The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1916-09-09
FEDERAL
ACTION
UNLIKELY
Government Isn't Interest
ed in Disputes as Be
tween Two Sections
M'CRORY STATES POSITION
Conducts Inquiry Today
With Respect to Drain
age Situation

Flood questions of this sort con-
tain many fine legal points which have
to be decided by the courts, and
know Of no case in which the govern
ment has entered into a controversy
over drainage damages between varl-
Gus sections of the country" said H. s.
McCrory, chief of the office of drain
age investigation, Of the bureau OF
roads and rural engineering Of the de-
partment of agriculture, when asked
the policy Of the government in cases
where drainage projects of one sec
ton operated to the detriment Of an
other section.
Mr.. McCrory was noncommital on
the subject, stating that the question
was purely legal and he indicated that
never prevented the reclamation of
land, although in such development
other sections were injured.
Not a Federal Problem.
From this, it is inferred that the
government could not become a party
to litigation, should it be found that
the floods in the Red river valley are
caused by drainage projects, but that
the government may be induced if the
necessity existed, to assist in surveys
and in construction costs of such pro-
jects as could be devised to give relief
to the damaged section. Damages, if
any existed, would have to be proven
in court and collected from the sec
ton responsible for the conditions
causing the injury.
Every angle of the situation WIN be
considered by Mr.. McCrory who re-
ceived local property damages result
ing from recent foods and who was
taken for a trip through the Daven-
port district and other parts of the
valley this forenoon.
At the meeting yesterday afternoon
Mr.. McCrory's prime object seemed to
be to secure maps and other data that
would have any bearing upon the sub
ject.
Studies Statistics.
Mr.. McCrory interrogated a number
of those present at the meeting with
| regard to RAINFALL drainage projects
| and the nature of the rises in the
stream, and also asked the opinion OF
County Surveyor Samuel Crabbe, City
Engineer F. L. Anders and Prof
| Herbert S. Hard, as to the possibilities
of creating storage reservoirs along
| the stream to care for the surplus
| water in flood season, and of the posi-
bilities Of creating levees and pumping
| surplus water in flood times.
Professor Hard stated that there
were number of streams tributory tC
| the Red that could easily be converted
| into storage basins, but all engineers
present thought it impossible to handle
the situation with levees and pumps.
Would Divert Water.
The matter of diverting the drain
age from Lake Traverse south instead
of north was also brought up.
The drainage propositions in Cass
county were studied and the drainage
of all other counties along the valley
will also be taken up, the engineers
and Secretary Hardy making arrange
ments to secure maps Of these for the
government engineer.
Canada to Take Hand.
Professor Hard was of the opinion
that the question was now an inter
state one, and would become interna-
tional when the upper reaches of the
Red began dumping large amounts OF
water into Canada as the result OF
drainage projects.
While Mr.. McCrory did not express
himself on the subject, the other
engineers present were Of the opinion
that the drainage projects on both
sides Of the stream were responsible
for the floods, and that they would be-
come worse as more projects were put
into operation.