24 First Annual Eeport of the 



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

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

 seraga improvement was financed. The Conservation Commis- 

 sion was confronted with a serious dilemma. The landowners 

 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 landowners, and taking measures calculated to protect the 

 interest of the bondowners. 



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 

 designed to overcome previous defects of procedure. Hence it is 

 believed that there will eventually result from the present law the 

 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 under the 

 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. 



Water for domestic purposes was carried through the streets in 

 milk cans and sprinkling carts in the city of Mount Vernon and 

 various small villages in the fall of 1910. Only opportune fall 

 rains prevented a recurrence of the same conditions in 1911. 



Each of the various municipalities is engaged in endeavoring 

 to solve its own small problem, and naturally finds no solution for 

 more than a very limited period, while the rapid growth in the 

 population of the region makes a large general and permanent 

 solution more imperative. 



