Morris tribune., 1910-10-21

ficials, together with the secretary of
state who is also a Republican, con.
stitute the Board of Deposit, with
power to designate the banks in
which the funds of the state may be
| deposited. And a majority of the
| Board of InVestment-theb board which
determines and prescribes the secur'
tiles, in which the school and univer-
sity funds of the state shall be in,
Vested-has also been Republican
The same is also true of the Timber
Board which has charge Of the sale
and management of the pine timber.
The same is true of the Board of Audit
which examines and audits all public
accounts and funds. This is also true
as to the Drainage Commission. A ma
jority of that important board which
supervises the railways, the elevators
and warehouses, and enforces the laws
respecting the same-the Board of
Railroad and Warehouse Commission
ers-has also been Republican. So
that practically, for all material and
important administrative purposes, our
state government has been, during all
the time referred to, in the charge and
keeping of the Republican party; and
of legislation or administration, has
been secured in the meantime must, in
all fairness, be credited to the Repub-
| lican party. Let me enumerate some
| of the most important results that
have been accomplished:
Drainage of Swamp and Overlooked
Lands.
In the northern half of our state are
large tracts of wet and sWampy land
which are subject to overflow from
clogged up streams and water courses.
These lands are of fertile character
and we'll adapted for agricultural pur-
poses when properly drained and re-
claimed. Much of this land belongs to
the state, some belongs to the federal
government, or is held in trust by it,
and some is in private ownership
For many years prior to 1898 it had
become evident that it was of the ut
most Importance for the growth and
development of the state that steps be
taken for the drainage and reclamation
of these lands. An agitation and
movement, for the purpose of getting
the state to take up the work, was
started in the Red River Valley in
the eighties and an effort was made
during the session Of 1891, when the
Democrats and the Peoples party con-
trOlled the legislature, to secure an
appropriation for inaugurating and in
itiating the work, but the effort to Sc
cure an appropriation failed. In 1893,
while I was governor, the matter of
securing an appropriation for initiating
the work was again brought before
the legislature, majority of which
was then Republican. The legislature
responded by passing the act Of April
II, 1898, appropriating the sum Of $685.
900 per year for each of the four years,
or 100000 in all, but the appropriation
was contingent upon the contribution
of $6,25O per year, or $4,000 in all,
by the Great Northern Railway Com
pany, which contribution was duly
made by the company. The act pro-
vided that the work should be done
under the supervision Of board con-
sisting of the governor, the secretary
of state, a member to be selected by
the Great Northern Railway Company,
and member to be selected by the
chairmen of the Board Of County Com
missioners of the counties in which
the lands to be drained were located;
and in case the railway company, or
the chairmen failed to make the selec-
tion then the governor was to make
the appointments. No selection was
made by the railway company, or by
the chairmen Of the boards. l Iaccord-
ingly appointed Chief Engineer Miller,
of the Great Northern Railway Com
pany, on behalf of that company, and
Mr.. Valentine, of Breckenride, who
had labored long and zeaIously for
the initiation of the work, on behalf
of the counties, as members of the
board. The drainage work was limit
ed to eight counties in the Red River
Valley. In the summer Of 1898 l, to-
gether with the other members Of the
board, travelled by team through the
whole length of the valley from Hal
lock, in Kittson County, to Herman,
in Grant County, for the purpose Of
selecting locations for the bitches.
The board, during that year, located
and initiated the work on several i'm
portant bitches, and two or three of
the most important ones were COM
pleted during my term of Office.
It has always been a source of graft
fication to me that I was instrumental
in securing the first appropriation for
this great work and in initiating the
same. The legislature prior to 1901
supplemented the appropriation of 1893
by additional appropriations of $57, 800,
which made the total amount avail
able for the work, including the con-
tribution of the Great Northern Rail-
way Company, $182,500, and with this
fund the construction of 18 important
bitches, at various localities in the
Red River Valley, was embarked upon.
In 1901 the legislature created a State
Drainage Commission, consisting of
the governor, the state auditor, and
the secretary of state, which board has
since that time had charge of the
drainage work; and since that time
the legislature has appropriated for
carrying on the drainage work under
the direction and supervision of the
commission the aggregate sum of
$4,000, and greatly enlarged the field
and scope of the work. There has
thus been appropriated by the state
legislature, from first to last, for drain
age purposes, the sum of $732 500, sup