The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-11-17

Ceeueu Ill SeIliIIS euSuiSc'o w So'hS
| st Paul, which in itself showed
that they deemed it important
enough not to turn it down. Now
where will the cooperation come in?
Those benefited should cooperate in
some way towards this improve
ment.
| Mr.. Kaercher then went on to
explain the purpose OF the Mime
sofa River Improvement and Power
company, of which he was president.
1t was not for individual gain, but
for the interests of everybody and
as a method of aiding the people in
getting the government to lend its
aid.
He also described the power
plants at Ortonville and
Falls and told how the b
reservoirs would increase the poN
er of Minnesota river.
"This work should be done under
the direction and supervision OF the
federal government. In fact, that is
1.-THE only way it can be done so far
as construction of the dam is con-
cerned. There are two places where
dams ought to be constructed, one
at Big Stone Lake and another at
Lac qui Parle.'
Those benefited by these dams
must pay their just and fair rentals
for the use of the water and power
of keeping up the dam. Stock could
of keeping up the dam. Stock
be purchased in the power company
ment to the members.
I, IN
operate. The first, is to assist the
government in obtaining a flowage,
then to establish drainage bitches
along the river, and levy taxes for
the lands benefited. But the best
means of showing the proper CO.
operation was to subscribe to stock in
the water power company so as to
help the government get just so
much more revenue.
"With a determined effort on the
part of the business men in the
towns along the river we will have
no difficulty in carrying on this
work." he said.
Have Option on Plant.
"We have an option of the Mime
sofa Falls plant. This dam is $50
feet long and seventy feet high.
This power plant runs wires back 18
miles to MOntevideO, and also to
Sacred Heart. But under the pres
ent conditions this power is only
good at times. However, by con-
structing dams at Big Stone Lake
and at Lac qui Parle it would double
the power" He advocated purchas-
ing the power sites and fowage
from the people along the river,
and the control of these sites. He
stated firmly that the government
would not undertake the work alone
but that cooperation was the only
means of making success of the
movement and unless the people
who would be benefited would CO.
operate, the matter would come to
nothing.
Mr.. Kaercher gave few figures
concerning the amount of water
necessary for navigation and power.
| He said that for navigation they
would have to release about twenty
seven billion cubic feet of water and
| for power purposes Is billion cubic
feet that if the power navigation
| was water was used there would
not be very much water left for
| power purposes. but the power
money received from the power
would be used for revenue purposes
only This would be the only way
| to reduce the cost except by taxing
| the people that would be benefited
| He also said that the government is
| chiefly interested in navigation and
| this would have to be the main fea-
ture.
| Statement BY Dreis.
Secretary Dreis then read the fol-
lowing:
"The Minnesota River Improve
ment league, through a committee,
gathered statistics on the amount of
damage to crops the farmers in the
Minnesota River valley and that of
its tributaries sustained through the
overflow of the Minnesota river
This committee formulated series
of questions that were submitted to
the farmers along the valley from
Big Stone to Fort Smelling to which
over a thousand blanks were sent
Three hundred and seven farmers
answered, representing $4,000 acres
of which 24,2O0 acres was subject to
overflow and the average total loss
| sustained each year from 1906 to