The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1911-01-06
Department. Of Waterwavs.

sisrs of lakes and streams. Our water area
approximates 100000 acres. It is estimated
that the aggregate power Of known avail
able falls and rapids in Minnesota is about
100000 horse power, of which considerably
dustrial purposes. In other words, the avail
able waterpower of the state, as at present
of coal per annum, developed into Industrial
power.
Besides the resources of our water powers,
there are the resources of our waterways
The Mississippi River as water power de-
veloped Minneapolis. Little Falls and other
milling towns. The Mississippi as water
way created st. Paul, st. Cloud, Red Wing,
Ninona and a score of other river towns
But the greatest waterway asset of the
state is Lake Superior. The cheap and
lastly available transportation facilities of
BILE for the development of our iron ore
wealth and for the larger share of our log
s ahgn umDeT coal wheat hour ana genera ap
average rail charge of $3.50 per ton for
a haul of one thousand miles, the Great
one thousand miles for 80 cents and brings
back a ton of coal for 80 cents. This is the
perhaps the greatest factor in northwestern
development. 1t is our great transportation
for all business purposes as near as Chicago
to the Atlantic seaboard, while situated five
ann miles carer the nr OF bnh
lies between Lake Superior and Puget
Sound.
Closely associated with our waterways
problem is that of drainage and reservoirs
The problems of waterpowers and water
ways and drainage are alike subject for
the hydraulic engineer. The waterway is
he trunk of the drainage SYSTEM the
sores of wet lands are the small veins and
capillaries which articulate with the main
artery system of which the principal trunk
is the great navigable waterway. The total
public bitches dug by the state and counties
of Minnesota approximate 5000 miles in
acres at a cost of $40, OOO, Ooo. The average
cost of drainage per acre is therefore about
81 whereas the average benefit is from
1t goes without saying. that a department
voted to the conservation and development Of
our water resources will earn it's cost many
Department of Agriculture and Immigration
Minnesota possesses the greatest agricul-
turai resources of any state in the Union, and
yet it is one of the few states which have no
centrally organized department of agricul-
ture. OF her As, 900, 900 acres of agricultural
lands. less than SO per cent are under cultiva-
proper methods of administration, from SO
to 100 per cent greater returns than are
AS showing what other states are doing
n this line, Missouri has one of the best
charge of ten officers aad specialists. This
department works in harmony with the agri-
breeders. corn growers, state dairy associa-
ton swine growers and breeders, sheep
o pre- s hlgnway engineers, and home max
ment appears to be modelled somewhat after
that of the general government, with a secre-
tary OF agriculture, and such special bureaus
rs dairy and food, livestock, veterinary
Science, agricultural chemistry, and special
lists in all the various branches of agricultural
science and industry. Before the organiza-
ton OF that department in 1895 there had
been a steady decrease in the value of the
state farm production for over twenty years.
the value of the 1890 product being one third
less than that of 1870. The wonderful re-
suits OF this organization appeared immedi-
ately in the census returns of 1900 when the
farm products of Pennsylvania showed a
in in alI,a IN
Minnesota in 1909 turned out agricultur-
al product estimated as worth over 1927, 000,-
900, or about $2150o per capita.
Minnesota is the first state in the Union
in wheat production, with q record yield of
1913 bushels per acre, though above the
average for the country at large, is only half
that of the best wheat sections of Europe
or even that of Minnesota in the earlier days.
The state has done much to encourage
scientific agriculture; WHAT we now need is to
make cooperative and effective under a
well-directed central organization the many
lines of agricultural activity now in progress
in the several directions We have one of
the greatest agricultural colleges and farm
schools in the country, with three fairly
well-equipped experiment stations, and a
farmers institute or travelling lecture course.
The several state institutions, commissions,
departments and agricultural societies, each
vice in our educational and Industrial de-
velopment; but the greatest efficiency and
economy have not been realized because of
lack of cooperative organization.
That greater organization in agricultural
education and industry is absolutely essential,
is we'll known and generally admitted. An
appalling annual loss of soil fertility from
unscientific methods of tilage has been
demonstrated to a mathematical certainty.
The late federal census returns show an actu-
al decrease in number of farms in several of
our older counties, amounting to as high as
200 to 800 farms per county AS many as
twenty-eight Minnesota counties, located
not only in the older southern districts but in
the central and western sections of the state,
show less population in 1910, than in 1900.
AS business investment the census of
for of
S1,259, 900, not including farm machinery,
livestock and products on hand, which would
Approximately $500, 900. 900 The state
stands in the relation of direct proprietor
way of Improvement drainage, forestry,
roads and general agricultural management.
Not only in the interest of our educational
institutions. but also in justice to the strug-
Cling settler whose claims are surrounded by
public lands exempt from taxation, We can
not conscientiously neglect longer our plain
duty as chief land proprietor.
Immigration.
1t is the function Of the department of
immigration to bring to our lanos the popu-
lation; and our immigration commissioner
has made a record in performing the tunc-
sion during four years in advertising Mime
sofa have produced several hundred thousand
the sales of state, federal and private lands,
brought investors and farm tenants, raised
farm values, increased business, and ma
terially aided state development. The spe-
cial Minnesota inning. alton car, recently
hauled through the states south of us by the
generous cooperation of one of our railway
companies and visited by twelve hundred
farmers daily, is example of the enter
vertised
In order to secure the best results, there
must be a radical reorganization of our adj
ministrative methods, SO that there will be
effective cooperation between the immigra-
ton department, on the one hand, and the
land, forestry, agricultural and other de-
partments on the other.
Department OF Public Highways.
We have made a modest beginning in the
development of a state highway system,
and are moving slowly in the right direction.
In four years, under the lao of mill levy.
1894, 900, or an average of $SS,090 a year, has
been available as state aid and distributed
among the counties on the basis of $1.O0 paid
by the state as against $500 by the county,
and nearly all the counties have awaited
themselves of this allotment and complied
which is available under the Constitutional
Amendment, on the condition of the State
paying one-half the cost of the state roads,
it is possible for this legislature, on the
present state valuation, to provide the state
ton of $30O,0OO. This provision will place
Minnesota in the rank of the eight leading
states in good-roads legislation.
Doubtlessly there will be laid before you
during this session bill for a greatly i'm
proved and strengthened state highway act.
One of its purposes is to serve as an enabling
act to put into effect the new constitutional
amendment Another provision will author
ize the county board of each county to ap-
point competent road builder as county
superintendent of highways. who shall act
under the supervision of the state highway
commission. in harmony with the plan sue
cessfully adapted by some of the Atlantic
States. The act may likewise authorize the
state highway commission and it's engineer
to name district engineers for the various
sections of the state in accord with New
York, Massachusetts and Connecticut plan.
Certainly the proposed act should give our
state engineer salary more nearly COM
mensurate with his responsible expert duties.
According to the report of the state board
of health, there occurred in this state S,075
deaths frmo preventable disease during the
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