The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-11-12
KOHL WOULD CHANGE
DRAINAGE LAWS !
Former Receiver Of Cass Lake Land
Office Offers Suggestions Relative
To Construction of Ditohes
TIMER DRAINS ARE M0CKERY'
Believes That They Al Now Built
Fail To Accomplish Required
Results Can Prove Folly


Results Can Prove Folly
In communication received from
M. N. Kohl, of Cass Lake. formerly
receiver of the land office at that
place, and prominent member Of the
Northern Minnesota Development as
ISOLATION, in speaking Of swamp land
drainage says; -.
about the State swamp lands and
the clearing of them before offer
ing for sale I have an idea that 1
want to, present for discussion In
view Of the coming meeting of the
Northern Minnesota Development As
ISOLATION at Bemidji. 49,.
"The laws now provide that no
petition setting forth that it will he
of public benefit or promote public
health" County Commissioners may
construct bitches or drains. Under
the State Drainage law the State
Drainage Commission has power to
construct bitches" and repair or
extend them-as many" as are neces-
sary to drain said lands in q fit man
ner for farming" A.
Theoretically, the bitches drain
the lands by simply making the
bitches. Practically every one con-
versant with conditions in the tim
bered swamp land area OF the state
knows that it takes more than mere,
ly the making of the bitches to drain
the lands properly or anywhere near
properly so long as trees stumps,
moss and other distractions remain.
The water Is prevented In an ex-
tremely large measure from getting
into the bitches that are made IN
great numbers already by the trees
and roots, etc. ~
"Proper investigation will show
that thousand Of dollars have been
expended In making bitches in the
timbered sections where only a very
small percentage of the results, ap-
parently sought by the ditch laws
has been obtained. Remember l am
speaking of the bitches in the tim
bered area. I can take any UMPIRE
JUDGED observer out to a. state ditch
and show him In less than an hour
that the drainage is nnockery where
only the ditch is dug in the timber
and that where the timber and
stumps have been removed It, is the
real article Of drainage for the lands
of that kind.
IF I am right in my contention
and I feel that I can prove it, why
is it not very proper to amend the ex-
listing drainage laws SO they will do
the work they are intended for not
only in the open country, but also
in the timbered sections by providing
for the distractions of whatever ma
ture to the complete drainage
of the lands the legislature had In
mind when the laws were made. Do
you get the idea? Recome the trees
and stumps also when you dig the
bitches and drain properly. That's
all there is to it and presto! you have
cleared state land to sell and where
is the constitution that allows you
to drain by digging diches that will
not allow you If you want to clear
obstruction to making a good job Of
it. The only constitutional objec-
ton that comes to my mind is the
possibility of the powers that be not
wishing to see Northern Minnesota
to have the legislation. If my theory
is right it seems to me the thing must
work out and am basing my theory
on personal observation of the WY
the bitches drain now without the
removal of the trees and stumps and
as to how they do drain IN the places
where they have been removed.
ut seems to me that existing laws
can be easily amended 80 that not
only can state lands be 80 cleared at
public expense and charged back to
the land, same as now the cost OF
ditching is charged, but that it can
also be extended to such lands as
are owned by private individuals
The system of spreading the cost as
in ditching over a period OF ten u
twenty years in the taxes with a low
rate of interest would insure very
low rate of interest for the owners
of private lands and plenty of time
with land in such condition that they
could readily meet payments. The
same would be true for those who
purchased the lands from the state
as now! Simply add the cost to the
price of the lands same az now ditch
costs are. II the theory is wrong
what's wrong with it? will BIZ
pleased to hear from any Of those
interested with suggestions for
propose to bring the matter up FOL
discussion at the Bemidji meeting Of
the Northern Minnesota DEVELOPMENT