The Brownsville Herald (Brownsville, Tex.), Vol. 40, No. 49, Ed. 2 Sunday, August 30, 1931 Page: 2 of 23
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Rio Grande Water Supply Conservation Problem in Valley Since 1906
!
LACK CAUSE
OF FAILURES
- .
'By Sta" Corespondent)
BAN BENITO Aug. 29.—Volun-
tary organizations to conserve Rio
Orande waters have been falling
• ever since 1906 due t< lack of sup-
. port said Frank 8. Robertson
temporary director of the proposed
Lower Rio Orande Water Con-
servation District In explaining
why an organization supported by a
small tax is now being sought.
A study of various efforts made
to secure an adequate and perma-
nent supply of water for the Val-
ley shows that these volunteer or-
ganizations not only have failed be-
cause of lack of support but that
they did not represent all of the
people as the proposed district
would.
Limited Support
These organizations represented
only a limited number of persons
and Interests in the Valley where-
as If the proposed district should
negotiate with the government In
an effort to have it build storage
dams on the main stream of tfe
Rio Grande and to co-ordinate
flood control works on both sides of
the river It could truly say that it
represented all those v I o would be
benefited from use of the water for
domestic municipal and Irrigation
purposes. All persons thought to
derive any or all of these benefits
are included in the proposed district
which comes up for a vote of the
people Thursday Sept. 3. Mr. Rob-
ertson said.
As early as 1906 literally before
the Valley was in lta ’teens the
question of an adequate water
supply was agitated a study of the
hlstorv of this section shows. At
that time. B. F. Yoakum of the
Frisco railroad; John Hays Ham-
mond Sr. New York; Thomas H
West president of the St. Louis
Union Trust Co. a Mr. Bixbv. pres-
ident of the American Car Co.. St.
Louis and a number of other
capitalists connected with the Fris-
co and Rock Ldand railroads be-
came Interested in the develop-
ment of Valley land: by means of
Irrigation. In Mexico was a sim-
ilar group of Mexican capitalists
who planned to develop the lands
along the lower Rio Grande and
some of Its tributaries in Mexico.
Together these groups had water
concessions on the Rio San Juan
Rio Salado. the main stream near
Laredo and the Big Bend section
and on the Concho.
Necessity Realized
They realized the necessity for
storage on the main strenni and
had surveys of dam sites made at
a number of points. But before
they could put their plans into
execution the Diaz government
from whom the Mexican interests
had secured their concessions was
overthrown and on thj side in-
dependent development retarded the
efforts of the American syndicate.
Necessity for impoundment of
waters of the Rio Grande one of
the things which the proposed dis-
trict hopes to bring i.bout in order
to assure a steady supply was thus
early realized. Mr. Robertson point-
ed out. That was 25 years ago and
the Valley although it has had a
number of voluntary organizations
since then is scarcely any nearer
a solution to the problem he said.
In 1907 R. J. Hand of 8an An-
tonio began advocating construc-
tion of a storage and diversion
dam across the Rio Grande west
of La Grulla with a series of grav-
ity diversion canals on both sides
of the river. A ^
Ten years later Selig Deutschman
of San Antonio became interested
in the Hand project and organized
the Rio Grande Conservation
Assn which applied to the govern-
ment for advice and assls.unce.
Among the members of this asso-
ciation were not only R. B. Creager
of Brownsville but a number of
other Valley people and a large
number from San Antonio.
This association applied to the
government for advice end assist-
ance and In response. D C. Henny
consulting engineer of the reclam-
ation service was directed to make
a preliminary examination of the
irrigation conditions and possibili-
ties of the Valley.
Plan Impracticable
After a somewhat hasty recon-
naissance in company with the In-
ternational Boundary commission
Mr Hand and a com.nittce repre-
senting the conservation association
Mr Henny reported Hand's plan
impracticable. He asserted that
this however did not imply that
suitably constructed dams could not
be constructed at some point to
Impound waters and distribute
them. . _
Upon receipt of Mr. Henny s re-
port Assistant Engineer W. R.
ParlthlU was directed to recon-
nolter the Rio Orande watershed
below Presidio for reservoir sites
and Feb. 25. 1919 a contract was
entered between the association and
the government for a co-operative
examination of the Lower Rio
Grande project each side agreeing
to contribute $16000.
Victor E. Lieb was assigned tc
conduct the investigations under a
plan of operations agreed upon be-
tween representatives of the re- j
clamation service and the associa-
tion.
In November a board of en-
gineers reviewed the data collected
by Mr. Lieb and reported that:
“The results of the work so far
accomplished appear to us to fully
confirm previous impressions that
it will be essential for t^e inter-
ests of the Valley to »ake concerted
action in Irrigation matters and
that funds be made available for
completion of the invest ig ♦Ion."
It was realized that the funds
. provided would not cover cost of
original surveys of this magnitude
and liberal use was nade of maps
and other information compiled bv
various governmental agencies. C. i
H. Pease represented the asso-j
‘LO’ BROADWAY!
• ^-
That smile was for New York— *
because Francine Larrimore stage
star had been away for two
months on a European vacation. '
Note the doggy attire she was
wearing on her arrival in Man-
hattan.
elation In its dealings with the re-
clamation service during this pe-
riod. Due to the lack of finan-
cial support this association was
unable to accomplish fully its end
Finanrrs Failed.
There have since been other vol-
I untary organizations which have at-
! tempted to deal with the situation
■ but have been unable to do so
principally because they have not
s had enough financial support to
sustain them Mr. Robertson said.
Although it did not have con-
■ servation as its main objective the
! old Water User's Ass’n. had con-
servation features but also went the
way of other such organizations be-
; cause of a lack of continued fman-
| cial support.
There was organized in 1920. ac-
j cording to Mr. Robertson the Joint
| Association of Cameron and Hidalgo
County Water Improvement Districts
| which is still functioning. Although
j it has protested every new water
grant and taken a great many other
actions from time to time it has been
unable through voluntary com-
mittees to effect conservation of
waters through storage.
The maFi e^complishment of the
| joint association was to secure the
passage of a resolution by the State
Board of Water Engineers in 1926
to the effect that no further appli-1
! cation for the appropriation of
waters of the R-n flrande nr its
tributaries for irrigation would be!
accepted for filing except when In
the opinion of the board applicant
proposes to provide ample storage
j of flood waters for his needs
i "In other words the board recogniz-
ed that normal flow of the river had
already been appropriated and that
other newer districts were entitled
only to storm or flood waters or
such waters which otherwise might
! flow unused to the sea ’ Mr. Robert-
| son said.
"Local storage over large areas
j would mean great losses from
evaporation seepage etc. and rc-
j taining structures on the main
stream are the only permanent solu-
tion to the problem of providing a
sufficient supply of water for ail”
: Mr. Robertson a <ertod.
"Protects of the older districts
against later water grants has plac-
ed them on record so as to better
i protect their rights in the event
I litigation takes place. And it is better
I to supply water for all than to fight
for a deficient supply” he declared.
Organization Favored.
The joint association which Is
composed of the boards of directors
i of a majority of Valley irrigation
| districts and one private company!
1 has within this organization a con-
' servatlon committee composed of
one man from each member district.i
| This joint association has gone on
j record as favoring the organization
I of the proposed conservation dist-
! rttf. It also will defray part of the
! cost of holding the election Thurs-
day.
"All of these movements and or-
ganizations have not* been able to
accomplish the desired ends because
they were not sufficiently financed
and not the proper type of organiza-
tion to deal with the federal govern-
ment and secure its assistance” the
director said.
"The proposed district would have
the power to levy a tax not ex-
ceeding five cents on the hundred
dollars valuation for carrying on
negotiations with the rovernment.
The money would be used to hire
experts to gather the necessary data
or to take data already gathered and
present it to the government in the
proper way so as to receive Its co-
operation.
"It has been shown that the gov-
ernment in the past has provided
storage and other dams wnen the j
matter was properly presented one
of the most outstanding being the
Boulder Dam for which an ap-
propriation of $175000000 was secur-
ed without cost to those who will
benefit from it.
Proposal Not New.
"Ira Aten member of the board of
directors of the Imperial Valley
(California! Irrigation District told
members of the jo*it association
here several years ag? that forma-
tion of a district along the lines of
the one now proposed was the only
way to accomplish the desired end.
“L. M. Lawson. American member
of the International Water Commis-
sion. U. S. and Mexico which has
the power only to gather facts also
urged formation of such a district
to help him protect the rights of
Valley water users when negotia-
tions are entered into with Mexico
over division of waters of the Rio
Grande and its tributaries. The pro-
posed district in fact probably will
make use of the wealth of materia!
now being gathered by the commis-
sion under congres onal appropria-
tion in urging the government to
build the dams for us” said M:
Robertson.
"We have every hope if the mat-
ter is presented by a representative
organization that the government j
will do this because of the Interni-
tional features involved” he stated I
in conclusion. '
SWIM CLASS
FORMED IN
BROWNSVILLE
""
With completion of the Red Cross
life saving examiners tests at the
Country club pool Friday Browns-
ville was assured life saving in-
structions for swimmers interested
in learning approved and effective
methods of escutng rowning per-1
sons.
Lawrence Olmsted Jr. and
Beverly Tabor who ha- e been
senior life savers for several years
completed a course of instructions
and successfully passed the exam-
iner's tests conducted under the
direction of Ned Campbell life
saving and first aid field repre-
sentative of the American National
Red Cross who has been in
Brownsville for the past several
days in the interest of this work.
“These two young men demon-
strated exceptional ab.lity in both
teaching and practice in the water
and Brownsville is fortunate in
having an opportunity to receive
instruction in life saving from
them.” Campbell stated Saturday
morning.
Life saving as is taught by the
Red Cross consists of training in
how to safely approach a drowning
person how to hurriedly transport
them to shore how to break the
grasp of a struggling person and
most important how to apply
artificial respiration. Ten hours of
instruction are required before a
candidate is eligible for the final
examinations. Upon successfully
passing several tests a person is
awarded an enslgnia th;.t is to be
worn on the front of his bathing
suit.
The Junior life saving test Is
intended for J>oys and girls at least
12 years old. and the senior test
for men and women 17 or older. It
is the plan of Tabor and Olmsted
to start classes of instruction at an
early date at Martin's swimming
pool. Everyone interested should
see Tabor at the J. C. Penney store
at once. There will be no charges
for either the instructions or the
tests as they are part of the Red
Cross program of reducing the un-
necessary loss of life throughout
the country.
“This is indeed an exceptional
opportunity for the people of
Brownsville” Mr. Rob- t B. Ernst
loc i Red Cross chairman stated
“and every swimmer should take
immediate advantage of these in-
structions so that all swimming
places will be better protected and
the lives of people safer when they
are in swimming.”
ORGAN RECITAL
GIVEN SUNDAY
SAN BENTTO. Aug. 29—Program
for the organ recital to be given at
8 o'clWk Sunday night at the
Methodist church h-s been an-
nounced by Mrs. W. P. Drake of
the choir. Miss Beulah Beaver ac-
complished Austin organist will
give the organ numbers assisted by
Mrs. James D. Ward. San Benito
sing .* who will be accompanied by
Robert Reed regular church or-
ganist. The public is invited.
The program will be as follows:
I. “Prelude in G Major.” (Bach.)
II. “Hymnus” (Von Fielitz'.
III. Recitative. "Arise Elijah.”
aria “O. Rest in the Lord.” from
“The EMjah.” (Mendelssohn'.
IV. Symphony IV “Andante
Cantabile” Scherzo.
Finale.
V. “Ave Maria" (Schipa'. "Just
for Today.” (Seaver' Mrs. Ward.
VI "Elfes.” (Bonnet) and
"Dreams." (McAmis*.
VII. “Cortege.” (Debussy* trans-
cript for organ by Leon Roques.
Miss Beaver arrived Friday.
MISSION FAMILY1
* * * * *
LAUGHS AT TALK
¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥
OF HARD TIMES
MISSION. Aug. 29.—There Is one
family In the vicinity of Mission not
troubled by the high cost of living
nor the need of '•trading” one com-
modity for another.
It is the Oscar Parks family who
live about two miles north of town.
Just take a peep at the larder In
the Parks' home there one will find
787 cans of fruits and vegetables
beside 35 cans of meat 42 of soup
175 bottles of fruit Juices 80 quarts
of pickles 160 quarts of saurkraut. I
80 glasses of Jelly and preserves and
20 quarts of chow and -ther relishes.
Mrs. Parks has canned this since
the beginning of the year starting
with the ea ly vegetables and citrus
fruits with & home canning plant. I
She Is planning now to can about
two dozen hens together with other
meats and Mr. Parks is busy plant-
ing a garden to raise vegetables for
the coming season.
Mrs. Parks says she buys her
sugar coffee flour and ice. and very
little else.
Mrs. Parks has lived In the Valley
15 years with her husband and child-
ren. and the Parks’ family has nev-
er complained of "hard times.”
NEW FLORAL
HOUSE OPENS
Announcement is made today by
the Los Ebanos Greenhouse com-
pany Inc. of the opening of its
new business locate ’ at the inter-
section of Palm Boulevard and Par-
edes line road where the Boca
Chica highway merges into the
boulevard.
The company is equipped with a
greenhouse propig a 11 n g room
floral shop and a large supply of
ornamental shrubbery and trees.
This is the pioneer firm opening at
Brownsville offering complete land-
scape service pot plants flowers
and shrubs. They have 700 pack-
ets of flower seeds from California
especially adapted to the south-
west. They have sprouted and have
for sale seedlings of asters calen-
dula. snapdragon hollyhock pinks
pansies and many other bedding
plants.
The flower shop located at their
greenhouse is In charge of Mrs. O
E. Taylor an experienced florist
designer of corsages bouquets and
funeral designs.
Stockholders are Mr and Mrs A
D. Dickinson. Jr.. A. K. Black Wm.
Albrecht and Leslie Albrecht. Wm.
Albrecht manager has had many
years of experience of the growing
of plants.
Veterans Have Day
<Bv Staff Correspondent)
HARLINGEN Aug. 29 -A com-
mittee representing the Arroyo cai..p
of Spanish-American War veterans
and composed of O. P. Storm chair-
man; H. L. Starnes. George m Rog-
ers. C. M. Richey and Weed Stock-
well will m^t with similar groups
from the McAllen and Brownsville
camps soon to formulate plans for a
dav at the Valley Mid-Winter fair.
Sunday. Nov. 22. has tentatively
been set as Spanish-American War
Veteran’s day. •
fall Planting
TO GET UNDER
WAY IN VALLEY
Planting time is here for a num-
ber of Valley fall crops.
Some of the more im;x>rtant fail
crops in the Valley are cabbage
tomatoes potatoes beets and car-
rots.
Planting for some very early
cabbage has been going on lor some
weeks some grow ers start mg far
back m July. It will continue until
about December 1 various fields
of this vegetable maturing far into
the winter and spring due to
different planting times.
Cabbage Proved
There are a number of varieties
of cabbage which do well in the
Valley and which have proven
themselves. They include Glory of
Enkhuizen All-Head Early Cop-
enhagen Market Chareston Wake-
field. Early Flat Dutch Savoy and
Mammoth Red Rock.
The general policy is to plant
cabbage in seed beeds each pound
iurivslung enough plants for one
to three acres. When ready to
transplant they should be placed
12 to 16 inches apart in rows which
are 30 inches apart. The seed should
be planted from one half to one
Inch In depth in the seed bed.
Maturity is from 115 to 150 days
after planting.
Tomato planting for early fall
maturity likewise has been under
way for several weeks. 'Hie va-
rieties generally planted in the Val-
ley include Margiobe Clark's Early
Bonny Best John Baer June Pink
Livingstone Globe Break o' Day.
and others. The general practice
is to plant four ounces of seed per
acre of plants one inch deep when
seed beds are used or from three
quarters of a pound to a pound of
seed to the acre when sowed in
the field. Plants should be from
24 to 36 inches apart in rows from
42 to 60 Inches apart. They require
from 100 to 125 days to reach
maturity.
Potatoes Ready
Many tnousands of sacks of
Valley potatoes are expected to be
withdrawn from cold storage the
latter part of this month. Plant-
ings for fall and winter production
generally take place the letter part
of August or earv part of Septem-
ber after the heavy fall rains have
set in. They arc of the Bliss Tri-
umph variety. The outlook for fall
potatoes is said not to be good
due to large quanties in storage in
other producing states.
Planting for fall beets and car-
rots Is Just about to get under
way. Plantings generally ste t
about Aug. 15 and continue until
January !.
Principle beet varieties are Cros-
by Egyptian and Detroit Dark Red
and principal carrot types are
Chantenav and Danver’s Half Long.
Wh^re beets are sowed four to six
pounds to the acre carrots usually
require only three to four pounds.
Bo h are planted four to six inches
apart in rows which are from 20
to 24 inches anart. The beets are
sowed one to two inches deep and
carrots a half inch. Both come to
comparatively quick maturity the
VERA ROBERTS GRACEY
Piano Studios
MON’.-THURS : Gentry Apartment* — Palm Blvd.
TUES.-FRI.: Ebony Blvd. — Tel. 114J
WED-SAT.: Residence Central Ave. Road
‘PROGRESSIVE SERIES'’ OFFIONAL
Class Lessons Private Lesson*
celeb ra li ng
SOUND-PROOFED MOTORING
and
A NEW KIND of FREE-WHEELING
_
EVERYONE everywhere
is invited during this
week to be the gue.it of
The Nash Motors Com-
pany in a great nation-
wide revelation of two
most important develop-
ments in motor car engi-
neering:—SOUND-PROOF-
ING and SYNCHRO-SHIFT
FREE WHEELING.
We want ALL motorists
to learn at first hand the
great difference between
an ordinary ride and a
ride in the new Sound-
Proofed Nash with Syn-
chro-Shift Free Wheeling.
There will be no solicita*
tion to buv. Our’purpose
issimply toshowyou what
these new cars have.
We guarantee you a new
experience—one that will
produce a real thrill—
quietness such as you have
never known before—
plus something BRAND
NEW and much finer in
free wheeling.
Come in for your GUEST
RIDE. Or if you prefer a
phone call to us will bring
one of the new Nash cars
to your door.
from $795 to $202 5 . • . t. o. b. tactory
Unusually low delivered prices $984 to $2297
*
NASH
JUST ANNOUNCED -....
ARCHER—DEYO CO.
MERCEDES TEXAS ■
farmer In from 46 to 65 days and
the latter in from 75 to 100.
The information for this article
was taken from a planting table
compiled some years ago by county
agricultural agents experiment
station workers vocational agricul-
ture teachers experienced growers
be printed in an early Issue of The
Herald.
HIDALGO CUTS
COUNTY TAXES
EDINBURG Aug. 29—Cutting
the average tax rate from $472 to
an average of $2.78 was ordered by
the commissioners’ court Friday
following several days work on the
county budget.
This action probably constitutes
I the most important single act of
legislation by the present commis-
sioners’ court which took office
January 1. The court Is composed J
of E. C. Couch county judge. B. F.
Byers commissioner from Precinct j
No. 1 E. L. Calhoun commissioner \
from Precinct No. 2. Willard Fergu-
: son. Precinct No. 3 and W. H. At-
j wood. Precinct No. 4.
The largest items cut In the tax
rate are road district No. 8. cut
from $1.20 to 25 cents and taxes
road district No. 7. cut from $1.30
to 65 cents. These cuts are made
possible by the amounts in the in-
terest and sinking funds. Commis-
sioner Calhoun pointed out.
Following are figures of 1931.
; based uoon county valuation of
$61.34417. 1930 figures are also
given for comparison. July 1931.!
! . *" •.f ?: I
ACCIDENT
INSURANCE
is not costly
but J
ACCIDENTS
usually are!
i Insure -with
fWB.Clintj
(«af 308-209 MERCHANTS r 1
NATIONAL BK BLDO-Ot*
.05 1930. .10; general fund .25. 1930.
.25; court Hbuse and Jail 1931 .25
1930 .25; road and bridge mainten-
ance 1931 .15. 1930 .15; road and
bridge sinking 1931. .05 1930. .15;
special road and bridge 1931 .30
1930. .20: courthouse and jail bonds.
1931 .05 1930 no levy. Totals oi
these are $1.10.
Road district taxes levied in the
following figures: No. 1. 1931 $175
1930. $1 80; No. 2. $1 40 both years;
No. 3 1931 .25. 1930. $1 20; No. 4.
1931. $155. 1930. $1.95; No. 5. 1931
.40. 1930. .90; NO. 6 1931 $100. 1930
$1.15: No. 7. 1931. 85: 1930. $1.30;
and No. 8. 1931 J25. 1930. $120.
$77 is set as the state rate as
against .54 last year and $100 will
continue as school tax in the com-
mon school districts according to
the levy.
$1500 to $4000 yearly salaries by
Uncle Sam in the civil service de-
pan menta. Our local Valley Busi-
j r.ess College is offering a special
1 course of training for the civil serv-
I ice work. Get particulars at once.
1 Adv.
LITHOGRAPHED LABELS
FOR TEXAS FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES
Our QUALITY LABELS for
all containers gel better
prices for your product.
Write for samples and price*
Brandau-Craig-Dickerson Ca
NASHVILLE-TENNESSEE
HOWELL GRAHAM Agent
224 West Monroe St. Harlingen Texas
Do You Know
f HOW
£ COMPLETELY ^k
M We Can Serve Your H
1 FINANCIAL B
%&* INTERESTS Jj
If you or# not This bonk it
familiar with ^F manned and
all of the many ££ equipped to give
ways in which wa M officiant service
serve our custom- M in all the phases of
ers come in and Re modern banking
ask for any de- lla Consult us when
sired information. ^ you noed service.
I j
First National Bank
a -BROWNSVILLE-
* SERVICE SINCE 1(91 *
Announcing
THE OPENING OF
LI IS EBANOS
Greenhouse G Inc.
Dealers in Seeds Plants Trees and Flowers
Complete Landscape Service. Potted Plants.
Seedlings.
Mrs. O. E. Taylor is in charge of our FLORAL
SHOP at the Greenhouse. Order your corsages
bouquets and funeral designs from us. We can
take complete charge of floral decorations for
weddings banquets and parties.
See us for rare tropical and sub-tropical plants
cacti palms euphorbias etc.
DRIVE OUT AND SEE OUR STOCK
Palm Boulevard and Boca Chica Road Phone 1588
WM. ALBRECHT Manager
—> ........~i...*■.. ''...“.‘........
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The Brownsville Herald (Brownsville, Tex.), Vol. 40, No. 49, Ed. 2 Sunday, August 30, 1931, newspaper, August 30, 1931; Brownsville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1393624/m1/2/: accessed July 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .