Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-01-08

In farm life now than heretofore un-
less farm life is made more attractive
| to them.
Department Of Agriculture.
In order that the state may devote
greater amount of study to agricul-
tural problems, take more interest in
matters pertaining to the rural COM
munities and land settlement and paw
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.
A department of this kind should be
composed of no less than five non-sal-
ar1ed members with a 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 we'll afford to have their taxes
increased for this purpose. The state
as a 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 a 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
sloner, 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 a 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 a measure
at its last session intended to bring
this about to a greater degree than
heretofore, but no money appropria-
t1on was made to carry out the provi-
slons OF that measure. Such appropri-
alton ought to be made by this body,
during the present session, and in ad-
ditlon 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. l 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 a we'll known
fact that the drying up of the peat
boys through excessive drainage has
Increased the fire risk in some sections
of northern Minnesota. In certain To-
calities the destruction of forests by
fire is attributed to drainage, needless
when made. When we take into con-
sideration the fact that it is estimated
that there are in Minnesota nearly
seven billion tons of merchantable
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 it's interests. Be-
fore drainage assessments on state
lands are paid the legislature ought to
Investigate the situation and make
provision for 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,
1913, in which more than 500 lives
/ were lost and twenty million dollars
worth of property was destroyed.
Shortly after the occurrence of said
| fire commission was appointed to
| Investigate the causes thereof and to
make recommendations for legislative