The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-24
LONG FIGHT FOR
DRAINAGE LEAGUE,
Legislation Such as Minnesotan!
Want Can Come Only After
Long Campaign.
BY w. w. Jermane.

Washington. Nov. 24.-It is the be-
lief of men in Washington who are ia
miliar with legislative methods, that
the Minnesota State Drainage league,
Or its representatives who are to ap-
pear before congress at it's coming ses-
sion, will discover that there are many
difficulties in the way of the enact
ment of the law which the league fa-
vors. There is here general opinion
that it will be matter Of years, rather
than months, before congress does any
thing along the line suggested. Those
who express this opinion are not in any
va way hostile to the proposed legislation:
On the contrary, they are in favor of
| it, and would like to see it enacted
within short time after congress as
sembles. But they have in mind the
long years of agitation and effort on the
part of the friends of irrigation before
anything was done toward the reclama-
ti6n of the arid lands Of the west, and
may, therefore, be excused for mani
Testing skepticism now. f. ..s.-- Il
Bill Must Be General. ~
| 1t is pointed out by those who have
discussed the chances for the passage
of the proposed law authorizing the
drainage of swamp lands in Minnesota
under government auspices, that any
bill introduced, if it is to be favorably
received, must be general in it's ma,
ture. 1t must provide for the opera
tion Of the law in states other than
Minnesota. ~a "
The reason for this is that members
of both branches Of congress are es.
sentially selfish when it comes to mat,
ters Of making laws. They will not
vote for any bill that will authorize the
expenditure Of any such sum as is sug
gested by the drainage league, without
PHttinE e. in +ho bid for relief relief of The the sans
apply to practically all the states in
the east lying south of New York anC
east of the Missouri river. Along the
Atlantic seaboard and the gulf there
are numerous salt marshes which arc
susceptible of reclamation by drainage
and in the interior there is hardly &
state which has not larger or smaller
tracts of marsh lands.
| Demands of Other States.
Such being the conditions in th'
states in the section named, it is oh
vious to practical politicians, familia
with congressional methods, that tn
senators and representatives from thes
states will insist that their states ge
the benefit of any drainage Legislation
that may be proposed. A majority vot
in each house, is necessary to the pas
sage of any bill, and these votes ca
be secured for drainage only thru civ
ig something in exchange-hence tn
necessity for making the bill coverin
thei objects of the association genera
in its scope, and applicable to all state
desiring to take advantage Of the pre-
Fposed law.
With the bill general in character
the proposed expenditure will be enol
nous. The discussion of the drainag
Of swamp lands in Minnesota alon
100000. There are other states i
the territory named above having full
as large an area of swamp land. Nc
all Of them, it is pointed out, have a
large an acreage of swamp land as Nil
nesota, but even with smaller area
the cost Of reclamation would run u
into scores and scores of millions.
Millions of Acres.
The bureau of irrigation and reel:
nation Of the department. of agricu
ture, bureau separate from the recls
mation bureau of the interior depar
75,000,000 and 100,0O0,000 acres {
swamp land in the country that ca
be drained and made fertile. Anon
them are the Everglades of Florida, til
Dismal Swamp Of Virginia. the Hacker
sack Meadows in northern New Jerse,
opposite the city Of New York; tt
Kankakee swamp in Indiana, the pc:
bogs and swamps Of Wisconsin, not
mention the enormous area Of swan
land in Minnesota. These are only
few Of the great swamps Of the cou1
try which occur to the minds of thos
who have given this question consider
ton. Private capital has not been i
vested in the reclamation of the!
swamps, except in a small way, but tt
few attempts that have been made hay
been expensive.