Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-09-02
BENEFITS OF
new DISTRICT
Are RELATED
Conservation Rally
Will Be Held At
Harlingen
(By Staff Correspondent

SAN BENITO. Sept. 2.-The pro-
posed Lower Rio Grande Water
Conservation District on which
voters OF the four Valley counties
will pass Thursday. Is not a master
district. nor will 1t have power over
existing irrigation districts or have
the right 10 change wate- rights,
said Paul Greenwood, Harrington
irrigation attorney. in a conserva-
ton meeting in the new high school
Tues6Hy night.
He said that Ii would be a dis
trict ito speak our voice and fight
our fight" for adequate water and
showed where a man who smokes
one pack Of cigarettes a week would
pay more in state taxes than the
owner Of a farm assessed at SIS. 1000
would to the proposed organization.
And which Is worth more" he ask
ed. cigarettes or enough water to
irrigate your crops?"
Litigation Warned.
He warned that unless a sufficient
supply Of water Is provided litiga-
ton would result which, even
should IL determine various rights,
still would not make more water
available.
Present Developments require the
whole uncontrolled flow of the river,
contemplated American develop
ments would require half IS much
more and contemplated Mexican de-
velopments again as much more,
said w. <. Anderson, San Benito
consulting engineer.
There Is only one way TO meet
the situation and that Is through
storage" he said.
1t was pointed out that the Ameri-
can water commissioner. T.. M. Law
son. had urged formation of such a
district. If ii is not formed, ID was
stated, the data gathered on the Rio
Grande by the commission at IN ex-
pense Of $4,000 would be pigeon
holed.
Frank s. Robertson discussed
necessity for a district such as the
one proposed.
Col. Sam Robertson related that
while the railroad was being built in
the Valley there were two extremes
in the river. one a period when there
was only LOCO second feet Of water
and another where there was 250.00
second feet and the entire country
was under water. He described the
necessity for control and conserving
flood waters. saying that unless ar
adequate supply Is made available
Valley development not only would
stop but would disappear.
Establish Boundary.
s. "A. Pipes, who in 1914 organized
an irrigation association in the VAL
ley and organizer of the first Val
ley chamber OF commerce, said that
storage would establish an immov-
able boundary line and that thi:
argument alone II properly presented
10 the government would secure it:
cooperation In the construction Of
retaining structures.
Charles s. Pugsley stated he was
for the district.
A lone dissenting voice was rails
ed by Frank II. Phillips who feared
that in spite OF limitations set up
on ii by the law making ii impos-
sible to issue bonds. that such bonds
might be floated. He also opposed
the levying Of as much as three
cents on the hundred dollars valua-
ton, claiming one cent enough.
A meeting was held simultaneous
" in McAllen Tuesday night and
onl- one other public discussion viii
be held before election day and that
will be at a Valley-wide gathering
in Fair Park auditorium. Wednes-
day night.
Anyone holding a poll tax RECEIPT
DR. exemption certificate will be able
10 vote at his precinct polling place
as he would In a general election.