The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-22
STATE CAN ASSIST
in DRAINAGE WORK
COMMERCIAL CLUB GIVEN TIP BY
a GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL.
.. J. blanchard, Connected with Fed.
eral Reclamation Service, Addresses
Business Men on Importance Of Great
Enterprises Now Under Way-Many
Attend Banquet rendered by Clubs
s! H "F5-.E y

" Minnesota should, thru such organ
izations as this Commercial club, plan
to cooperate with the government in
the preliminary work Of securing a
Typographical survey Of the state in or
der that when the government under
takes It's drainage campaign it will be
able to get in on the ground floor and
This sstip'' was passed to the public
aHalfs committee Of the Commercial
club at the annual dinner last nirht
yby q. j. Blanchard, a former Mime
apolltan now connected with the gov
eminent reclamation service in charge
OF the governments irrigation and
drainage projects.
Drainage as applied to the vast en-
plre OF. swamp lands Of northern Min
nesota owned by the state and govern
>ment IS one of the live public questions
Of today. It is believed that the rec
lamatlon Of this district will open for
settlement from 100000 to 100000
acres OF exceedingly fertile country ca
pa6le Of supporting heavy population
and Immediately tributary to the mar
kets Of. the twin cities. In passing the
tip to the business men, Mr.,
Blanchard announced that he was
speaking in no official capacity, but as
g former Minneapolis man among his
friends. !: ). = : =. =
Irrigation Projects. ~.
J Mr.. Blanchard spoke at length on the
irrigation projects the government has
under way in the west, illustrating his
talk with stereopticon Slides Of unusual
interest. Coming to j the subject of
drainage, which is under the manage
ment OF the reclamation service also.
ne outlined the manner in which the
government is working and showed
where Minnesota, by little foresight,
can push It's own campaign and by fol-
lowing the example set by Arizona in
the irrigation belt, secure a LARGE
amount of public improvement at once.
lie announced that the, government is
ready to put $4,000 into Topographic
cal survey Of the state of Minnesota.
The work will cost about twice that.
but It the state legislature this winter
Will appropriate another $4,000 the
typographical survey can be under
taken at once and can be done more
chfeaply by the government than in any
othef way. The result will be that all
necessary data, will be at hand and bY
taking advantage of this. Minnesotaa
may push its claim and secure from the
government a drainage, undertaking
that will be sure and successful. -
While not criticizing the work al
ready done by the state, he apnounced
that there is danger in ,promiscuous
work OF this sort undertaken without
proper Typographical data. This fea-
ture IS OF vital interest to Minneapolis
lnasH,uch as the city is vitality inter
waters Of the Mississippi and thar
protection. A hit or miss project Of
drainage. it is pointed out, would turn a
vast feeding area from the Mississipni
and carry the water elsewhere. where
as the best interests of the entire state
are.e conserved by preserving the river
ana nd even .Ibv increasing it's supply ba-
sin Mr.. Blanchard s remarks were fol
lowed with marked interest and were
e92ny'ln Gin presented. ~ = 7
Interest Is General. -.
The dinner rendered to the public af-
fairs; committee and its auxiliary: or
ganization at the Commercial club. last
night by the board Of directors was a
fair Indication of the interest taken in
business men, Every business Of the
city was represented in. the. group of
l25 business and professional men who
ga thered 70 bout the tables %, - Z.
n keynote of success and confidence
was sounded by Wallace G.. Nye, COM
missioner. of the public affairs commit
tee. speaking for W. w. Heffelfnger,
chairman Of the committee, who was
unable to>2be present. = @.cs E;@. ..
The Commercial club has, during
the last year. demonstrated tbs ability
to handle any project that may arise
in connection with the rapid growth,
development, and progress Of Minneapo.
lis said MI. Nye. Briefly he re-
viewed the larger projects that have
been handled by the club in the last
year, the Grand Army encampment, the
Butler Brothers and Armour establish.
ments here. and the future projects