1192 ISKW YoKK State Agricultural Society 



Mk. Sciiriver: T happen to live in a comity where we have a 

 number of thousand acres of Idwhiiid. We have had experience 

 with this commission business and when the gentleman said that 

 ir has autocratic powers, he is speaking very correctly. When he 

 talks about its unlimited ability to make expense, he is talking 

 correctly. In this instance the expenses were so large that it con- 

 fiscated the property in many cases and turned many people who 

 depended for subsistence tin the soil, on! of doors. It is a public 

 improvement, but power ought not to be given to any commission 

 to destroy the resources of the peojjle and to confiscate property. 

 While it increases the value of some property it destroys the 

 resources of a great manv. There should be some limitation to 

 this autocratic power. 



Mr. White: The gentleman is entirely right. We have al- 

 ready realized the fact that our powers are so autocratic we have 

 had to study very carefully so as not to create an expense greater 

 than the value of the land to be drained. Some of the lands in 

 that tract are muck lands ; others are (day with a very shallow^ 

 coverinii', and we found it necessarv to l)e verv careful with the 

 expenses connected with that work so as not to make assessments 

 that will confiscate the laud. It seems to me that there are un- 

 necessary expenses along some lines wdiicli could 1)C eliminated. 

 The engineers claim $8.50 to $7.50, while we found our expenses 

 would run about $1.75 per acre for the engineering work. It 

 seems to me there is some engineering work retpiired untlcr the 

 statute that is not really essential. Another thing in that law 

 v/hicli ought to be changed is the scale under which the engineers 

 work; working to hundreds, etc., is not in accordance with the 

 statute. When yon come to preparing the ma}) for recording, it 

 has to be made under the old system, by links and chains. This 

 necessitates making an altogether din'ercMit map for filing. 



M K. Wi.xTEKs: It is perfectly evident and has been for some 

 time that oui* drainage woi'k in this state has not quite come up 

 to the expectation and the needs of the farmers. I believe we 

 ought to lie able in some way to get closer to *:hem and it" })ossible 

 solve some of the di'ainage problems, ^\'e ha\-e hei'e three organi- 

 zaiions that are working aloiiii ibis line, the Conservation Com- 

 mission, the College of Agriculture and ilie State Department of 



