IRRIGATION DISTRICT OPERATION AND FINANCE. 31 
for he is the official whom custom has placed in closest contact with 
district operations and upon whom devolves most of the State's 
responsibility- . 
STATE FINANCIAL AID. 
The question of public aid to irrigation districts for the purpose of 
stimulating or making possible needed development has been under 
discussion many times. Efforts made from time to time to induce 
Congress to provide for Federal guaranty of district bonds have not 
yet been successful. A number of the States, however, have granted 
statutory authority for the investment of State funds in irrigation 
district bonds, and several have actually made such investment. 
Utah. — Utah in 1911 authorized funds derived from the sale or 
rental of State lands to be used in purchasing irrigation district 
bonds. Apparently this was not a well-defined policy of public aid 
to districts, for it was accomplished merely by enlarging the scope of 
investment of State land funds and introduced no new features. A 
total of 890.200 was invested in bonds of three districts during the 
next two years. As two of the investments proved unsatisfactory, 
the amendment was repealed hi 1915. The State has since disposed 
of its interest in one of the districts at a nominal figure. 
California. — In 1915 and 1916, when the market in California 
was less favorable than it became later, the State purchased S75.000 
of certified bonds of two districts from the teachers' permanent fund 
and school land fund. Two objects were in view — to make a good 
investment, and to aid the districts in selling bonds by showing the 
bond-investing public that the State had confidence in the districts. 
In 1920 and 1921, 865,000 of bonds of three districts were bought 
for investment purposes, partly at a premium, from the compensation 
insurance fund. 
Nebraska. — For several years Nebraska has been making purchases 
of irrigation district bonds from the permanent school fund. To 
date 8271,000 of bonds of six districts have been purchased. The 
question of aid to districts has not figured prominently in these 
purchases. They have been made from the standpoint of the most 
satisfactory investment of the school fund, with preference to local 
securities. 
Washington. — Washington has developed an announced policy of 
f ranting aid to irrigation districts through the purchase of their 
onds. To this end the legislature provided hi 1919 that the State 
reclamation revolving fund, raised by an annual levy of one-half mill 
upon all taxable property in the State, might be used for investment 
in bonds of reclamation districts, including irrigation, diking, and 
dram age districts. To July 1 . 1921, 8497,000 of bonds of six irrigation 
districts had been purchased. 
Owing to the limited amount of money made available, Washington 
has not been able to carry its policy far, but has begun to formulate 
principles which in time may have a far-reaching effect upon irrigation 
development within the State. The fund is a revolving fund in the 
sense that the State intends to sell these bonds as soon as a market 
develops for them and to apply the proceeds to the development of 
other districts. District bonds are bought by the State at 90, which 
is the lowest price at which they may legally be sold, on the theory 
that the State is buying these bonds as a matter of assistance only 
