The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1911-07-21
ENDORSING THE DRAINAGE BILL.

There is pending in the Georgia leg
islature bill providing for a state
wide system Of drainage in which the
people Of Brunswick and the entire
coast section are deeply interested.
As is generally the case with matters
Of general legislation, there is some
opposition to the measure and its
friends would be very glad to have
the commercial bodies of the state
generally give endorsement to it. The
News would be very glad to see the
Brunswick board OF trade and like or
CARNATIONS in the city, pass the nee
essary resolutions with reference tC
this proposed law and send them tC
our representatives in both branches
of the legislature.
The Savannah chamber of commerce
has endorsed the bill in unqualified
fashion and the following from the
Savannah News Of yesterday on the
subject is of interest:
The chamber of commerce has
given its unqualified Endorsement
to the drainage bill now pending
in the legislature This was to be
expected, since the chamber is
profoundly interested not only IN
bringing under cultivation the new
land of this county, but also of
other counties that are part of the
territory tributary to this city. Not
only is it interested in promoting
the cultivation OF these wet lands,
but it is also concerned about the
health conditions in the rural sec
tons of this and the other coun-
ties. 1t is conceded that with bet
ter drainage there will come bet
ter health.
The bill has been printed and
placed before the members of the
legislature, and the report is that
it has been received with much
favor by members from every
part of the state. The reason it
has is apparent. There are milk
ions of acres of rich swamp and
overflowed lands in Georgia that
can be drained at comparatively
small expense. When drained they
will be eagerly sought because
they are fertile and will yield
much larger crops than most<of
the lands now under cultivation.
In this county there are thou
sands of acres of as good Stand as
there is in the world, unoceupied
and yielding nothing. The same
is true in respect to practically all
of the coast counties. This bill
which the Legislature is asked to
pass will open the way for bring
ing these lands under cultivation.
The cost of their drainage will not
be great, in most instances not
more than a dollar or two an
acre. There is very little demand
for them now, but if drained there
would at once be market for
them at very profitable prices.
Chatham and other counties. in
stead of being in great part a
Wilderness, would be dotted all
over with valuable farms.
We assume that there will be
some opposition to the bill, mainly
by those who hold large tracts and
plan to wait until the improve
ment of the surrounding lands
makes their lands valuable. The
legislature shouldn't be influenced
by this class of land owners.
They are simply spectators. and
are not willing to bear their share
of the cost of building up the
country.
There are members of the leg.
islature who understand this
drainage bill thoroughly and what
it means to this part of the state
And it is their purpose to see to it
that the legislature understands it
and the benefit it would be to the
work of developing the states
AGRICULTURAL resources that is now
being done. There is every rea-
son for thinking therefore that il
will meet with every little oppo.
sition in either branch of the leg,
iSlature.
MEANS LlADR n>AI