Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1919-09-27
FOR DRAINAGE OF
STATE SWAMPS
Senator Harrison Lauds Demo
cratic Plank To Reclaim
Fertile Lands.

FeTtiie I4dHuS.
Senator Orlando Harrison. of Nor-
ccstcr county. who is in the Mercy
Hospital, Baltimore. where he has
undergone slight surgical operation,
and who is rapidly recovering. Satur
day discussed the plank in the Dem
ocratic state platform which indorses
drainage of the states swamp land.
IL am most heartily in favor of the
project" said Mr.. Harrison. while
member of the Senate have in
troduced bill during each session
under the terms of which il would
be possible to drain wide areas of low
land in Worcester and in other coun-
ties and bring them under most prof
liable cultivation. | have advocated
loans by the state to individuals who
would complete the reclamation work
The state could make no safer in
vcstmcnt. The federal government
has employed the same methods in ir
rgatng the arid lands of the Far
West"
The region surrounding the ChcSa-
pcakc has peculiar advantages for
demonstrating the feasibility of such
an undertaking. since the proximity
of the reclaimed lands to large mar
kets would give them great value.
Whenever such swamps have been
drained in a small way under pri-
vatc auspices the great fertility of
the land has quickly repaid the cost
In South Carolina extensive areas
have been drained under municipal
auspices. and now the state of Flor
ida has undertaken the same work
in a still bigger scale, II is well
recognized that such drained lands
due to their great fertility. COM
mand very high prices. and if the
Maryland swamps could bc drained
the new land would add largely to
tho taxable basis OF the state.
The state of Maryland has 32S. .16S
acrc,. capable Of reclamation of
which l2l.352 acres are frcsh-watcr
swamps and POI i.i26 acres saltwater
marshes The eastern and southern
counties Of the state bordering the
Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic
Ocean have 323.326 acrcs, Of which
1882 acres are frc>h-watcr swampS
and 20i,ll6 acres are saltwater
marshes. The central and western
counties have 5.iiO acres OF larger
swamp tracts, all of which are fresh.
In addition TO the larger tracts
here Indicated smaller ;w&mp- and
marshes scattered over the farm
land- raise the total Of fully a00.0co
acres. or about onc-twclfth of the.
total area of the state. II requires
little argument to show that this
vast area OF unprodUctivr land which
might become the richest in the state.
should bc made available for agri-
cultural purposes Al the earliest OPP
portunity. /, would certainly add
from Sl0.0OO.OO0 to $l5,Oo0000 TO the
taxable basis of the state and prob
ably much more.
Marylandcrs. who are advocating
the drainage Of swamp lands are
looking to the federal government for
aid
Under authority of Congress there
has been placed at the disposal of
the Reclamation Service the sum of
S200.O00, half of which will be spent
for an investigation of the recla
nation by drainage lands outside cN-
isting reclamation projects ami of the
reclamation and preparation for cult
walton of cut-ovcr timber lands in any
of the states of the United States. and
half for an investigation of new
irrigation projects. The principal
officials in the organization for the
prosecution of this preliminary in
yostigation have been appointed by
secretary Lane. and they and their
assistants are already in the field