The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1919-02-05
MEETING OF DIRECTORS
OF IRRIGATION DISTRICT
Important Matters Bearing Upon
Change of Laws Governing Irri-
cation District Discussed

Last Saturday afternoon meet
ing which had been planned by c.
E. Coe, Secretary of the Board OF
Directors of the Irrigation District
was held in the rooms in the Court
House which have been set apart for
meetings of this board.
The purpose of the gathering was
to discuss the provisions of the pro-
posed new law covering Irrigation
Districts which Judge L. N. French
has in preparation and when com
pleted will be introduced in the pres
ent legislative session by Senator
c. E. Kent
Amongst those present were
Judge l.. N. French, Project Mana
ger J. F. Richardson, Oliver P. Nor
ton and r. G. Patrick of the. legal
bureau of the Reclamation Service.
In point of numbers considering
the importance of the matters in
.volved, the attendance was disap-
pointing but at least it. was repre-
sentative of the different interests of
the valley. The question of chang
ing the present law regarding the
manner of election of directors of
the district met with general dis
cussion in which |. II. Kent, ". a.
Keddie, Legislative Representatives
c. E. Kent and e. S. Berney, and the
Reclamation officials took part
1t was decided that the present
method requiring a director to be g
landowner in the district he repre-
sents and that all the directors be
voted for at large, be retained. The
matter of granting citizen holding
his land under contract the right to
vote developed wide and spirited
discussion. Under the present law
a homesteader under contract with
the government is entitled TO vote
but his neighbor holding contract
for the purchase of land from other
sources is deprived of that right as
the ruling of the courts declares that
the latter has no evidence of title
sufficient to permit him to vote.
The concensus Of opinion agreed
with that OF I. H. Kent that the pros
pective landowner should be entitled
to represent his holdings but the
point was raised by the attorneys
present that il would be difficult to
frame law which would be sustain
ed by the courts. granting such privi-
lege. 1t was decided to request
Judge French to formulate law to
cover II possible this point, 1t being
suggested that law might be pass
ed authorizing any one desiring to
vote to register his name with the
register agent at any election as a
qualified elector and in the event of
there being no objection filed in writ
ing prior to the election by the own
er of the land under title. the ron-
tracing owner should then have The
right to represent the land with his
vote.
The question of the qualifications
of voter proved to be the subject
for a general and most earnest de.
bate, w. A. keddie and others con-
tending that constituting a unit OF
FIVE acres of land the basis of quail
fication for each voter was unfair to
the large land owner. although Mr.
Keddie frankly admitted that he was
In favor of drainage and would
probably not make serious objection
to any law that would be offered fol
consideration.
1t was also feared by many thai
the large landowners in other por
tions of the state would not consider
the unit of acreage favorably and Il
was finally agreed to draw up a Law
making the ownership of five acres
of land the qualification emitting
Continued on page two.J