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

anu lnCluulnS the year 1910 was
$163,3OO, making total loss for the
three years of $1,300,OOO. The aver
age per cent of crops harvested dur
| ing the three years was Is per cent
Land Subject to Overflow.
"The total amount of land subject
to overflow in the Minnesota river
valley and that of its tributaries is
100000 acres of which about 10000
acres is located in the Minnesota
river valley proper. 100000 acres of
which is the richest in the state
According to the figures of these
3O7 farmers the total yearly crop
losses on this 10000 acres was for
each year mentioned $653,2SS, max.
ing a granA total loss of $2,163, 900.
Figure the value of the 10000
acres affected by the flood water of
the Minnesota river at $50 per acre
and we find a total value of &c.
100000 All of this land has depre.
ciated from so per cent to IS per.
cent or from $25 to $35 per acre.
Land In Minnesota Valley.
Nov, take, say, $4,000 acres in
the Minnesota river valley from
Smelling to Big Stone Lake, most of
which has been developed to a
high degree of cultivation and is
therefore worth not less than SIS
per acre when protected from the
flood waters, making total value
of $5,2O0,000. These owners could
well afford to pay $40 per acre to-
ward the construction of the reser.
voirs and still have a big margin to
hDir D,,f
small sum of S. per acre which will
make a total of $450,OOO. 1t is not
expected that this money is to be
paid in as a bonus. The PROPOSE.
ton is to cooperate with the federal
government through power com.
pany, this power company to issue
stock, preferred 6 per cent and also
bonds to bear interest the land own
er to take interest bearing stock or
bond to the amount of $450,O00 who
can thus co-oDerate with the govern
ment, and which amount he pays in
has double value, it will reclaim
his land and besides will have a
value derived from the power
"The proposed reservoir at Lac
qui Parle will develop from 5000 to
5000 horse power. This power is
worth not less than SIS per horse
power 1t is possible to develope
power at Big Stone lake and below
Lac qui Parle on the Minnesota
river to the extent of $1,000 horse
power In this district we have
population, in towns, of over 1OO,-
600 which we can serve and which
will earn for the company $500 per
capita.
People Must Cooperate.
ct is not fair, and, | do not think
that the government will construct
the proposed reservoir without the
two elements-the power people and
the land retaining owners, join
hands and cooperate with the feder-
al government in this improvement.
because the nature of the proposed
improvement is such that it will
control the flood waters and there
by reclaim $9,900,000 worth of land
formerly inundatedz5 by the uncontrol-
led water and the land owner does
not pay one cent for this direct
benefit. On the other hand the
same improvement will develope
over 100000 worth of power, di-
rectly and indirectly.
1T is seldom seen where an i'm.
provement will give such far reach.
ing benefits at so normal an eX
pense. And l do not think that the
people will overlook this opportu-
nifty.
"In order to thoroughly cooperate
with the federal government, the
land owner should subscribe to the
of
company a $1,0O0,000 or over"
DR.. Fritsche of New Ulm gave to
the meeting a history of what has
been accomplished so rar by the
league, and it was through this or
ganiZation efforts that the govern
ment engineers were prevailed upon
to make the survey of the Mime
sofa river. A report of the leagues
labors appeared in The Free Press
few days ago. The doctor stated
that if the power company or the
people interested would buy up the
lands above the proposed dam which
would in case this was brought to
success, be damaged by the back
water, they could get the iand; for
much cheaper price than the gov
eminent, estimating that tie com
pany could get these lands from
100000 to S250,00O cheaper.
A large revenue to help pay for
the damaged lands could be secCI ed
by assessing the benefited lands. At
present the prairie lands in Brown
county have been assessed as high
as 500 an acre, and that should
these dams be built an assessment
of S. an acre would be sufficient.
Senator Works said he had been
interested in this Improvement for
many years, but probably more in
terested in the benefits Mahkato
would derive.
Louis Betz of the st Paul Com
mercial club was present and he
stated that navigation of this river
would be feasible and practical es-
pecially on "slow freight" such as
lime, cement, ETC. He also said that
there would be meeting of the
may or of ST. Paul and Minneapolis
in the formers office to make plans
for taking over the big dam at Fort
Smelling from the government and
form corporation OF the two NUM-
cipalities and to reimburse he gov
eminent for extra expenditure paid
out by the government. They are
to set aside 1000 horsepower TOT
the lighting of Fort Smelling
orrbo 'Of tho Minnesota