Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-07-28
VALLEY WILL
Vote SOON ON
CONSERVATION
Assurance of Water
Supply Argued
At San Juan

ny GtdA1
SAN JUAN, July 28-The Valley
viii get an opportunity within not
less than 80 days o more than 40
days to vote ON formation OF the
proposed Lower Rio Grande Valley
Conservation District Of Texas.
The temporary board Of directors
Monday heard testimony as TO the
feasibility and features Of the pro-
posed municipal corporation and
decided to call an election. the date
70 be chosen at another meeting at
10 a. m, Friday in the irrigation
district building here.
Witnesses testified as to the bene-
fits and feasibility OF the proposed
district. some individuals appeared
in opposition TO the project and
still others propounded questions
for information.
Limited Tax Power
Apparently the chief fear OF those
in opposition 10 creation OF the
district was that II would add to
the tax burdens, especially in Hi
dalgo county. To these 1t was ex-
planned that the proposed district
would have a limited taxing power
Of five cents on the Kindred dollars
valuation but that II was not like
ly that more than a three cent tax
would be levied. 1t vas further ex-
planned that the district had no
power to issue bonds or warrants
or TO call an election TO issue bonds
and that members of the board OF
directors would serve without pay.
Most Of the opposition came ap-
parently from Hidalgo and Willacy
counties. Parts Of Starr and all of
Cameron are also in the boundaries
Of the proposed district.
It was pointed out by witnesses
in favor of the proposed district
that its purpose IS TO assure an
adequate supply of water for pres
ent and future users by inducing
the federal government to make a
treaty with Mexico ana by building
dams.
G. III. PeaSe, editor OF The Hidal-
90 County Independent CEdinburg)
declared I'VE have Just been de-
pending on the Lord. II there Is
water in the river and nobody beats
us TO it we get II. We have been
sitting here doing nothing to take
care Of future needs or even OF the
present. We have gotten by and
have escaped serious shortage SO
far but I don't think there is any
one who knows the situation who
does not believe that as soon as
Mexico begins using water that we
viii not have a shortage.
No Agreement
I'VE have an equity in the river
but cannot go into any court on
this side OF the Rio Grande to en-
join Mexico because we have no
agreement with that country. We
can dry up notwithstanding our
rights but II we have q treaty we
can appeal TO the department OF
state and the federal government
can protect our definite and spec
ific rights.
The federal farm board will not
lend money TO u growers because
OF the uncertainty OF water rights =
he declared.
I'VE have bled some few ,,eople
heavily. Until we can have a defin-
tie, unified organization with au-
thority we viii get nowhere. There
is nothing IN It that Is burdensome.
There is no question in my mind
nstF thai 4Nn mrrn~nv~nnr4 w-sYf hxrsf@
the storage dams we desire: they
cannot escape 1t. The fact that the
Rio Grande Is an international
stream Is a lever in our favor be-
cause only the federal government
has power to deal with the question,
Must Have Storage
I'VE cannot make a treaty for
division OF waters between the
United States and Mexico without
providing storage because we can
not divide the normal flow without
taking away part az our water"
j. A. Crom OF Mission, chairman
OF the old Valley water users as
s~ociation, was emphatic in his
statement in favor Of organizing
the proposed district.
Water Is nothing more than
gold in a country like this" he as
serted, land every effort should be
made TO assure an adequate sup
ply. We tried for 20 years TO get
federal aid TO build a government
dam in Idaho with voluntary COM
mittees but 1t took us only four
years after we organized a district
10 90 after it. We don't want free
committees In the Valley: we want
one with power TO urge the govern
ment TO build our dams for us. You
should regard the small amount
asked 10 maintain the district as
an investment. not a tax"
Maj. S. NJ. Decker OF New York
who advises financial interests on
engineering features gave what he
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