San Antonio, Texas May 15th, 1922
hr.H. B. Ayres,
Battle House,
Mobile, Alabama.
Dear Harral:-
Just returned from Zapata County Saturday night. I was with them Friday at which time they were supposed to order their bond issue, but when I got back there the County Judge informed me it was impossible for Zapata County to vote the necessary amount because under the law there is no way they could raise the tax levy sufficient to pay for it. He got his information from Chapter One of the Constitution, which of course was correct so far as that Chapter was concerned but we were ordering it under an amended act that had no limit so lorgas the issue didn't exceed 25fn of the real value. I took his own lav/ book and showed him the Chapter that we were using and he called a session of the Commissioners' Court to meet next Thursday, and I feel sure there will be no doubt about them ordering the election and carrying it overwhelmingly. Starr County ordered her's Saturday. I don't think there is any question now about financing this Division.
I sent out notices last week to all of the OST units in the Valley with reference to their deferred 505» membership dues being due, and hope to be able to make some collections,
I should be with the Commission today, but I will clean up my desk and go to Austin tomorrow.
Just in receipt of yours of the 10th. Note what you say with reference to various communities along the line and their financial embarrassment, etc., but I want to tell you it takes dynamite to blow any money out of people in this country at the present time.
Tie have had good rains west to El Paso and the people in West Texas are feeling better than they have felt for a year. It is bearly possible we will be able to get some support along the line but the way the conditions were sixty days ago I didn't think we ought to ask	those	people for	anything this year if we	could help it. If
the	rains	- and storms	continue i don't know when I will be	able to
make an inspection trip to Ft. Davis or Houston. If I could get over the route to Houston I could get in some money, but that road has	been practically impassible for six weeks.	The bridge	across
the	river	at Richmond	is partly washed out and	some of the	road in
Ft. Bend County is four feet under water from the river. Houston has had to tales care of several hundred refugees from the floods the past two weeks; business demoralized, and under those conditions you know it is useless to try to do anything down there. I have everything lined up, however, in mighty fine shape if we can ever get to it under proper conditions.