Morris tribune., 1906-09-15
DRAIN THE STATE
SWAMP LANDS
AoN. ALBERT L. COLE GIVES HIS
REASONS FOR THINKING SUCH
WORK WOULD BENEFIT The
ENTIRE STATE.

Hon. Albert L. Cole in his speech
opening the campaign discussed the
question of the drainage Of the states
swamp lands, and incidentally de-
gcrfbed briefly the law drafted by him
whfch provides for preliminary topo-
graphical survey. The best of his re-
marks on this subject IS rs follows:
During the session of 1906 a law was
anacted by the Legislature, providing
for comprehensive System of drain
age of such parts of the s D. e's swamp
hands as, in the opinion of the state
drainage commission, is advisable.
This system involves a Typographical
survey In Nocember next, the engi-
neer in charge Of the survey is to de-
liver to the drainage commission, to
be flied with the state auditor, a map
of the swamp and marshy lands he
has surveyed, which will show not
emily the location, length, size and ap-
proximate cost of each ditch suggest
ed. but it will also show each forty
acre tract of land to be benefited by
each drain. Any one carefully exam
lining that map and the reports which
will accompany it, which are to be
printed for the information of the leg
islature and the people, can distin-
guish not only the lands owned by the
state that will be benefited, but he
san tell what lands to be drained are
owned by private individuals or cor
ro~Hticns. Every essential fact with
1egard to each drainage ditch will be
in possession Of the Legislature, and
they will be in a position to act intel
hgently on any drainage project they
decide to undertake. Thus the 1egis-
Iature will be able to so .apportion the
cost of drainage, that the burden will
tall on each forty-acre tract in proper
tion to the benefits received. For my
self, l will say that am not in favor
of paying single dollar Of public
money for drainage OF lands owned
by private individuals or corporations.
State drainage as advocated by me
does not mean the drainage Of a sin
gle piece of property owned by indi
viduals or under any other ownership
except the state, and only such lands
belonging to the state, as, In the opin-
ion of experts, will be valuable enough
after such drainage, to more than re
pay the money expended upon them.
The state owns nearly 100000
acres of land that is entirely worth
less until it is drained There is af
forded unmistakable proof that at
least 100000 acres of this land, when
reclaimed by ditching, will be as good
as the average swamp land that the
state has already sold, approximating
$4,000 acres, and sold at the average
price of S6.43 per acre. Even. if the
market value Of this class of land does
mot Increase in value as time advances,
which is altogether improbable, that
100000 acres, when drained, will
sell for $6,4S0,000. The estimated
cost OF draining these lands is $1,000
00O. This sum, however, comes out of
the current funds, and the whole of
the S6,430 600, when the land is sold,
will go into the school and other trust
funds of the state This money, when
placed at interest at per cent, will
yield net income Of S257,200, which
will annually be pouring into the state
treasury as interest from the sale Of
these lands alone. This income is not
for one wear only, but it is to last for
aiI time. More than one-haf of this
annual income goes into our school |
port the common schools Of the state |
Is not the drainage Of this land & good |
business proposition zone which com
mcnds itself to all thinking men?