The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-02
PEOPLES FORUM
The Drainage Convention.

Editor OF The Nirginian:
Str.--Permt me to thank The Virgintan for
the article In yesterdays paper IN regard To a
drainage convention in Richmond on the seven
tcenth instant.
The subject has been one II ure-1oc interest
to the writer. asg / born and raised and
have lived all my life upon the Roanoke and
its tributaries. upon which the most valuable
hatands IN the state have been swamped by
mill dams and other remedial causes My
father spent thousands OF dollars in the golden
era OF the ante belluin in hopeless efforts which
with thirty years experimentation by myself
demonstrates the fact that without state aid
nothing son he accomplished. The fact that these
streams run through and are the boundaries of
eoenles and that the estates Of miners and others
are interested. who cannot or Will not cooperate
in any effort to drain these lands. and that all
lnciNiauai enorts have utterly failed. demon
strates the necessity OF wen defined system of
cooperation on the part of all Interested, who
must be backed up by State legislation and an
organization specially devised for the purpose
and empowered to carry out the provisions of
the law, Having been forced to this conclusion
years ago, l prepared drainage bill which was
presented to the legislature before the last, when
the bill was taken up by the committee OF gem
eral laws. went before them to explain its
necessity. The bin was unanimously approved
AS good and necessary law but owing to the
pressure of other matters which had priority
on the docket, 1t failed to pass. though reported
favorably
The same bill with changes was intro
duced In the last assembly, hut the senator
of Portsmouth also had BILL copied from the
North Carolina law. which more compre-
hensive than mino, he agreed, that l might
amend his Dill to make II applicable to creeks
and mill dams, &c. which was accordingly
done and my bill was Withdrawn and his sub
stituted and adopted and will be found. acts
This law has been approved by the rinar,on
proprietors on the Little Roanoke river, and we
are preparing to put 1t into execution.
Colonel G. G. Elliott chief OF the United States
drainage investigation. sent one Of his SUP
ordnates viz. Mr.. w. l. McGathorn who made
careful survey of the swamped lands on said
stream and formulated a plan and estimate OF
the cost or drainage. In forwarding this
port Colonel Elliot says, When you are ready
for assistance, please let me know and il pos
sible we will instruct Mr.. McEathern to assist
you further in the work"
Now the most serious practical obstacle In
the way of this enterprise Is to raise the neces-
sary means, to carry on the work This are
now trying to do. We have had under CON
sideration the very scheme proposed by Dr
Starbrook which Is undoubtedly the most
equitable. just and feasible plan OF executing
the work As the State OF Virginia in her
sovereign capacity. for the good of the com
munity. authorized the construction OF DANG
for milling purposes, which have destroyed
1000 acres Of the most valuable lands in the
State. rendering thereby the whole section
malarious and impovershing OF the most
beautiful and fertile valleys In the State we
should lit this burden by issuing Drainage
Bonds to cover the cost OF redemption and
restore normal conditions.
A per cent. bond run SO years one
per cent Of which IS to be set aside for this
redemption can be sold at par, and these lands
might be drained without costing their pro-
prietors cent. This is nothing more than
Justice, In all such cases. because the
State acting for the public welfare which de-
stroyed these lands. under the operation O,
natural law. New let the State for the same
reason come forward and restore norman con-
ditions, and let these mills If necessary he
run by gasoline engines electric power TO
the Infinite honent and easement OF whole com
munities, which have been Frustrated and Inn
povershed by the action OF the State upon
the hypothesis that the public welfare demanded
it But even Il the redemeption Of these drain
they drain II will be greatly to the benefit of