New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1917-02-21
0RT0NYILLE URGES
SUPPORT. OF BILLS
COMMERCIAL CLUB ASKS MORE
ACTIVITY REGARDING FLOOD
CONTROL
BELIEVES MEASURES BEFORE
THREE LEGISLATURES ARE
PROPER

There is evidently more activity on the
part OF the people in other sections with
reference to the flood control of the
Minnesota than in this part of the Valley.
At Ortonville the Commercial Club has
taken the matter up, and in a series of
preambles has adopted a resolution urg-
ing the citizens Of Minnesota and North
and South Dakota to take immediate
action in urging the passage of the bills
which have been presented to the legis-
latures OF the states named.
The preamble and the resolution state
the asesso convincingly that they are
herewith given in full as follows:
Much Land Involved
WHEREAS, Hundreds of thousands
Of acres of land in the Red and Minnesota
River valleys are subject to overflow, the
damage frequently amounting to several
million dollars in a single season, and,
WHEREAS, The question of flood
Control by means of the construction of
lmpounding reservoirs has been approved
by the most competent engineers in the
United States, after careful investiga-
ton and actual experience of and upon
streams similar to those above mentioned,
and also from actual surveys of said
streams and the lakes tributary thereto,
and, *
WHEREAS, At Flood Control Con-
gress held at Fargo, North Dakota, in No
vember, 1916 composed of prominent
men Of North and South Dakota and
Minnesota a permanent organization
was affected, having for it's object to
procure the passage of the necessary
legislation by Congress and the three
Estates to enable said states to cooperate
f in the construction of such works as
might be necessary to control and i'm
pound the flood waters, and also to
bring about the passage of uniform laws
OF the three states to provide the neces-
sary legal machinery for cooperation
and to- procure the funds therefor, and,
WHEREAS, AS a result of said or
ganization, necessary legislation has been
procured, to be passed by Congress, and
thru said organization and the All MINI.
Dew. ASS. concurrent resolutions were
secured to be passed in the three states,
providing for the appointment of COM
mission from each of said states to confer
and agree upon any possible plan for CO.
operation and the passage of uniform
laws for the purposes above stated, and,
WHEREAS, At meeting of the
Commissions of said states, duly held at
St. Paul, Mimi, on Feb. and 10, 1917,
uniform bills were agreed upon by the
Commissions of each of said states, the
the plan adopted briefly stated being as
follows: The enactment of laws in each
of the states providing for cooperation
and for the organization Of Flood Con-
troll and Drainage Districts, under laws
similar to those in force in Illinois, Ohio,
Colorado and Kansas, except; that under
the law agreed upon the District will be
fixed and bounded according to the
natural watershed and river basin, the
District to be formed on petition to the
District Court and on proper hearing.
after due notice, and only such lands as 4
will actually be benefited are to be as
sessed, and all the benefits which will be
derived from such improvement, such
as waterpowers, navigation and fisheries
will 60 to those paying the assessments
for benefits and be under the supervision
of the District Courts and subject to
inspection and regulation by the Public
Examiners of the respective states
these laws are to broadly cover the |
general outline of the machinery neces-
sary to prevent these destructive floods
in the most scientific and perfect manner,
at the least possible expense, the minor
details to be worked out in the organiza-
ton of the District or Districts and by
experienced engineers, and,
WHEREAS, The decision arrived
at by the organizations and commissions
above referred to has been reached after
many years of study and experience, and
by general discussion at numerous meet
ings, as the best and most practical
method of relieving the destructive floods
in said valleys which affect directly at
least 100000 people and approximately
two million acres Of land, the damage to
which in one season Of excessive floods is
estimated will pay the entire expense Of
the necessary improvements to prevent
such destruction, be it
The Resolution.
RESOLVED, BY the Commercial