Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1912-08-15

OF persons TO state just what is
the next step to take in the or
ganization of this district.
A. you all know the first step
has been passed upon by the
court which was. in effect. that
more than one half the land own
crs in the proposed district own
ing more than one-third Of the
lard desired drainage, or that
one-third Of the owners VINO own
ed more than one-half Of the
land so desired drainage. The
petition showed that and the court
consequently granted the petition
and referred the matter to the
commissioners. Then, the next
step is fer the commissioners to
90 upon the grounds and deter
mine the beginning and end oil
the ditch, the location and size of
same. and whether it is possible
To drain the land or not. Then.
OF course, the cost OF the project:
then what land will be damaged
and amount of damages to same,
II any, then, also the benefits 10
be derived TO the lands and
whether the aggregate amount OF
benefits will equal or succeed the
cost. They are allowed an engi.
neer whose duty it is to make a
map and profile of the lands and
an estimate Of the size and depth
OF the ditch or bitches required
ior main outlets, and the proba.
Die cost and a profile thereof.
Inc commissioners shall also find
and report whether all the lands
IN the proposed district will be
benefited. When they shall have
done this then the Chancery Clerk
snail advertise, as before, TO
Ill persons lntere sted" for thr g
weeks, in some newspaper pul .
lished in the county, for the pun
pose of allowing all persons ir.
terested to come in and confess
the report, or ask that same b,
modified in accordance with
whatever W, proof they may have.
These objections, if anv. ar,
heard by the chancellor and. il
from the proof he shall be of Ia.
opinion that the report should be
confirmed shall confirm same or
IN the event he shall think thai
the report should be modified he
may modify same, or he NAV re
Ter same back to the commission.
ers Tor reformation OF the report
ana set new day for further
nearing. IL the chancellor shall
approve the report then he shall
decree the district organized
whereupon it then becomes the
duty OF the commissioners 10 pro
cure rights of way, record same
apporuon the costs among the
land owners and then present
their assessments to the chanceI-
Tor who hears same, if he an.
proves same, that ends in the
main the duty of the commission
ers until the contract for the
work Is let. Contract for work is
let to the lowest bidder like all
other contracts.
The law provides further that
all drainage laws shall be con-
strued literally to the effec, of
procuring drainage. No techui-
caiitles will ever be allowed to
defeat any project.
1t should be fully understood
by every man interested that the
part played by the commissioners
Is a very small one; every rating
they may make, every act OF
theirs must be approved by the
chancelior, nothing they do is
maj but everything rests solely
with the court, the chancery court
at that. The commissioners din
lies are prescribed by law: they
mus. come up to these duties in
every respect, the court force.
them to do that; there is no es.
cape from it. Every step in the
entire procedure gives every per.
son interested the right to be-
heard, topresent evidence of any
matter to which he objects, tn,
entire situation is gone over ster
oy step, IN other words ever,
man has Ibis day in court" unoy
each and every step of the pro.
cedure. II follows that the ma
Jorlty must rule: the minority If
this as IN all matters of govern
ment, must yield to the majority
ana the entire and sole rule of i
all IS; that if the benefits ar,
as great or greater than the cost
then the law is that the distrier
must be organized. OF course
IL 1t shall be shown that there !,
no necessity for drainage or tina
the cost OF same is greater thar
the benefits to be derived, tbs
project must and ought to fail
My notion is that every mar
should begin to figure how mucF
ne mas lost In say the past ter
or twenty years because he had
no drainage. See how much per
acre he has lost, then figure
whether he can afford the issu
ance OF these 20 year bonds o,
not. Remember, it allows u
years to pay for this project.
l trust every person interested
VIII give this great project fail
ana impartial consideration. II
mas proven, as | have said in
these columns before, more than