The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1916-10-17

Continued From Page One.
river and harbor act approved July
81, 1915.
! Traverse and Big Stone lakes, on
the boundary between Minnesota. and
South Dakota, with a, view to- flood
control and to connecting and extend
ing navigation on and between said
lakes.
Red Lake, Mimi, and Red Lake
river from it's outlet at Red Lake to
its junction with the Red River OF the
North at Grand Forks, N. D., with
view to devising plans for regulat-
ing works whereby the level of said
lake and the flow Of said stream may
be controlled in the interest of naviga-
tion, and in making such examination
and survey and proposition by local
interests for participation in the ex-
pense of said project shall be taken
into consideration
While the above, cited provisions
of law do not specifically relate to the
locality referred to in your letter, it
may be stated that these are the only
investigations in this vicinity ordered
by congress in the last river and
harbor act looking toward flood pre-
vention or flood protection. The dis
trict officer has informed this depart
ment that his reports on preliminary
examinations will probably be sub
mitted Dec. 1, 1915.
"An investigation, as is probably
desired by you, of the entire Red River
of the North system, with a view to
preventing floods, cannot be under
taken at this time, as the river and
harbor act specifically provides: That
no preliminary examination, survey
project or estimate for new works
other than those designated in this or
; some prior act or joint resolution
shall be made"
Signed William M Ingraham, act
ing secretary Of war.
Department of Agriculture.
| The war department devotes its en-
ergies to the surveys and examina
tions relative to navigation, and for
this reason the provisions are made in
the river and harbor act to get the war
! department to cover at least a por-
! tion of the ground that will be needed
in the work of preliminary survey for
the flood control proposition.
| Another letter from the department
| of agriculture reads:
Il am in receipt of your letter Of
! October 2 in behalf of the land owners
in the Red river valley, North Dakota
| relative to drainage conditions in that
section.
The conditions which you mention
have been called to our attention quite
recently, and S. H. McCrory, chief
of drainage Investigations Of the Of
fee Of public roads and rural engineer
! ing, has been In touch with some of
the people who are interested in the
project. AS the lands affected cover
such a. large area, If their reclamation
is to be accomplished economically, it
seems advisable to work out the pro-
ject as a whole. With this object in
view, at the suggestion of Mr., Me-
Crory, the Commercial club Of Fargo
is endeavoring to secure the co-opera
ton of all interests in this project.
When an agreement is reached It
will be communicated to the proper
officials Of the department and / as
sure you their request will receive
very careful consideration"
Signed c. =. Marvin, Acting Secretary.
! Both of these letters show the neces-
! sity of the people of the three states
interested, getting together and work
| ing as a body for the relief desired
and 1t is hoped to bring this about by
the convention which will be held
/ here on October 80.