RECENT IRRIGATION LEGISLATION. 411 



building irrigation works which will make his property valuable. 

 The Montana law gives the nonresident full protection as follows: 



Any taxpayer holding title or evidence of title, or any duly authorized and qualified 

 guardian, executor, or administrator of an estate, or the duly authorized agent of any 

 corporation or company owning land within any irrigation district, shall be deemed 

 qualified to sign any document or jietition, or to vote at any election authorized 

 under this act, if not otherwise disqualified under the laws or constitution of the State. 



The petition for the organization of an irrigation district must be 

 signed by a ''majority in number of the holders of titles, or evidence 

 of title," and must represent "a majority in acreage of said lands." 

 In all elections and votes on bond issues "each elector shall be per- 

 mitted to cast one vote for each 40 acres of irrigable land or major 

 fraction thereof owned by such elector in the division where his 

 ballot is cast, but any elector owning less than 20 acres shall be 

 entitled to cast one vote." The organization of a district requires 

 a two-thirds favorable vote, while the issue of bonds requires a 

 majority vote. The bonds and annual charges are apportioned on 

 the lands 



according to the value of such tract for irrigation, irrespective of improvements, 

 and such valuation for irrigation sliall bo fixed according to the increased value of 

 such tract by reason of such irrigation as compared with other irrigated lands in the 

 district. 



Wyoming also ailopted an irrigation district law in 1907 (ch., 72). 

 This law is along the general lines of the district laws of the other 

 vStates. Like the Montana law, it allows nonresident property 

 owners to vote on district matters, the provisions covering that 

 matter being as follows: 



At said election and all elections held under the pro\nsions of this act, all j^ersons 

 who are both freeholders and also qualified electors within said proposed district and 

 who have paid a property tax in said proposed district during the year next preceding 

 such election shall be entitled to vote, and none others. 



"Qualified electors" are defined as follows: 



For the purpose of this act the words '"(jualified elector or electors" shall be 

 understood to be a citizen of the United States, or who may have declared his or her 

 intention to become such, and that any person so qualified shall have ])ower to do and 

 perform any and ail things requisite and necessary for the ])i;rpose of this act, the same 

 as if he or she were a bona fide resident of said district. 



The petition for the creation of a district must be signed by a major- 

 ity of the freeholders owning land in the proposed district, who must 

 also be owners of a majority of the whole lunnber of acres of land. 

 A majoritv vote will carry the organization of the district and bond 

 issues. Bonds may not be sold for less than i)o per cent of their face 

 value, but if no satisfactory bids are received for bonds the}' may 

 be issued in payment for works. I^'or payment of bonds and interest 

 the lands are taxed at a flat rate per acre, but the cost of maintenance 



