Imperial Valley press., 1910-08-13
BR|DGFORD ACT
 OPERATES WELL Districts in the San Joaquin Valley Are Prosperous
 and Content
Investigating Committee Finds No Serious Defect n Form or organiza- ton. Suggests Dividing Valley Into Three Districts, But Gives No Reason For Suggestion.

The committee, consisting of F. s.
 Webster, Porter Ferguson and c. J.
 Upton, sent by the Commission of Eleven to inspect the Turlock, Mo- desto and other irrigation districts, has made it's full report. The con- mittee found that the people of the Modesto district all agree that their present prosperity is directly trace able to the operation of the Irrigation District Law, and that the detrimental effect said to have followed the or
 ganization of irrigation districts in other localities has not been felt there One gentleman, who had been bitterly opposed to the district when is was first formed, now acknowledges the benefits of the act as applied there. He and his friends spent $3OOOO in contesting the validity of the law when the district was first organized,
 but were finally obliged to give up the fight, and now says he is glad they did not succeed, as he has seen his hundreds of acres of grain land quad ruple in value since the district was formed,
 Modesto District has a bonded in- debtedness of $1,90O,OOO, or a little over $1600 per acre for all the land in the district. This indebtedness was incurred for buying water rights of prior owners, canal system and extension of the system.
 The expense each year for the maintenance and repair of the system and interest on the bonds is from $lOO to $1.75 per acre, depending upon the location and assessed value of the land.
 Turlock district has 225 miles of canal which serve water to about 65,OOO acres of the 176,0O0 within the boundaries of the district. The dis trict also has a bonded debt for the purchase of water rights and building canals. The annual charge against the land for expense and interest is about $1.15 per acre.
 Alta District, the oldest district in the state, lies partly within three counties, and embraces 130,000 acres. They have 2,500 taxpayers, 500 miles of canal and bonded debt of $477, ,000 Their water is taken from the Kings river which only furnishes wateer a charge here is about $6.54 per acre.
 The Tulare District, in Tulare coun- ty embraces 30,000 acres, of which about one third is irrigated They have small indebtedness. The man. agement of this district differs in plans for raising the necessary funds to carry on the work. In others vis- ited, no charge is made for water, but all funds needed are raised by tax on all the taxable property, while here the water user pays all running expenses in the water tolls.
 "The disposition of the district bonds" says the committee, "seems to be one of the principal difficulties en- countered. The State Law prohibits the Banks of the state holding irri- gation bonds as security, which is a discrimination that places them at a disadvantage. Then the difficulties that ensued over the non- payment of the interest, during the trying times when the legality of the dis trict was being tested, still affects the bond market. Also the organization of districts for promotion purposes has had much to do with the disfavor in which irrigation bonds have been held. These troubles are, however, being disposed of as time passes, and with the passage of a law placing irrigation bonds on the same basis as other municipal bonds, a reasonable issue may find ready sale.
 "The South San Joaquin and Oak dale Districts are two newly organ ized districts covering 12O,OOO acres, adjoining the Modesto District on the north and west The people who are organizing these districts are per fectly familiar with the law as worked out at Modesto and Turlock, That they have taken the same course