Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-07-10
Franklin Irrigation
Petition Arguments
Wednesday
lsnecial to The HERALD

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AUSTIN, July 10.-Arguments by
attorneys for both sides in the
hearing Of the 6~0.000-acre irriga-
ton project in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley planned by j.. T.
Franklin Of Edin3urg, and others,
we're scheduled to open today be-
fore the state board of water eng1-
nters, probably consuming the en-
tire day.
Testimony as to the feasibility OF
the irrigation plan was offered yes
terday, proponents Of the scheme
refuting the declaration of various
irrigation districts that impractical
bility characterized the district as
planned by Franklin.
Opponents endeavored to show
that the cost Of the project was
prohibitive. E. NJ. Card Of Meal
len. appearing as a witness for OPP
ponents. related to the board his
knowledge of lands in the district,
stating that a survey made by him
in the past two months showed only
10000 acres suitable for irrigation
IN the district under consideration.
Attorneys for j. T. Franklin had
their inning Tuesday afternoon in !
his application for a water board
permit, when icy put on testimony
Of M. c. Hansen of Pharr-San Juan,
engineer for Franklin, and counter
ed testimony of Engineers w. E
Anderson and E. NJ. Card, adduced
by attorneys for contestants cha!-
longing feasibility of tn epropoSec
BE- O00-acre irrigation project in Hi
ralgo county. Attorney e. r. Smith
also drew from Anderson admis-
sion that nearly three-fourths Of the
water diverted from The Rio Grande
never reaches irrigated farms.
He estimated approximately 20
per cent Of the water taken actually
goes to irrigation. the rest evapor-
ating, seeping or being wasted or
discharged at tail gates.
Answering questions Of a. Fl
Dunlap, member of the board. he
admitted this wastage Ear be great
1y reduced. Franklin made a point
of this that reduction Of the II per
cent wastage would allow more wa
ter for other projects.
Says It Is Feasible
Engineer Hasen testified the pro-
posed project is a feasible one, eSti-
mating its cost at $65 per acre, and
declaring storage Of from 10000 to
$4,000 c feet would be considered
by the proposed district as a mini
mum safety factor. He said reSer-
voir sites are available. He coun-
tered testimony Of Card that much
Of the soil is such that it cannot
flrioate, hut admitted that out Of
the original proposed irritable area
he had stricken out some on the
extreme western portion and 5000
to 5000 acres in another tract. He
asserted this land can be irrigated
for the same or less water than the
Lower Valley lands.
Card had estimated cost of the
irrigation project at S11, 100000
without storage, or around Sis an
acre.
Engineer ". L. Conrad, designer
Of concrete lined canals in Cameron
county drainage districts. estimated
the cost at $85 to Silt per acre for
concrete lined canal and sub-canal
systems. He estimated that Frank
lin lands would require 2 IL acre
feet per acre per year, as compared
tn two on Valley lands.
Hill Apologies
Attorney Vernon B. Hill Of Mis-
sion apologiZed to the board for a
question he asked whether the
board would "side-step' ruling on
the question whether the permit
should date back filing Of Frank
Inns presentation in 1926, thus Civ
ing Franklin priority over some of
the present users.
Chairman Norris announced the
board will have to pass on the ques-
ton of date Of the permit first. be-
fore it can determine how much
storage to require Franklin to pro-
vide if the permit is granted. this
having been made the basic ques-
ton of the hearing. He said As
sistant Attorney General w. w
Caves has been asked to sit in to
hear attorneys arguments We'd
neSday on this question of priority,
which alone remains before closing
the hearing.
Contrary To Public"
Attorney Seabury again. in argu-
lIIcIitD u5oQdy dlbClAiODil ldLSCQ GllC
issue that the proposed project is
contrary to public policy" and
asked that the permit be denied.
He said the district proposes to
issue preliminary bonds under the
law passed this year to authorize
such procedure to finance COM
plotting its surveys for reservoir
sites and canal locations.
eve think the whole thing
would be a fiasco, %discrediting the
whole Valley" Attorney Seabury
said. He represents Guerra inter
ests. owning 10000 acres Of land
proposed to be taken in by the dis
trict. which he said the Guerras dc
not wish to include. and asserted
the project. which he termed nom
feasible. would result IN delaying
the supplying Of water to lands. and
would withhold water from other
permittees IL the permit were
granted.
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