22 FIEST ANNUAL REPOHT OF THE 



Crock improvement matter. When the Conservation 

 ( 'ommission, in July last, succeeded the State Water Supply 

 Commission, it was confronted by the Sutherland decision, handed 

 down January 4, 1911, to the effect that, in dealing with the 

 Canaseraga Creek improvement, the Water Supply Commission 

 had exceeded its statutory authority by including in its ordered 

 construction artificial channels, thus grafting upon the river im- 

 provement scheme a drainage scheme. Obviously, if sustained 

 by the higher courts, the effect of this decision would be to jeop- 

 ardize the bonds previously sold, from whose proceeds the Canas- 

 eraga improvement was financed. The Conservation Commie* 

 sioii was confronted with a serious dilemma. The land owners 

 of the district affected actively desired a continuance of the work. 

 At the same time, it was imperative that the bonds be protected. 

 The Conservation Commission has continued the work, after mak- 

 ing careful and impartial appraisals of the property of the inter- 

 ested land owners, and taking measures calculated to protect the 

 interest of the bond owners. 



The State has had drainage laws since its formation, and con- 

 siderable work has been done under such laws, but the result has( 

 been almost universal failure. If we look for the reason, we shall ( 

 find it in the methods prescribed for carrying on the work. The- 

 provisions for drainage contained in the Conservation Law are 

 de-signed to overcome previous defects of procedure. Hence it is 

 believed that there will eventually result from the present law th(^ 

 reclamation of at least 100,000 acres of swamp land and an ad- 

 dition of $10,000,000 to farm land values of the State. 



The future work of the Conservation Commission iuwl<T tlir 

 drainage law should develop into a very important feature of its 

 activities, and appropriations should be made to provide neces- 

 sary funds to carry on reconnaissances of swamp lands and a de- 

 tailed survey of at least one promising project. 



We call the attention of the Legislature to the distressing con- 

 ditions arising from the water supply situation in Westchester 

 county, and urge legislation looking to co-operation among the 

 various municipalities in. the southern portion of that county for 

 securing an adequate and permanent supply of pure and whole- 

 some water. 



