Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1917-01-04
BURNQUIST'S
ADDRESS TO
LEGISL AZURE

memb,rs to devote this session to the
analyais of the present civil admin
jstratioh md to the simplflcation OF
existing avs. He directed their at
tcntion to hose propositions which
are considered to be of the greatest
Importance at the present time rather
than to the enactment Of multitude
nous new laws, ~.
Governor Bufnauis;s message fol-
lows: %.
Gentlemen Of the Senate and House Of
Representatives.
Knowing most OF you as well al / do.
ny reason Of our past association, 1t IL
with especial pleasure that | greet the
members OF the PDrtieth Legislature
When serving In this body. learned
to appreciate the freedom with which
we. AS Legislators, consulted one anoth-
err upon matters of legislation and !
trust that. during the session which
In now opening. we may at all times
feel Mt liberty to confer with each other
upon the business that We are here TO
transact. Believing that SUCH business
can be transacted most probably by
dcvotlng this session to the analysis
OF our present civil administration. TO
the simplGeation of cur existing laws
and to tho centrnlIzins OF the efforts
OF the Legislature upon those measures
which you think most important, / de-
sire. through this inaugural message,
not To advocate the enactment OF null
titudtnous new statutes, but TO submit
for your consideration only such prop
nsittonE IN arc deemed to be OF the
Rreateat Importance at the present
time.
Typographical survey.
In 1903 the Legislature enacted law
through which IL was intended to make
possible IA Typographical survey Of the
several watersheds of the state for the
purpose Of securing data from which
competent plans for Il uniform system
Of drainage might be prepared" but
succeeding Legislatures have not APP
propriated sufficient money to carry
ont tho provisions OF this act. Only
about per cent OF the state has been
covered, Our neighhoring states are,
In this matter, far ahead OF us, North
Dakota has covered IA per cent Of her
territory: Iowa. I'll per cent; Wiscon-
ain, I'll per cent and South Dakota %
per cent. II this work Ia to he done
appropriations OF sufficient amount to
do II will be necessary. IL the state
does its share IL will he possible to Sc
cure the cooperation of the federal
government through appropriations
that have been provided by II for this
particular purpose
state Drainage.
Such n 81 vey liz necessary because
NJ our unsatisfactory drainage aitua-
tioH We have appropriated enormous
amounts OF money for the construction
OF drainage bitches, many of which
have failed absolutely In the purpose
fer which they were intended. Through
the methods we have heretofore. pur-
sued, some lands have been benefited.
bat the lands below those drained have.
through such drainage, been flooded.
We have, today on our hands an ac-
tion instituted by the state of North
Dakota, and one by the state of South
Dakota. In which each of said states
claims alleged damages to Its physical
properties, by reason OF the acts OF
Minnesota In tho handling of drainage
projects, In n sum exceeding VI ,oon, GOO
and aska for the issuance OF a perma-
nent Injunction against our state to
prevent further damages and to re~
store the water course Involved to It's
natural condition In addition to the
other relief that Ia prayed for In their
bills of complaint
County and judicial bitches.
Much harm has also been done In
the construction of county and judicial
bitches In that the outlets have often
proved Inadequate to take care of the
water drained into them, 1t In esti-
mated that 10 date there has been ex-
pended for county and judicial drains
In this state tho sum Of sao.0oo0oo, In
thirteen southern counties there are
now under constr tion sixty bitches
1T u cost OF more than $e,k00.0no, With
In the next ten years II Is believed that
Mt least ti0,00o,o00 more win be spent
In these same counties. Such expendt-
ture In tho locality referred to In but
illustrative OF what In being expended
for like purpose In other portions OF
the state. In connection with the ex-
Nuki w nal Al iYa m
nge work In being done there In con-
siderable cause for criticism and AZ n
result thereof we hear many COM
paatHts against our present methods OF
patitioning for the establishment OF
bitches. Of anpraiaing the benefits and
costs, and OF releasing the bondamen
before the expiration of Sufficient time
for the proper testing OF the drains
Need Of Central Authority.
Our state drainage commission, "a
now constituted, does not have SUM
cient authority and is composed Of state
4 officials. who are no busy with matters
pertaining To their own otfices, that 1t
Ia impossible for them To give to these
matters which require expert knnwl~
edge the time that they demand, When
the vast expenditure OF money needed
for drainage purposes and the made"
uuaey OF our present system are taken
into consideration. 1t would appear ad-
yiaabie To abolish the said commission
and substitute therefor some aualitted
state authority to pass upon the con-
etructian OF all drainage bitches and
whose duty IL would be to make 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 oil
It's time TO the duties of the office, saith
ertng sufficient data and Information
TO enable II to pass intelligently upon
the advisability of instituting drainage
proceedings and to have submitted tt
IL for ITS approval. the plans for either
local or state projects before the con-
struotlen thereof In commenced.
soil survey.
Only six counties and part of anothe,
have been given n soil survey In this
Htate. The federal government ha'
been doing all OF the work Of this ma
ture that has been done In Mnnesets
up TO this date. III the two govern
ments co-operated In making the SUR
vey much more coud be accomplished
We need TO determine for what crop
Minnesota's soil can best be used. Re
fore we 60 to the expense of dratnin,
hundreds Of thousands OF acres OF stat
property we should know whether tn
paet lands constituting "A large portio
thereof are adapted to agriculture u
20 other useful purpose and thereh
SEQ to it that no money shall he eS
.&nNAaA far ths drafnarA nf Sa{a In 80