Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-09-10
Northern Iowa Land Owners
Head Movement to Secure
Adequate Drainage Law
1T WOULD INCREASE WEALTH
An Authority on the Subject Says
Such Law Would Guarantee to l,wa's
Farmers That for an Indefinite Time
They Would Grow Out of the Soil a
Million Dollars a Day.

j drainage law from the general assem-
bly,. which will convene next Januar.
d. A. Kent, of Hamilton county wa
in the city Monday and talked treel
of this demand on the part of propert
owners. He met here Mr.. f. c. Gil
christ, member of the legislature fror
Pocahontas county, and Representativ
H. e. Teaehout, of Polk county. Bot
these gentlemen supported the Town
/ send drainage bill which passed tn
house at the last session and whiel
i winked out in the senate at the clos
OF the session. Messrs. Gilchrist an,
Kent said that they did not meet her
on business connected with the propo
sition. but having met, incidentally fel
to discussing it,
\ Mr.. Gilchrist has been renominatet
for a second term in the legislature
4 but next session will represent I'oca-
h hontas and Humboldt. Mr.. Teaehou
l has been nominated for a second tern
also. Mr.. Gilchrist said that he be
lieved that there would be difficulty
about getting through measure cover
/ ing some of the points which new stat
utes should cover, relating to this sub
ject.
1.-THE farmers of Iowa dig out Of the
soil of this state over S1,000000 fcl each
day of the year" he said Tuesday even
ing. Every time the sun goes down II
goes down on an increase of million
dollars in the revenues and wealth OF
the farmers of this state, soil products
alone considered. The census shows
| that in 1900 the soil of Iowa produced
SS65, 100000 of wealth.
An adequate measure relating to
drainage would not only Increase this
wealth in ordinary years, but ii would
guarantee to the farmers of lows. that
for an indefinite time they would grow
out of the soil a million dollars IL day.
That is to say that such years as this
and such years as last was, the farmer
cannot count the growth of his wealth
out of the soil products he produces at
the rate of u million dollars a day, for
the farms are sodden with too much
moisture and their fertility is impaired.
With an adequate drainage system law.
that loss could be saved the farmers
and land which today is of questionable
most valuable In the state"
Mr.. Kent endorsed everything Mr.
Gfchrist said. and Went further. They
say that we will not have two- thirds of
a crop this year. he said. That es-
innate is conservative. indeed I should
say 1t was high. But IL there Is not
to exceed two-thirds of a crop. the fig
ures of the census prove that the farm
ers of Iowa have lost $1000000D0 this
year because of their inability to es-
tablish systems of drainage to protect
their farms from excessive fall of
moisture.
Two things stand in the way tf saw
ing the farmers that hundred million of
dollars every year that there is excess
i've moisture. The two are the supreme
court and the sslfishness of mar. The
supreme court decided that a farmer
could not build drain across the farm
of his neighbor under any circumstance
es if his neighbor objected; decided,
indeed. that the suffering farmer could
not compel his neighbor to allow him
to drain under his neighbor's land
holding that 1t would be the taking of
private property for private use. There
fore. the farmer who needed drainage
had no remedy on earth, for the court
held he could not exercise the right of
eminent domain. II the supreme court
would just reverse itself the thing
would be solved, and the farmers would
be guaranteed that hundred millions
annual loss"
There are men so selfish that they
will not permit their neighbor to make
a nickel IL 1t costs dollar to prevent
1t. l Know farms which would be bet
tered by having a drain cross urder the
surface OF their soil that will not per-
nit ii unless the sufferers above them
pay damages. This sad defect in hui
nam nature canno, be remedied l,y NOR
al suasion or law. but we are profound
~ convinced that a little better law
on the statute books Of this stat;. would
be valuable in helping TO circumnavi-
gate these obstreperous and selfish In
dividuais.
The present law is inadequate. II
the abutting or affected property own
ers will agree to a drainage ditch or
system ii may be constructed. Here |
comes the man who refuses to agree
With his neighbors, and whose right Is
made by the supreme court paramount |
20 those of all the rest of the commune
ty. The other method is to organize |
drainage districts. These have been or
yanized all over Iowa. In a few places
he scheme has been carried out, and |
n many not.
You see. by bringing the community
" public interest into the matter by
a public drainage district.
he decision of the supreme court is
rot over for the public can condemn
and for public purposes and can force
ditch across the farm of an individ-
,al who objects.
But the objection to the law is that
ither system is ineffective. While a
ew successful drainage districts are
Established, there are scores that are
We have five In Hamilton
ounty now, pending before the board
f supervisors. You see. under the law
he establishment OF the district must
e peutioned for by land owners. This d
means a counter petition for remon-
trants. usually. The thing goes to
he board of supervisors, which, being
ecidedly human, is prone to cast up to
ee whether the petitioners or the re-
have the most political in 1
uence- If nothing is done at once. the
respects are that nothing 'syer will
c done.
1.-THE five PROPOSITIONS now on In