The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-06-25
GIGANTIC DRAINAGE
OPERATIONS PLANNED
Will Reclaim
Healthful Con
and %Straighten-
M~ecklenburg and Robson Counties
Thousands of Acres and Improve
ditions by Deepening, Widening
ing Streams. EaE42l~

CT uellHeSS anu lIJulS ~ al -
| the doing of this it finds that the
value of land which is saved Will
probably more than equal the entre
cost of the work. 1t thus literally
creates values as we'll as better health
conditions, practically without cost.
M~ecklenburg's campaign of years &
for road building was n more i'm
pOrtant than it's present tor
drainage Of this kind, and 1t Will
doubtless become as widely known
as a leader in his splendid work as
it did for good Dads.
Methods Are Interesting.
The legal steps taken in the or
ganization Of the Mecklenburg Drain
age Commission and the construction
n ethods in prosecuting the work are
interesting as a type which may be
considered by other communities haV-
ing similar problems. The work was
originally authorized by the genera
assembly Of the State in an act pro-
viding for a commission of five men
to be known as the M~ecklenburg
Drainage Commission, in which the
powers and duties of the commission
were stated in detail. Amang these
powers was that of assessing the bene-
fit on the lands and collecting such
assessments from the owners Of lands
benefited. This act also established
Mecklenburg county as a drainage
district. 1t provided that an amount
annually not exceeding five dollars per
acre should be collected until the
whole assessment is paid; or, II the
total cost of the work is less than an
average of five dollars per acre, the
commission is authorized to divide
the assessment into annua INSTALL
ments, in the direction of the commits
sion.
Assessments Classified.
"The provisions Of the act with re-
spect to the methor by which the as
sessmentS on the land benefited
should be made are Of particular in
~terest? The lands to be assessed are
separated into five classes. The hold
ing of any one landowner need not
be all IN one class. The number Of
: acres in each class shall be ascer1
: tanned, though the boundary need lot
. be marked on the ground nor should
: any map. The total number of acres
! owned by one person in each class,
: and the total number of acres bene-
fitted, are to be determined.
= The total number of acres Of each
class in the entire creek districts is
to be estimated as nearly as practical
7 BILE and presented in tabulated form.
The scale Of the assessment upon the
several classes Of land returned by
the commissioner found by them is to
e be in the ratio of 5, 4, 3, 2, and /:
. that is to say, as often as five mills
: per acre is assessed against the high
u est class, 4 mills per acre is to be
: assessed against the next class, 8 mills
per acre against the next, 2 mills
against the next. and l mill per acre
e in the lowest class.
> This forms the basis of assessment
of benefits to the lands? After due
;. notice Of these assessments a day i
!, to be appointed on which the boart
- OF commissioners Will meet to here
the complaints Of landowners regard
N ing the assessments made. The com
mission will sit as a body to near am
- determine all complaints that ma.
~ be filed with them. The right of APP
~ peal to the Superior court of Neck
= lenburg county, as now provided il
appeals of civil action. is specified il
:, the act. The assessment roll will b
Ia made up by the commission after as
= sessments have been finally de
termined, n the collector will b
made by the county tax collector a
a in other taxes"
IN Nominal Salaries.
Is, The commission consists Of II
m James r. Alexander, chairman: X
5. Pharr, secretary; John Mcdowell
st James S. Squires, all Of Charlotte
and John ". Cross, of HunterSvill,
d The superintendent appointed to carr
out this construction work is job
IN b. Clanton, Of Charlotte. The men
on bers Of the commission receive
nominal salary, and are authorized I
n employ the necessary engineers an
no other working force: also to purchas
ny dredses and machinery necessary
ne carry out the work efficiently an
ese economically.
-pt The city Of Charlotte has no offici
IA connection with the drainage work
,ue being handled entirely by the drain
s commission as a separate bod
* and its work extends over the who
pie county. There are yet seven lar:
IL creeks With their tributaries to
GredSed. This work is being CARR,
lds on as rapidly as possible, and 9th
out boats have been built to facilitate Il
res work.
in The width Of the canals which >
ely being dredged averages from TWEEN
to twenty-five feet. with a deDth
has eleven to eight feet. The cost =
IN mile depends upon the amount
Its stone encountered but is estimated
EN- s1,ooo to $1,000 per mile. 1t is 6
ing tim9fnd that arnrny;ro,+11