The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-11
TO LOBBY AT WASHINGTON.
Minnesota Drainage League VIII Seek
to influence Legislature.

Minnesota Drainage League VIII Seek
to Influence Legislature.
H. G. Hays of Bemidji, secretary OF
the Minnesota State Drainage League.
Is one of the distinguished visitors at
the drainage convection. To Mr.. Hay's
efforts is largely due the strong Or
ganization which the friends of drain
age have affected in Minnesota. Mr..
Hays said to the Evening Times this
morning: Yes, l expect to 20 to
Washington on Jan. 20 to assist in
securing drainage legislation for the
northwest. A. G. Bernard of Cass
Lake, president of the League, ID now
at the national capital. We expect a
number of important bills to be intro
duced into congress in the near future,
looking toward the drainage of the
overfiOwed lands in the Red River VAL
ley and the swamp lands of the north
west.
The organization of the Minnesota
state Drainage League was finally eff
fected at CrOOkston last August. An
executive committee was named, con-
slsting of member from each con-
gressional district. 1t was decided at
the first meeting of this committee
that an active campaign should be
started. A little later. a committe on
ways and means was named.
The general plan of procedure was
discussed and the ways and means
committee authorized to begin their
work of securing funds for the carry
ing forward the greatest reclama-
ton service ever undertaken by any
state in the Union. And the work is
progressing as rapidly as possible
with the means at hand
AS with other great movements the
Minnesota idea does not appeal to ev-
erybody In the same way and the COM
mittee on ways and means find sew
eral undesirable conditions confront
Ing them. The first obstacle is the
ardent attempt of the national irriga-
ton association to stop any attempt
at improvement or reclamation in
Minnesota. They sent their president
to the state, and his advice was that
there was no hope for congressional
assistance, but very imminent danger
to the Mississippi river by dumping
all the water from all the swamps
into that stream and by cutting on
all of the timber on all of the water
sheds. The first result being calcu-
lated to endanger the property of the
planter of Louisiana by creating flood
conditions and the second SO decreas-
ing the rainfall as to make of the
north only bowling wilderness in
habtted by hyenas and jackals. The
irrigation people told us to 60 home.
build summer resorts and automobile
roads. Then came the forestry people
In the person of the secretary Of the
state forestry society. who declared
that the State Drainage League is
only another name for the enemies
of demonstration and the forestry re-
serve. The men back of that move
ment are the men who have been
fighting forestry all the time" The Of
fees Of the Minnesota Drainage
League, members of the Horticultural
society with whom the Forestry asso-
citation were holding joint session
were forced to beg for the privileges
of the floor to reply to their unjust
and unfair attack, and, after some
wrangling we're given ten minutes In
which to explain away charges that
consumed two hours and a half in
presentation, and in that time must
present the claims of Northern Mime
sofa as an agricultural region, to show
that drainage might be. accomplished
scientifically and be a conservator of
the golden, food of the great river,
and that the league had never for an
instant presumed to discuss irrigation,
forestration or forestry reserves The
charges of the president of the irri-
met through the daily press. and that
gentleman left the state after volumi-
nous explanation and column of
apology. The secretary of the For
estry society has not been heard from.