The Sentinel=record., 1912-04-11
DRAINAGE
 CONGRESS
PLANS THE RECLAMATION OF 7o,ooo,ooo OF OVERFLOW LANDS
 IN SOUTHERN STATES.
Delegates to Meeting at New Orleans Delayed by Flood Conditions Federal Aid Should Be
 Along General Lines.

New Orleans, La, April 10--The re clamation of 7O,0O0,000 of reclaimable overflow lands in the United States and an appeal to the government fol assistance was the subject of the sec ond annual convention of the Nation al Drainage congress, which began g four days session here today. Trains delayed from 10 to 15 hours by the floods prevented many delegates be ing present to hear the opening ad dress today of Edmund T. Perkins of Chicago, the acting president, a fea ture frequently referred to by the speakers as an object lesson now at hand
 ahe addresses of welcome by w. Edward Wisner, chairman of the New fOrleans board of control, Mayor Mar tin Behrmann and Governor Jared Y Sanders, through Attorney General elect R. G. Pleasants were responded to by Acting President Perkins in be. half of the delegates from 30 or moro states gathered in the winter garden About 400 delegates registered at the congress headquarters today.
 Mir. Perkins said:
 An attempt to mix the national government up with the work of draining land under private ownership with the idea of putting a charge on the land for it's reclamation would, in my judgment. create complications which would defeat our entire endea. vor
 "rRea whole machinery, with refer IAce to the issue of bonds, collection and payment of interest and princi. pal thereof" he said, should be state legislation resting upon the power of taxation of the state or the power of assessment for local improvement. As the national government has no pow. CTS in the state as sovereign, I be lieve an effort to get the national government to make appropriations di- rectly to reclaim specific lands, either with or without proviso that the money is to be repaid, would not sue ceed. The government, however, should do everything it can under the public health and commerce clauses of the constitution to protect the pub lie health and foster the reclamation of our navigable canals. so making q great drainage system which would at the same time preserve public health from malaria and other swamp diseases and provide a system of nav igation which would be of great ben eft to the country"
 A message was read by the acting secretary from President Taft eX- pressing regret because of inability to attend and the hope that much good would result from the work the congress had undertaken:
 Governor Sanders pointed out that the meeting of the congress here was particularly timely as it was coinci dent with tremendous spring flood when the greatest artery of the great est drainage system in the world is being taxed even beyond it's capacity to carry off the waters of it's tribu taries throughout Mississippi Ohio and Missouri valleys"
 "The National Drainage Congress- was the subject of Acting President Perkins address to hte congress, ir which he made comprehensive re view of the situation, incorporating recommendation for the conservation program undertaken by the congress
 Mayor Behrmann welcomed the dei egates to the city of New Orleans il q brief address.
 E. J. Watson. vice president, com missioner of agriculture and com merce and industries of South Caro lima, presided over the afternoon ses sion.
 "The Romance of Reclamation wa! the subject of the address by W. l. Park, vice president of the Illinois Central railroad, who included the re lations of the railroads to the worl of drainage and reclamation
 The work of retaining swami lands in Georgia was spoken of b, Alexander R. Lawton, Savannah, Ga. vice president of the Central of Geor gia railroad. When Oglethorp' brought his colonists to Yamacrav Bluff they began their struggle wit