Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1911-06-15
DRAINAGE WORK IN TEXAS
GOVERNMENT TO COOPERATE
WITH STATE BOARD.
There viii Be Two Stations in Texas
Work to Consist Of Examination
Of Lands, Etc.

Washington.-As result of con-
ference held by State Drainage Com
missioner Arthur A. Stiles, with Sec
rotary Wilson of the department of
agriculture and various division chiefs,
the department has ordered the drain
age division to cooperate on drainage
work in Texas with the Texas State
levee and drainage board. Stations
will be established at Houston and
Brownsville. from which points the
two supervisors designated to carry
on this work in Texas will organize
their forces for operations in the
coastal plains. H. A. Kipp, drainage
engineer. will be in charge of the
headquarters at Houston, and w. II.
Hall, drainage engineer, in charge of
the headquarters at Brownsville.
Their forces will investigate the drain
age problems in those sections and
will transmit all of the results of
those investigations to the State levee
and drainage board, the State board
reciprocating the favor in the sec
tons where 1t is at work.
Discussing the scope and character
of this cooperation, Chief Drainage
Engineer Wright says:
"This work will consist. first of the
general examination of certain valleys
and counties where there is interest
among the land owners in the reclaim
ing OF lands for agriculture. In the
course of these examinations all of
the information regarding the physi
cal conditions which relate to the land
from lack of adequate drainage will
be obtained and arranged in the form
of reports This information will in
clude the areas of land injured, the
condition which produces injury either
from overflow or, in the case of the
level coast lands, from lack of drain
age channels to remove the surplus
water All facts of this character
which can be gathered without an in.
strumental survey will be carefully
arranged and conclusions drawn as to
what preliminary steps should be
taken in securing the betterment of
the lands which have been examined.
when such surveys are made the
office will cooperate with the people
on the local drainage commission, pro-
vided the local authorities contribute
approximately one-half of the cost of
the survey Where surveys are made.
the object is to assist the people in
handling the local problem in such a
way that they can do the work eff
ficiently and economically. Where
plans and surveys are made 1t will be
expected that the owners will proceed
with the work in accordance with the
instructions of the office, and in doing
so will furnish an example of good
management and construction to other
localities where the same method of
Improvement may be employed.
Copies of all reports and surveys
which are made will be presented to
the State levee and drainage commits
sioner He, as well as the land own
ers, are at liberty to present their
drainage problems to this office with
the assurance that they will receive
all of the attention it is possible to
give them. BY combining the work
of the State and Federal offices in this
way, 1t is hoped that drainage of agri.
cultural lands in the State may be
substantially promoted along practical
lines without any duplication or con-
flict along the several lines of activity
which are required in the develop
ment of the lands of the State"