New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1917-01-17

4 lnnWled esof conditions and Of what can
lbe done by the reservoir system.
Prof. John L. Stewart, who is in charge
Of the drainage department Of the state
agricultural college, had prepared map
OF the territory covered in the proposed
/ drainage plans, and gave the delegates
some valuable information on the pro
4 posed scheme. He declared that the
reservoir plan is perfectly feasible, and
the least expensive5of any yet devised
Studies Drainage Laws. n #
Attorney F. -. Cliff Of Ortonville,,
chairman Of the legislative committee
OF the Association, discussed the legal
aspect Of the proposed municipal owned
waterpoWer for the control Of the floods.
Mr.. Cliff said that when the Tri-
State Association was organized and he
had been appointed chairman of the
legislative committee, he began looking
around to find some precedent on which
to work, and had obtained copies of the
drainage laws from other states. He
found that floods were being controlled
in Ohio and that the Chicago drainage
and ship canal had been constructed
under the plan that has been outlined
for the Minnesota and Red River project.
Mr.. Cliff, discussing the Minnesota
drainage laws, said they were made
quate, IN that they simply consisted Of a
permit for one man to construct ditch
by which to drain the watero his own on
to another mans land, withoutprovidin
any way to protect the man below him.
He declared that the law should be
changed so that the farmer whose land
| needed draining would be able to do so
without injury, to his neighbor. MI.
| Cliff gave it as his opinion that with
such an. organization as had been out
lined, which he proposed should be
under laws to be passed by the
| North and South Dakota and Minnesota
Legislatures that the cost to the land to
be benefited would not be more than 81
an acre Mr.. Cliff moved that a com
mittee Of seven be appointed to draft
bills to be presented to the three legis-
latures.
| New Ulm Donates To Cause
J. P Hardy Of Fargo, secretary of the
organization, said that while the officers
OF the association were working without
pay, even to paying their own expenses,
money was needed for printing bills,
stationery and postage. He explained
that the city Of New Uln. was: the first TO
donate 500 to the. cause.
T. A. Hoverstad related his experience;
on the state experimental farra in the;
Red river valley. and told Of what the
farmer is up against, in that district.
He said that in, the several years that
he was in. the, valley there were more
years of short crops than Of losag. He:
Strongly indorsed the reservoir plan
and also suggested supplementing it.
with a tile. system which he worked out,
to absorb the, water and help, the river
to carry away the water that Wsii con-
tinue to flow into, it from tha many
bitches along the two Valleys. Mr.,
! Hoverstad, who is now a Minneapolis
man., represented the Minneapolis Civic
and Commerce Association at the con-
| ference &
Attorney John A.. DalkzeIl
! Attorney John A. Dalzell of: Morton,
said he hoped the efforts of: the associa-
ton would succeed because he believed;
! they were right, He lauded' the efforts;
made by Senator c.. A.. johnson while
both were in the legislature, IN behalf Of.
the Minnesota River. Improvement
League, and; told how Mr.: Johnsonspent
his money and time in; his efforts to
benefit his neighbors5 all, up and down,
the Minnesota river:
J. H. Diers Of: Blakeley; who has been,
interested for many years. i'm the efforts
OF 50 many people to, find relief. from the
floods, related at length a. history OF the.
old Improvement league He believed
the Minnesota river could be made,
navigable, and cited what had been done.
on the rivers in Germany where depth;
of water was even less than. in the Mime,
sofa. He backed UP his, statements
with statistics that were entirely un-,
disputable
At the close Of the: meeting President
Kaercher appointed the following eom-
mittee to prepare bills to be presented
in the three legislatures to permit organ
ization Of corporations to build reservoirs
in accordance with the motion made by
Mr.. Cliff: Mayor L, A. Fritsche, New
Ulm, Mayor H. r. Emory, Fargo;
/ Eli Warner ST Paul. ChaS "A johnson