Imperial Valley press., 1910-07-16

last equalized assessment roll No bonds can be voted or any election for the voting of a special or other assessment unless it is petitioned for in like manner, and at the election such proposition must receive ma iority vote, so that while the business management of the District is vested in the Board of Directors, the purse strings are controlled by the people of the district.
 The powers of the Board of Direc- tors and some of their duties are set forth in Sec. 15, of the Bridgford Act, as follows:
 SEC. 15. The Board shall have the power and it shall be their duty, to manage and conduct the business and affairs of the district make and execute all necessary contracts, em- ploy and appoint such agents, officers and employees as may be required and prescribe their duties. The Board and it's agents and employees shall have the right to enter upon any land to make surveys, and may locate the necessary branches and the line for any canal or canals and the necessary branches for the same upon any lands that may be deemed best for such location. Said Board shall also have the right to acquire, either by pur- chase or condemnation or other legal means all lands and waters, and water rights, and other property necessary for the construction, use, supply maintenance, repair, and improvement of said canal or canals and works, including canals and works construc- ted and being constructed by private owners, lands for reservoirs for the storage of needful waters, and all necessary appurtenances. Said Board may also construct the necessary dams, reservoirs, and works for the collection of water for said district, and do any and every lawful act necessary to be done, that sufficient water may be furnished to each land owner in said district, for irrigation purposes.
 'The Board is also authorized to sue and be sued, and to perform all the duties and exercise all the powers of any Board of Directors of muni- cipal corporation. The control and management of the canals, and busi ness affairs of the district will be in their bonds, and the appointment of the subordinate officers and agents, superintendent, etc., will be made by them. They may lease out any canal, branch lateeral or other distributing ditch to those who use water from it, and only deliver water into it as or dered by the lessees.
 The water users on any ditch may arrange to take care of their own ditch, and be relieved from waiting on the motions of the superintendent, as under the present system. In other words, the organization is so adjusted that the people rule, and whatever experience proves to be the best, con be adopted There will be no stock to vote, nor any outside influence to interfere with the people in working out their problems.
 The right to be supplied with water will be fixed by the taxes paid by the water user for district purposes du- ring the preceding year, he will be entitled to water in the same propor- tion that the taxes he paid bears to the total amount collected for dis trict purposes. In this way all the water the district owns will be avail able for use. If the owner of a pos sessory right does not pay taxes enough to entitle him to all the water he wants, he can buy the assignment of the right to use water from anyone having the right to more water than ] he can use.
 The scheme of taxation for district purposes is based upon land values, exclusive of Improvements. In this way town lots are assessed. The owner of city property will scarcely have any use for the water they are | entitled to receive. The law allows such to assign their water, or any part of it to any other land owner in the district who is a tax payer and entitled to receive water.
 Under the waterstock arrangement now existing, landowners are com pelled to have one share of Waterstock