414 RURAL MICHIGAN 



4,400,000 such acres. The statute provides that 

 "drains may be located, established, constructed and 

 maintained, and drains and water courses may be 

 cleaned out, straightened, widened, deepened and ex- 

 tended, whenever the same shall be conducive to the 

 public health, convenience or welfare.'' The super- 

 vision of drainage operations is placed under the 

 county drain commissioners, chosen in every county, 

 if the requirements of law are observed, at the regu- 

 lar November elections in alternate years. Before 

 the act of 1897, drainage was an affair of the town- 

 ships. The drain commissioner acts only on appli- 

 cation of at least one-half of the freeholders of the 

 land traversed thereby. The commissioner tenta- 

 tively determines the location of the proposed drain, 

 the right-of-way is secured by release or condemna- 

 tion proceedings, and, when the required hearings 

 and official determinations have taken place, a final 

 order of determination is issued fixing the route of 

 the drain and the boundaries of the special assess- 

 ment district which must meet its cost, together with 

 the apportionment of costs among the beneficiaries. 

 The work is done on contract with the land-owners 

 or the lowest responsible bidder, whoever he may be. 

 When drains traverse more than one county, the 

 statute provides for the appointment of special com- 

 missioners to act with the regular county drain com- 

 missioners in locating the drains and apportioning 

 costs, and in case of a failure to agree, provision is 

 made for an appeal to the State Highway Commis- 

 sioner as arbitrator. Drainage of State swamp lands 



