The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1919-01-10

| in farm life now than heretofore un-
4 less farm life Ia made more attractive
j to them.
Department of Agriculture.
| In order that the state may devote
a greater amount of study to agricul-
tural problems, take more interest in
matters pertaining to the rural COM
munities and land settlement and pay
/ more attention to grievances of those
/ engaged in the farming occupation, a
department should be established by
| the legislature to assist in. securing
| for the farmers of Minnesota the larg-
est amount of benefits possible and
consistent with that which is just
i A department of this kind should be
composed of no less than five no1l-sal-
| aried members with salaried execu-
tive secretary. 1t should largely have
| the same relationship to the state that
the Federal Agricultural Department
| has to the nation. Instead of creating
a new department, the immigration
board should be abolished and the du-
ties of that board and the proposed
land settlement board should be as
signed to the suggested Department of
! Agriculture. If necessary it could be
| divided into bureaus as the work re-
quired.
| Good Roads.
The foundation, however, of state
| development, proper land settlement,
incentive to consolidation of rural
/ schools, advancement of community
life in the country and the delivery of
products to markets is the construc-
ton of good roads. If the roads to be
constructed are properly located, mil
lions of dollars will be saved to the
| farmers in the marketing of products.
We have here an agricultural state
and owe it to both the producers and
consumers to establish the best trans
portation facilities possible for the de-
livery of the farmers products to mar
ket. The loss entailed on motor We
hicles by the wear and tear caused by
bad roads amounts to millions of dol
lars annually. AS this would be large
! ly eliminated by the construction of
permanent highways machine owners
could well afford to have their taxes
increased for this purpose. The state
as whole, with its many lakes and
wonderful opportunities for outings,
will draw to itself tourists from all
over the country This will mean the
expenditure of millions of dollars in
Minnesota and increase by so much
] the business of all living therein. Flu
| ture generations will be benefited by
| permanent construction and ought to
pay portion of the cost thereof, The
Constitution should, therefore, at the
earliest opportunity, be so amended as
to permit the bonding of the state for
a sufficient sum with which to begin
the construction of this much needed
improvement. This course is being
| followed by the most progressive
| states. The we'll considered plan, pro-
| posed by the state highway commits.
] sioner, should receive the earnest con-
| sideration of every member of the leg
islature. Prompt action is necessary
| for the traffic is becoming too great
for the type of road now in use. Fur
Their delay will only mean poor high
ways and the waste of millions for
their maintenance.
Drainage.
Drainage is state matter in some
what the same manner as the building
of roads. In road building we have a
central authority, the highway com.
missioner. In drainage matters we
should also have centralized authori-
| ty. The legislature enacted measure
| at it's last session intended to bring
this about to greater degree than
heretofore, but no money appropria-
ton was made to carry out the provi-
sions of that measure. Such appropri-
| alton ought to be made by this body,
during the present session, and in adj
| dition there should be enacted a law
abolishing the drainage commission as
now constituted. The powers of the
present drainage commission should
be vested in a state drainage engineer.
| If, in connection with this official,
it is desired that an advisory board
be appointed, the members of said
board ought to be engineers familiar
with drainage matters and serve with
out compensation.
Drainage Veto.
| In this connection, l wish to refer
| to the drainage vetoes at the close of
last session. I was of the opinion at
that time that the veto of the drainage
appropriations would be the best meth
cd Of calling the states attention to
the fact that Minnesota has permitted
| too much draining of it's lands in GER
tain localities. 1t is we'll known
fact that the drying up of the peat
bogs through excessive drainage has
increased the fire risk in some sections
of northern Minnesota. In certain To-
J calities the destruction of forests by
fire is attributed to drainage, needless
when made. When we take into con-
| sideration the fact that 1t is estimated
| that there are in Minnesota nearly
seven billion tons of nerchantable
| peat, which is valued at $500 per ton,
the destruction of the peat itself would
cause an enormous loss to the state.
Another reason for vetoing said drain
age items is the failure on the part
of the state to protect itself against
the possibility Of unjust assessments
| of state lands. If the policy of per-
hitting state assessments, in the con-
struction of county and judicial ditch
es, is to continue as heretofore with
| out any appropriation of money by the
legislature before the work is author
lied, the law ought to be so amended
| as to provide for service Of notice on
the state auditor in order that the
state might protect its interests. Be
fore drainage assessments on state
| laEds are paid the legislature ought to
| investigate the situation and make
provision for a safeguarding of the
| rights of the state in the future.
| Forest Fires.
| The greatest calamity that has be-
fallen the state in its history was the
forest fires which ragged in northern
Minnesota, in the month of October,
| 1918, in which more than 500 lives
were lost and twenty million dollars
| worth of property was destroyed.
Shortly after the occurrence of said
fire a commission was appointed to