New-York tribune., 1908-05-11
SWAMP RECLAMATION
Plans for the National Drainage
Congress.
{ 0HgrcSS.
from The Tribune Bureau. J

from The Tribune Bureau.l
Washington. May I0.-The Congress OF the
National Drainage Association, which is 10 meet
in the assembly hall al the New Willard Tues
day morning at 10 O'Clock, promises to be large
and notable gathering Of prominent men In ad-
dition to q large number OF representative men
from all parts of the country, Senators and mem
bers of Congress. together with many OF the Gov
ernors of the states have signifed their will
ingness TO attend Will be present on the opening
DAY.
Secretary Garfield Will deliver address. IN
the course Of which. following the lines of his re
marks in favor Of national drainage at the Balti-
more convention in November. he VIII favor the
policy Of federal help 10 national drainage IN
similar manner to the system now being worked
out for national irrigation. which. has done so
much good in the West He viii also maintain
that national drainage, like national irrigation IS
only part Of the conservation Of the national re-
sources of the country. and that being the vie"
which will doubtless prevail at the Congress II
seems most proper that the national drainage
congress should have selected as the date or ITS
meeting the eve OF the Presidents White House
conference on that important subject
William 7. BRYAN has sent word that ne may
not be able 10 arrive until Tuesday afternoon,
but that ne will 20 straight the hall and prob
ably be there in time TO speak at the afternoon
session Of the congress. Among the other speak
Ars expected are Senator NevIands, Congressman
Burton. Of Delaware. 3Tr- Newell director Of the
irrigation service. Ar. Pinchot- chief OF the foT-
estry service; o P Austin, chief OF the bureau
Of statistics: Congressman Ramsdell OF Louis
lana MI Blanchard statistician Of the irrigation
bureau and several Of the Governors Of the states
most interested in drainage.
Delegations having been appointed by a ma
forftv OF the Governors OF the state and num-
ber Of Mayors Of the principal cities interested.
these together with the members Of the National
Drainage Association and representatives from
the various commercial and agricultural orsaniza-
ions throughout the country, warrant the belief
that there viii be II least four hundred delegates
in attendance on the opening DAY.
The announced object OF the National Drainage
Association congress is not TO espouse or urge the
massage BY the Congress of the United States Of
any particular measure providing for national
drainage but on the contrary, while refrainns
from anything which might SAVIOR IF lobbying or
interference in any way with pending legislation,
simply TO indorse and approve federal help 70
national drainage as a national policy; and IN
urging that matter upon Congress IN 4 general
way viii not attempt TO dictate the shape Whlch
legislation should take 10 meet the end IN view
More than eighty million acres CT land, IT IS
claimed. arc awaiting drainage which cannot be
successfully conducted either by individuals. coun-
ties or states for the simple reason that system
of drainage TO he successful must be general. and
therefore not circumscribed by any local gsograph-
-al limitations II other words. successful drain
age conterplares lines OF improvements and con
str7Iction work which extend from one stats into
another. and the regulation Of that work along
70 in the national irrigation work is what the
national drainage congress II seems, viii endsavor
10 nave accomplished
Among the benefits that viii accrue to sErlouitur@
through Thoroughly draining the lands classed as
swamp and overflow will be. frst Of al. the add
ton. in accurate figures Of 79,of5n-5 acres which
are no,r waste. not only unproduCtive, but more
or less threatening element as sErinst proper
healthfrl sanitation. Some Interesting figures on
this subject recently transmitted TO Congress-
by the Secretary IF Agriculture IN response 10 ,
Senate resolution calling for information IN regard
10 the location and area OF swamp and overro*
lands susceptible of being drained for agriculture
and the effect Of such drainage upon the land IN
general Secretary Wilson's reply showed not only
the great monetary value that would accrue 70 the
nirad States directly from the Improvement OF the
swamp land but showed in other ways how de-
strabla II was The paper was an interesting one,
and added 10 what had already been furnished TO
Congress hv- the Secretary of the Interior. would
seem to give abundant reasons why the Vork
should h. done by the federal government, espe-
cisllv as argued ny the Secretary Of the Interior
and decided hv- the courts. constitutional OBJ
lection seems to stand in the way of the proposed