The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-05-04
WILL TALK DRAINAGE.
Convention to Be Held at Wadena
June S, Hays Manifesto.

S0uS ~ TIoyS "ouiICStO
From Saturdays Daily.
H. G. Hays, secretary, has issued the
following call for the drainage conven-
ton:
The second annual convention of the
Minnesota Drainage league will be held
at Wadena, June 5, 1906, and we have
barely time enough to tell you of some
of the things accomplished since the or
ganization of the League year ago, and
some of the things we hope to see ac-
complished through the Leagues instru-
mentality in the years to come.
Drainage was, year ago, a topic lit
tie understood, and talked of but cas-
ually. During the year the subject has
been discussed in almost every newspa-
per in the state, and the people. have
begun to realize the immensely Of the
proposition, in fact recognize that they
have holding of 100000 acres of I'M
productive lands, and that these lands
may be improved and sold at large
profit. They realize that this 5000, 900
acres of desolation may be turned into
$2l 100000 cash at an expense of from
75c to $l.0O per acre. 1t is a purely
business proposition and as such de-
mands and will have consideration.
The League has pressed this fact as
frequently as possible, and with the
fact uppermost has tried to show what
an immense advantage it would be to
add these millions of acres to Minneso-
ta's wealth producing area.
We have urged congress to take up
the matter of retaining land by drain
age and there have been bills considered
during the present session looking to-
ward that end. If legislation now pend
ing becomes law we shall have the salts
faction of seeing the reclamation of all
the waste public lands, some 100000
acres, i'm the state and the state de-
veloped to just that extent. The news
papers of the state have, with will
ingness and an enthusiasm seldom
shown, helped on the drainage cause un-
til now scarcely candidate for public
office but has added good word for
drainage to his platform.
South Dakota, North Dakota and
Manitoba have been induced to organize
and get to work in drainage, largely
through the encouragement and cooper
alton of the Minnesota Drainage League,
and our activity in this direction has
sounded new and distinct note to the
song of prosperity, and it will not be
long until twenty two states in the -un-
ion will be enlisted in the drainage work,
thanks largely to the movement in this
state
Meanwhile field work has been going
on Our own state officials have practi-
cally completed topographic survey of
several northern counties, and engineers
and soil experts are turning in most
favorable reports daily. The govern
ment will aid Minnesota in securing a
survey, and in addition will appropriate
$4,000 for a survey of the Red Lake
reservation. Looking over the work of
the past twelve months we can see prog
ress all along the line, and this makes
our approaching second annual conven-
tion an affair of moment. Will you not
call attention to the fact and ask your
county commissioners and municipal Of
ficers, your Commercial Club and other
similar organizations to take action to-
wards sending delegates to Wadena? We
want every county and every munich
pality represented, and in return guar
antee that the programme to be present
ed will be of sufficient value to make