St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-24
HIS BILL IN CONGRESS.
Boon Explains His Red River
Measure.

Boon Explains His Red River
Measure.
Congressman Fl. E. Boen. of the Sew
enth district. is at the Clarendon, and
expects to return to his home at Fergus
Falls today. He was seen at his hotel
last night. and spoke in regard to the
object of his mission in the city he
said: ION Oct. 10 | brought bill before
congress for the improvement of the
Red River of the North and Its tribu-
taries. The bill provides for an appro-
proposes to create a reservoir system
for the storage of surplus water during
the spring in Red lake and in
Lakes Traverse and Big Stone to
be used during the low water
stages in summer, thus, in a
measure doing away with the damaging
overfows in the spring that are so de-
structive to and damaging of farming
operations in the spring. 1t is calcu
lated by the United States engineers,
as shown in the report of the prelimi-
nary survey. that in the Lake Traverse
and Big Stone basins, can be stored
about thirty-one billions of cubic feet of
water: twenty billions of this alone in
Lake Traverse; the remainder would
probably be easily held in the extension
lake portion of the watershed. The
surplus of about six billion cubic feet
would go to the Minnesota river. 1t is
calculated that 1t would maintain in
the Red river uniform navigable stage
of water during the entire boating sea-
son, and would probably be sufficient
for the vast traffic tributary TO the Red
river of the North. There seems to be
considerable misunderstanding as
to the object of the plan, but
it is. as | have said. 10 relieve
the spring floods and to provide a uni
form stage of alter during the dry sea-
son. l believe it is the observation of
old settlers that the volume of water is
steadily diminishing, aud it might be
that the reservoirs would have a tend
ency to increase the moisture of the
entire atmosphere in that region.
If the decrease of moisture
continues for the next tWenty-three
years as it has done for the past twenty
three have lived there, 1t is in danger
of becoming quite an arid region. and l
believe the question of retarding that
process, if such it is, is worthy the
serious consideration of any one. The
question of practicabIlity of the plan is
for the engineers to determine, and, as
the preliminary survey has been made,
the next step is to make the definite
survey, will therefore try to get the
necessary appropriation for that pur-
pose. When that survey has been
made, the practicability of the plan
and the cost of it's execution can
be determined. 1t will then be in order
to discuss its merits. and to determine
whether or not it will pay to have the
work done. l introduced my bill for the
purpose of getting the question before
the public, because L have OBJ
served that from the floor of
many things are observed
better than from any other point of
vantage, and also, in obedience to the
so congress on the subject
passed by the last legislature, which |
memorial | introduced into congress
previous to the introduction of |
my bill. Certain efforts have been
made 10 ridicuie the proposition |
but ridicule is no argument. If the |
made by the legislature is |
wrong | cannot help that. [ am a serv-
ant, not master, and am simply obev- |
ipo instructions -