The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-12-02
DEVELOPERS TO
HOLD MEETING TO
DISCUSS WASTE
LANDS IN STATE
Representative Warner to Call Meet
ing to Be Held at Brainerd in
January.
DRAINAGE IN NORTHERN
MINNESOTA ALL WRONG
All Minnesota Development Urge the
Appointment of Committee
to Act.

to Act.
Plans are being made to hold a
meeting at Brainerd of delegates from
all political and business organiza-
tions in Beltrami, Aitkin, Crow
Wing, Cass and Itasca counties to
discuss the waste lands in Minnesota.
Drainage plans will be discussed and
resolutions to be presented to the
state legislature will be passed. The
meeting will be held during the early
part of January. It will be called
by Representative G. H. Warner OF
Aitkin who is a candidate for speaker
of the house of representatives.
The All-Minnesota Development as
sociatiOn has taken up the reclama-
tiOn of waste lands in Minnesota. A
committee of which A. l.. CrOcker of
Minneapolis is chairman, has inves-
tigated the waste land situation in
Minnesota and has sent out a cir
cular letter which in part follows:
minnesota is, in rut. She needs
some constructive yision-James J.
Hill was called dreamer, County
Bismarck was called the man of to-
morrow. Both had vast practical
executive ability. Both had con-
structive vision. They planned
things, then worked out their plans.
In natural resources Minnesota
equals New York and New England,
tically equals New York and Penn
%ho +o+o ic
used. Dean A. F. Woods says there
is not an acre but what has a profit
able use. He says the annual prod
ucts of our farms and live stock
amounts to $550,000,00O and that
if the reclamation now being con-
sidered is carried out it will double
+ that figure, and if other improve
ments that naturally accompany such
reclamation follows, another third
will be gained. Note, $55O,OOO,OOO
100, 1000 - $50, 900
900 possible. What would that
mean to every forward looking busi-
ness man of this state? ** These
facts should be known by every Cit
izen of the state-not by the legis-
lature alone. Many business mem
say it is the biggest thing before
Minnesota today.
"Governor Eberhart, three years
ago, made a start on this work, ask
ing Mr.. Crocker to study it. He did
so and among several states engaged
in conversation, found New York far
in the lead. He asked for the master
mind in their work and was told that
it was Mortimer G. Barnes. In one
part alone Mr.. Barnes had charge in
spending $150,O00,000. He is a
Wisconsin farm boy and today owns
a 3,0OO-acre farm in northeastern
Nebraska For IA years he was in
the United States river and harbor
work all over the United States. He
reclaimed great swamps in Missouri
and is now consulting engineer for
the state of Massachusetts in dock
work in Boston harbOr and is in
similar work in many other places.
AS a prominent consulting engineer,
he was invited to Minnesota to ad-
wise Governor Eberhart and associ-
ateS The work thus begun was
dropped with the exit of the COVER
nor from office. 1t was revived last
spring when the All-MinnesOta De-
yelopment association met at the state
capitol at which time the drainage
committee was appointed. 1t was
b charged with the study of floods,
drainage and state reclamation. 1t
has sought all possible information
that might throw light on our state
problems, has consulted many experts
within and without the state. 1t has
arrived at fixed conclusion as to the
facts and remedies needed. The COM
Lol f01
population is decreasing; that many
shomesteaders are quitting; that
homeseekers are passing by to other
localities; that vast sums of money
have been thrown away in ineffective
drainage in this state. '.'
"Such high authorities as Engineer
M. D. Stoner and Judge James H.
Quinn, recently elected to the SUI
preme bench, says that much of
\ Northern Minnesota drainage is
wrong. All over the northern part
of the state are bitches, but as the
head of the Duluth Tribune says, the
settlers do not come. The
committee has come to believe that
order must be brought out of chaos
in the management of the lands, for
ests, roads, waters, fisheries, etc., and
that a strong systematized business
body should be created, with head
and experts in the different depart
ments.
'"The committee believes that in
no other way can order and effective
reclamation come to Minnesota.
II Il Consulting Engineer Barnes
says we are not broad enough; that
we face costly litigation if we delay
this organization. - The legis-
lature should act this winter
John German of Duluth is in the