THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



107 



THE NATIONAL DRAINAGE CONGRESS. 



During the meeting of Nineteenth National Irriga- 

 tion Congress last December in Chicago, a call was 

 issued to those who were interested in the reclamation 

 of swamp and overflow lands for the purpose of organ- 

 izing a National Drainage Congress. Mr. Edmond T. 

 Perkins, president of the American Reclamation Fed- 

 eration, issued the call and acted as chairman during 

 the preliminary meetings. As the body thus newly 

 organized will undoubtedly become an important factor 

 in national reclamation, the new constitution adopted 

 by it is herewith given in full. 



Constitution. 

 Article I Name. 



This Congress shall be known as the National 

 Drainage Congress. 



Article II Objects. 



The objects of the Congress shall be (1) to promote 

 and to diffuse knowledge concerning the reclamation of 

 lands in all those states of the Union where drainage 

 reclamation would be beneficial, and also concerning 

 the artificial application of water to lands requiring 

 irrigation in such regions; (2) to promote navigation 

 by means of canals built for drainage and by improve- 

 ments of the natural streams into which such canals 

 are discharged; (3) to conserve and impound water for 

 drainage, humid-land irrigation, or flood protection pur- 

 poses; (4) to conserve and control natural resources 

 pertaining to agriculture; (5) to restore and preserve 

 soils by rotation, fertilization, and overflow of silt; (6) 

 to remove the menace to the public health of the Nation 

 which the presence of undrained lowlands constitutes; 

 (7) to facilitate conference and deliberation among the 

 people of the country concerning drainage and related 

 interests, especially to promote agreement and concerted 

 action among those organizations interested in the con- 

 servation and proper utilization of our natural resources 

 to the end that united efforts may be towards agreed- 

 upon ultimate results; and (8) to provide means for 

 bringing the needs of the people and the country before 

 State and Federal governments. 



Article III Limitations. 



This Congress shall not at any time engage, com- 

 mercially or otherwise, in the promotion, exploitation,, 

 or exhibition of individual projects except as may be 

 necessary for the purposes of illustrating the need for 

 or the benefits of drainage, or humid-land reclamation, 

 nor engage in the sale of land, water rights, bonds, 

 stock, or other evidence of ownership or interest in 

 property; nor shall it promote, endorse, or advertise 

 any individual, corporation, project, scheme, or locality, 

 except as above provided. 



Its scope shall embrace a broad, unbiased, and com- 

 prehensive consideration of the objects as herein set 

 forth, from a national viewpoint, for the good of the 

 entire commonwealth and that of agriculture in particular. 

 It shall have no political affiliations nor permit political 

 matters to enter into its business or discussions other 

 than those which shall pertain to the objects of the 

 Congress. 



Article IV Meetings. 



Section 1. Regular annual sessions shall be held at 

 such places as the Congress shall determine and at 

 times set by the Board of Control and approved by- 

 the Executive Committee. 



Section 2. Special meetings of the Congress, or of 

 its officers, boards, and committees, may be held at times 

 and places determined by the Congress or the Executive 

 Committee- 

 Article V General Officers. 



Section 1. The officers of the Congress shall consist 

 of a President; five Vice-Presidents, each of whom shall 

 be resident in different states, and a Treasurer elected 

 as hereinafter specified. The duties of these officers 

 may at any time be prescribed by the Congress or 

 the Executive Committee. In the absence of such action 

 their duties shall be those implied by their designation 

 and established by custom. 



Section 2. The officers shall serve for one year, or 

 until their successors are elected; provided, that the 



President and Treasurer shall not be relieved before the 

 close of a regular annual session except by vote of the 

 Congress, or action of the Executive Committee, which 

 action shall not be taken except for cause. 

 Article VI Committees. 



Section 1. There shall be an Executive Committee 

 comprising one member from each state, selected by the 

 delegation thereof, and of the General Officers provided 

 in Article V. The term of office of one-third of the 

 Executive Committee, not including the General Officers, 

 to cover one year from the time of the Second Annual 

 Congress; the term of office of one-third of the Executive 

 Committee, not including the General Officers, to cover 

 two years from the time of the Second Annual Congress; 

 and the term of office of one-third of the Executive 

 Committee, not including the General Officers, to cover 

 three years from the time of the Second Annual 

 Congress; and the group of states that shall have repre- 

 sentation on the Executive Committee for one, two or 

 three years, as the case may be, to be decided by lot 

 at the first meeting of the Executive Committee at the 

 Second Annual Congress thereafter, upon expiration of 

 these terms, election for their successors to be for three 

 years. This Committee shall act for the Congress 

 between sessions, one-half of the members of the Com- 

 mittee present constituting a quorum; shall have power 

 to direct the affairs, policies and activities, and to initiate 

 plans and meet emergencies, and shall report to the 

 Congress on the opening day of each session. 



All ex-Presidents of the Congress shall be ex-officio 

 members of the Executive Committee. 



The President of the Congress shall act in a similar 

 capacity for and on behalf of the Executive ommittee 

 and shall have power to call special meetings of the 

 Executive Committee. 



The Executive Committee shall have power to fill 

 vacancies in its own- membership and among the officers 

 of the Congress, may make by-laws and rules to govern 

 its own procedure, and may maintain a permanent office. 

 It shall not incur nor authorize the incurrence by any 

 of its officers or subordinates of any debts beyond 

 available funds. 



Section 2. The Executive Committee shall designate 

 and appoint a qualified person who shall direct the work 

 of the Congress, and who shall act as executive office^ 

 of the Committee, with the title of Director. He shalS 

 also serve, under the direction of the Committee, as 

 Secretary of the Congress, and shall administer the 

 activities of the Congress between its annual sessions, 

 disseminate information to the members and the corre- 

 spondents, and in all ways approved and authorized by 

 the said Committee, promote the objects of the Congress. 

 His compensation and allowance shall be fixed by the 

 Executive Committee, and when appointed he shall serve 

 for a term of two years, unless sooner removed for 

 cause by the Executive Committee. The Director shall 

 furnish sureties satisfactory to the said Committee in a 

 sum equal to twice that placed to his credit at any one 

 time by the Committee for the prosecution of work duly 

 authorized. He shall report to the Executive Committee 

 at regular sessions, and whenever directed to do so by 

 the President or a majority of the members of the 

 Executive Committee. 



Section 3. A local committee, to be known as the 

 Board of Control, shall be created in each city in which 

 the next ensuing session of the Congress is to be held, 

 preferably by the leading commercial bodies or business 

 organizations; though in the absence of such local action, 

 or in the event of failure on the part of such Board of 

 Control to meet the financial and other requirements 

 of the Executive Committee within sixty days after the 

 adjournment of the preceding session, another place of 

 meeting may be selected by the Executive Committee 

 in lieu of that chosen by the Congress. The Board of 

 Control shall have power to initiate action in conformity 

 with the objects of the Congress, to raise and expend 

 funds, to incur obligations on its own responsibility, to 

 appoint sub-committees, and to conduct correspondence 

 in its own name, either independently or in conjunction 

 with the Executive Committee; and it shall report to the 

 Executive Committee on the day before the opening 



