Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-01-03

bitches, or appraising the benefits and
costs. and of releasing the bondsmen
before the expiration Of sufficient time
for the proper testing of the drains.
Need of Central Authority.
Our state drainage commission. as
now constituted. does not have sufh-
cient authority and Is composed of state
officials, who are so busy with matters
pertaining to their own offices, that 1t
Is impossible for them to give to these
matters. which require expert knowl-
edge, the time that they demand. When
the vast expenditure OF money needed
for drainage purposes and the made
quacy Of our present system are taken
into consideration, 1t would appear ad-
visable to abolish the said commission
and substitute therefor some qualified
state authority to pass upon the con-
struction of all drainage bitches and
whose duty it would be to make a sys-
tematic and statewide study Of the
situation and thereby lay the founda-
ton for the proper cooperation Of the
different portions Of the state. This
central authority should devote all OF
its time to the duties of the office, gath.
ering sufficient data and Information
to enable it to pass intelligently upon
the advisability of instituting drainage
proceedings and to have submitted tt
it for it's approval. the plans for either
local or state projects before the con.
struction thereof Is commenced.
Soil Survey.
Only six counties and part Of another
have been given q soil survey in this
state. The federal government has
been doing all of the work of this ma.
ture that has been done in Minnesots
up to this date. If the two govern.
ments co-operated in making the sur.
vey much more coud be accomplished
We need to determine for what crop.
MirroSnta'0 soil "a
fore we go to the expense of draining
hundreds Of thousands of acres of statl
property we should know whether thu
peet lands constituting a large portion
thereof are adapted to agriculture OF
to other useful purpose and thereb,
pended for the drainage of said land,
unless such drainage should be fount
profitable.
forestry.
We also need to know what land,
should be set aside for forestry pur.
poses under tho constitutional amend
ment, adopted In 1914.
At the present time the scarcity OF
paper and the great demand for pulp.
wood an example Of the unlimited
possibilities in connection with the for.
estry activities Of the state. 1t i.
that if the land In Minnesota, that il
properly adapted to forestry, was Con
verified into normal state forest, said
land would be Z capital worth at least
100000, 900 yielding an annual net
revenue of 100000. Before the COM
mencement of such work 1t is apparent
that the first step should be a soil sur.
vey and classification of the states
public land.
Public Domain Commission.
We have, today, no adequate inven.
tory of our resources and no depart.
ment authorized to do what ought te
be done to conserve and develop them
With 3O,OO0,0O0 acres of land of thi.
state remaining undeveloped, with its
enormous iron deposits, with the un'
limited water powers within its Dor.
ders, with little or no information a.
to it's topography, as to what particu'
lar sections of the state ought to be
developed, as to what kinds of soil arr
| to be found in the different communi.