OLD WATER COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE

WATER COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE

IN THE 1930'S AND 1940'S THE SOCORRO WATER COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE WAS THE POLITICAL FOCAL POINT FOR SOCORRO COUNTY AND THE POLITICAL POWER BASE. THE WATER COMMISSION WAS TRULY NOTHING BUT A RUBBER STAMP PLACED ON THE PETITIONS FOR THE PARTY RUN MOB.

THE WATER DEPARTMENT IN AND OF ITSELF WAS EFFICIENT ENOUGH AS FAR AS DRINKING WATER WAS CONCERNED. IF YOU WANTED WATER CONNECTED TO YOUR PROPERTY IT WOULD HAPPEN, AND THE RATES WERE VERY REASONABLE.

FOR VIRTUALLY EVERY OTHER ASPECT OF LIFE IN SOCORRO WAS A COMPLEX METHOD OF WHAT WAS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE 'VIG' (VIGORISH) OR IN SPANISH 'MORDIDA' MEANING A 'BITE'. AND A 'BITE' IT WAS AND WORKED IN THIS WAY; SHOULD YOU DESIRE CERTAIN THINGS, STREET REPAIRS, TRAFFIC SIGNS, OR THE LIKE, OR YOU WERE IN NEED OF A JOB (THE OPENING WAS THERE) AND IT WAS A CITY, STATE, OR COUNTY POSITION, THEN YOU WOULD AGREE TO PAY THE 'VIG' ON PAYDAY.
THE PAYMENT COLLECTION COUNTER, THE WATER COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE.

THIS PRACTICE WAS PREVALENT UNTIL THE LATE 40'S EARLY 50'S WHEN THE CORRUPT OFFICIALS WERE REPLACED, ALMOST ALL THROUGH THE STATE THE POLITICIANS WERE GONE AND A NEW ERA BEGAN.



THE CONCRETE INLAID SIDEWALK PIECE IS FROM SIDEWALK BETWEEN OLD WATER COMMISSION OFFICE AND OLD EPISCOPAL CHURCH. INDICATES WAS PART OF FDR'S WPA (WORKS PROJECT ADMINISTRATION) ONE OF THE WAYS THAT FDR WAS ABLE TO UNITE THE COUNTRY AND PULL IT OUT OF THE HORRIBLE DEPRESSION. IT ALSO PROVIDED A MEANS BY WHICH CERTAIN POLITICIANS WERE ABLE TO COLLECT THEIR SHARE IN THE FORM OF 'VIG'.