The Winslow mail., 1911-02-11
METHOD In BELGIUM
State Helps municipalities and
Private Owners.
Financial Aid In Constructing lrriga-
tion Projects Is Equal to About
Half the Expense-VaIue of
Drained Lands.

No aid Is extended by the Belgian
government for the improvement OF
marsh lands west of the Sambre and
Meuse rivers, for the reason that these
lands are better than those in the
higher parts of Belgium and that the
drainage is of great Importance, for
cultivation, to the landowners. The
state grants no subsidies for the
.canalization executed for irrigation in
the sandy plains of the Campines reg
ion, north of the provinces of Ant
werp and Limburg, but allows private
parties to take water supplies from
the navigable canal called the juno
tion canal Of the Meuse and Schelt
rivers, says the Breeders Gazette.
The marshy and wet lands of a GER
tain area (about 742 acres) and above,
whose sanitary conditions have been
improved by drainage (ditches or
pipes are nearly all united in WAT
eringue." This is a legally recognized
association of landowners interested
In the work of drying and irrigating
their lands. The wateringues in the
valleys Of the navigable rivers are
placed under the supervision of the
ministry Of public works, while those
in the valleys of unnavigable streams
are under the ministry of agriculture.
Concerning the last-mentioned, the
state does not execute the irrigation
work, but helps the municipalities and
interested owners associations (Water-
ingues) granting them subsidies and
also lending them the services of the
staff of the agricultural hydraulic ad-
ministratiOn for the study of projects,
also for the direction and supervision
for drainage of lands of little value
for improving sanitary conditions,
when necessary for the general health
of the country, in view of suppressing
fogs and for the interest of agriculture.
The subsidies are granted by the gov
ernment in full ownership and are not
to be repaid.
There is no general law defining the
aid which the government may extend
to provinces, municipalities, to dis
tricts, to corporations, or to private
parties for the execution of works
which are to be of more than local
benefit. The state takes charge Of the
total expenses for the construction of
such works as are planned and con-
structed by the ministry of agricul-
ture. The mission of the government
agents ends as soon as the drainage
work is accomplished, these agents
only supervising the work. The i'm
mediate supervision Of the work, the
preservation, the maneuvering of
sluices, intakes Of water, etc., are un-
der the care Of the wateringues If the
lands belong to private owners united
in association, and under the care OF
communal administrations if the lands
belong to communes. The financial aid
of the state in works of this kind is
generally equal to half the expenses.
The government also lends gratuitous-
ly the services of its staff for the
study Of projects as well as for the di-
rection and supervision Of work. The
largest marsh lands which have been
drained in the higher part of Belgium
do not measure more than 247.4 acres
each. These drained lands extend all
over the territories of the provinces
of Namur and Luxembourg, principally
in the latter. Most Of the drained
lands belong to private parties, some
to communes, but none to the state
The value of marsh lands after drain
age is double to triple the value of the
lands before the work was accom-
plished