Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1909 — TOWNSHIPS TO BUY DREDGES. [ARTICLE]

TOWNSHIPS TO BUY DREDGES.

Hallcck Introduces a Freak Bill In x the State Senate. Senator Halleck introduced a bill designed to facilitate the drainage of swamp lands. Some of the counties in the northern part of the State where there is much undrained land have found trouble in making their swamp lands tillable. Senator Halleck’s bill provides that counties or townships with a considerable acreage of swamp land may buy dredging machines and hire men to operate such machines. It is provided that in counties that have 3,000 acres or more of' low, wet or overflow’ed lands it shall be the duty of the county' comissioners to buy and operate a dredging machine. To operate the machine an engineer shall be appointed whose wages shall not be more than S6OO a year. For the purpose of reimbursing the county for the expense and to keep the machine in repair there shall be charged against the land owners affected by the drainage w’ork a sum not to exceed 2 cents a cubic yard for each ditch cleaned out and not exceeding 3 cents a cubic yard for each original excavation. The measure further provides that dredging machines be bought for townships that have 2,000 acres or more of wet land. In buying a machine for a township, 60 per cent, of the price shall be paid out of the township funds and the remainder shall be paid by the county treasurer. The dredging machine of the township shall be run under the direction of the dredging machine engineer appointed by the county commissioners. The act is to become effective May 1, 1909. Indianapolis News.