
and Cameron Counties Water Con-
troll and Improvement District ~. 2
officially came into existence Satur-
day when the petition signed by q
large number or the water users was
approved BY the State Board Of Wa
ter Engineers.
The new district comprises apr
rr0ximatrly $4,000 acres In the Mer-
cedes system. including the entire
system with the exception Of about
II 600 9cres in the esorth C1paaia and
the townsite Of Mercedes, Weslaco,
Elsa, Edc0uch and Ia Nilll.
The lands excluded are the prop
erty OF the American Rio Crande
Land ani Irrigation Company, OWL
crs Of the irrigation system There
are no canals within the excluded
area. all Of which lies in the north
eastern part OF the Mercedes tract.
No opposition to the formation o.
the district was voiced az the near
ing Saturday morning az the Elks
hall. John A. Norris ard c. ,.
Clark 81 tho state board of water en-
rineers conducted the hearing, A. W.
Mcdonald. secretary Of the board,
was also present. The water users
were represented by their attorneys
Gauze & kirkpatrick, ard ~ W
Glasscock, attorney for the Amerl-
can company, was present as an o0-
server.
Directors Appointed
The hearing was very brief. The
board waived reading the petition, ar:
Norris stating that the board had
been presented q copy previously and
had studied II thoroughly. and un-
derstood its purposes. a number or
representative farmers Of the terri
tory to be included in the district
were present, and Judge j. II. Gauze
stated that SO far rs he could de-
termine the property owners were
practically unanimous in favor OF
organizing the district. No opposition
or protest Of any character was
brought out at the hearing.
Mr. Norris announced that mas
much as there was apparently no OPP
position 10 the district plan II was
the duty OF the board 10 approve the
retition and name n temporary board
Of five directors, and the following
were appointed. r.. RI. ROthrock, M.
q. Weis. Andrew Burgess, w. c- Ba-
ker. A. V. Williams. The board then
pronounced the hearing closed.
VIII Call An Election
The members OF the board Of d.
rectors are expected 10 qualify IN q
few days and will immediately or
raniza and call an election % con-
firm the organization Of the district
and elect permanent directors. The
law under which the district IS or
ranized provides that nm election
must be called within 35 days after
the organization Of the board Of dr.
rectors appointed by the state water
board.
II Il understood that as soon as the
organization Of the district Us COM
pleted. the board Of directors viii
Immediately enter into negotiations
with the American Rio Grande Land
and Irrigation Company for the pur-
chase Of the irrigation system, and
IL is probable that in failing 70 reach
an agreement liz their opening neeo-
tiations the value Of the irrigation
canals and plant will be established
hv appraisal. The valuation Of the
system was fixed at S2,9i6,f9s.4l by
the state board Of water engineers IN
July. 1921. and II Is understood that
the present valuation "a estimated az
approximately $~3,40o,0oo.
Work Through Committee
The move 10 organize n district
was i~nauguratcd early this year Toll
lowing an announcement that lrriga-
tion rates would be increased. The
water users opposed the proposed
increase IN the courts and won n
victory. At n mass meeting IN Nes-
laco a committee Of fifteen WAS APP
pointed with .F. o.. Richcreck as
chairman and w. r. Baker. secretary,
70 work out a district plan. The work
OF the committee vas approved By q
subsequent mass meeting. and q
petition duly filed with the state
board Of water engineers 20 create
the district.
In the event tho district fails 20
acquire the irrigation system ~ the
American company IL may function
as q drainage district, and in the
event IL fails TO function as either an
irrigation or drainage district ~
will automatically cease 20 exist at
the end Of two years from the date
cf approval Of the petition.
Only a small fraction cf the acre
are of the district lies WITHIN tam
eron county. The American COM
panv lands extended about one
fourth of a mile east Of the line be-
tween Hidalgo and Cameron corn-
ties. this strip running from the
river 20 mile IS. The northern end
Of this strip Is included in those
iands which are not Being taken I'M
10 the district.
The ccnccnSus expressed hN the
water users who attended the hear
ing was that tie board 81 directors
would call an election at the EARL
est dase possible and that 2 basis
would eventually hc established
wherehv the irrigation system would
rass into the control Of the district.
E.-cTT q