The Delta independent., 1918-02-22
'CLANAHAN AT WA.
Ter USERS MEETING

Ever since ! have been a mem
ber of the board of directors
have urged the adoption Of some plan
that would render the use of proxies
legally impossible. 1t seemed to me
that this could be done by re-incor-
porating the association under the
recent Colorado law authorizing the
incorporation of cooperative associa-
tions organized on a non-profit basis.
Each member of an association incor-
porated under this law has but one
present at meeting. Some number
less than a majority may constitute
a quorum.
1t is not intended that dividends
association. 1t is, therefore, in the
strictest sense, nonprofit associa
ton. The arguments which justify the
use of proxies in profit-earning cor
for direct profit is the basis of the
organization, are not applicable to CO.
operative associations in which MEN
are the basis of the organization In the
ling factor. In the latter. men should
be the controlling factor. While
money can be adequately represented
by proxies. men cannot. 1t can be
nc cil gh haf hn pf in,
cooperative water users associa-
tion, such as ours, is as inimical to
the interests of the nonresident pro-
KY giver as 1t is to the resident voter
and the actual water user. There is
no argument that can be used in de-
fence of the use of proxies and multi
pie votes in such an association as
ours that could not, with equal JUS
tice, be used in defense of the same
method of voting for state. county
and national officers. 1t is thoroughly
undemocratic and is a typical exam
pie of a survival in the machinery of
business of the same kind of autoc-
racy that the allied armies of the
world are endeavoring to Danish from
the machinery of government. Moth
ing justified the incorporation of this
association under the law which
gave it its present form and mach
inery except the fact that there was.
at the time of its incorporation. no
other law under which it could have
haep ipcornnrated
When the question OF re-incorporat-
ing the association under the. coop
erative law was submitted by the
board to our attorney. Mr.. Catlin, he
reported. after due consideration that
ii could not be done / am inclined
to believe that this opinion is correct.
and that it will continue to be correct
until the law shall have been modi-
fled by legislative action.
The only other method OF legally
eliminating the use of proxies is the
method which the association reject
ed last year when the proposal to con-
vert the project into an irrigation dis
trict was defeated by an overwhelm-
ing vote at the annual meeting OF the
stockholders.
Aside from these two methods, nei-
ther of which seems to be possible of
adoption. there is no way in which
the use of proxies can be lawfully
prevented. All other plans for cur
ing or curbing the proxy evil will
break down exactly when there is the
greatest need Of their application.
Other matters which deserve some
consideration in this review of the
years work and of our present situa.
ton, are the work of the priorities
committee, the work Of the grievance
committee. the question Of drainage.
the question of damage done to indi
vidusls by the operation Of the sys-
tenn and the question Of passing upon
expenditures by the government.
As the whole question OF priorities
will come up for discussion when the
committees report is presented for
adoption ] shall. at this time, merely
say that in my opinion the priorities
committee was we'll qualified for it,
work. and that its work was well