The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-19
CHAPTER. e0-H r NO 1s1

4Ia II ~.
AN ACT to establish q drainage COM
mission and to provide for the drainage
of the swamp and marshy lands Of the
state, and to appropriate money to car
ry out the provisions of this act.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of The
State of Minnesota:
Wher ee4s, by acts Of Congress- Of Feb
there was granted to the State Of Min
nesota by the United States of America
upward of five million (5,000OOO acres
Of swamp lands situated in different
! counties in the state, of the value Of
more than three million seven hundred
thousand dollars 100000, and more
than three-quarters thereof in value and
acreage has heretofore been appropriated
| by said state; and,
| Whereas, by the acts Of Congress grant
! ing said lands it was provided that the
| proceeds. Of said lands, whether from
| sale or by direct appropriation in kind,
| shall be applied, exclusively as far as
necessary. to the purpose Of reclaiming
said lands by means of levees and
drains; and,
Whereas, the State of Minnesota is
! the owner Of large tracts of low wet
lands situate in different parts of the
| state, and the value of said lands will
| be greatly increased and the public health
improved by draining the same,
BE 1t enacted by the Legislature of the
State of Minnesota:
| Section 1. That a commission consist
ing of the governor, the state auditor
| and the secretary Of state be and the
!
the Drainage Commission of the State
of Minnesota. The governor shall be the
| chairman of the said commission and
| preside at all meetings Of said commits
| sion. A majority of the members of
said commission shall have authority to
act IN all matters and perform all du-
ties REQUIRED to be performed by said
! commission.
Sec. 2. 1t shall be the duty of said
commission as soon as practicable after
the passage and approva! of this act to
ascertain the number Of acres of low
wet lands belonging to the state that it
| Is necessary to drain in order to make
them fit for agricultural purposes, and
Whcre the same is located. and what
| bitches and drains it will be necessary
to construct to drain the said land, ano
they shall cause Sto be constructed as
many bitches of the size and capacity
that they ind necessary to effectualIy
drain said lands, SO that they will be in
a MT condition for farming; and they are
hereby authorized to determine when
| herein provided shall be done: provided
that in eXpending the money herein an
propriated the said commission shall frs
constrlcs the main bitches or dratnk
they ind most necessary, leaving those
where the necessity for drainage is less
pressing for subsequent construction
and If the moneys herein appropriated
are not sufficient to construct all tn(
bitches or drains that said commission
find necessary to be constructed to eff
feetually drain the said state lands, they
they have at their disposal will allow
In the execution of the provisions of thi.
act the said commissioners shall have
full power to appoint and employ a.
many agents and servants as they find
necessary and proper to comply will
the provisions hereof.
Sec. 3. In performing the duties here
in imposed upon the Il, the commits
sion hereby created shall have the RICH
10 take and appropriate all necessary
land OF any person or persons, firms o.
corporations for the rigllt-of-way for sal,
that 1t is found necessary to so take O.
appropriate and the said commission ar,
not able to agree on the price to be pait
for the land necessary to be taken TO
the r1ght-of-way for the said bitches O
the damage that will be sustained b,
reason OF the construction of said ditch
or when the owner is unknown, the sal
commission shall file a petition in the dis
trtet court of the county wherein tine an.
desired is situated, describing the Ian
they deem necessary to take for the con
Struction of said ditch the name oP fb
owner of the land, if known to said com
miSioners, and, if not known, said nett
! ton Shall so state. Upon the filing of sal,
petition the court shall appoint three dis
interested persons commissioners who's
duty it shall be to assess the vaIua tio1
| of the land so to be taken. and t.he dam
ages sustained for the taking the same
taking into consideration, however. am
benefits to the adjoining land OF sal.
| owner by reason of the construction O
said bitches or drains.
The commissioners before entering 1Ino1
the duties of their Office shall SEVERAL,
take and subscribe an oath to the effec
that they will faithfully perform thei
| duties as such commissioners withou
pardality, and to the best of their know
edge and ability, which oath shall b