Wisconsin State Drainage Association



the matter is brought into court. In five days the whole
matter can be determined without even the necessity of a law-
er's fee.
  This is the most necessary and essential law and it should be
simple, so that the layman can understand it, and the procedure
be conducted without material expense.
  The next law that we have in the line of larger matters. is what
is called the Township drainage law. This law is simple, ele-
mentary and expedient, and it is necessary and essential, from
a practical standpoint, that these matters be brought to a con-
clusion within a brief space of time. Otherwise it is possible
for a fellow landowner, by his personal efforts, even though not
on right lines, to use his influence to prevent the doing of a thing
that is beneficial not only to him but to all interested.
  Under this law, the three highway commissioners are ex-offi-
cio drainage commissioners of the Township, having full power
and authority to do any and every act necessary for the con-
struction of these ditlhes. It is necessary that a petition be
filed with the Clerk of the Highway Commissioners, which shall
contain a description of the land, the name of the owners, and
shall be signed by one-third of the landowners owning a majority
of the land or a majority of the landowners owning one-third of
the land. The only condition necessary to set forth in the
petition, after a proper description and the names of the owners,
is that the petitioners desire a district organized for drainage
and sanitary purposes.
   It is necessary and essential that this conjunctive condition be
in the law, for in the majority of cases you can only get a third
of the land owners owning a majority of the land to execute
the petition, and without this condition in the law, a large per-
centage of the drainage would never be had in the State of Il-
linois.
   It is the duty of the Commissioners, within five days, to call
 a meeting of the land owners in not less than eight nor more
 than fifteen days to hear any objections and to determine for
 themselves whether or not there is necessity for the drainage
 and whether or not the benefits to be derived therefrom will
 exceed the expense. If they believe this to be true, then it
 is their duty to organize the drainage district, and the whole



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