IRRIGATION DISTRICT OPERATION AND FINANCE. 13 
ation. The Texas statute specifically encourages the appointment 
of a manager. 
The irrigation district has frequently been criticized on the ground 
that it places the disposal of great sums of money in the hands of 
persons whose experience has generally been limited to the handling 
of amounts applicable to farming operations. Undoubtedly it is true 
that very few districts are able to secure men as directors who have 
handled millions of dollars. It is also true that irrigation is a 
business, and that it is to the interest of every landowner to have 
the business conducted as economically as possible. In actual 
practice it has frequently occurred that the lack of experience of 
directors has proved costly in their financial dealings and in the 
unwise expenditure of funds. The selection of directors from political 
considerations has also been decried. But these problems are 
incident to the conduct of any self-governing institution, and so long 
as the irrigation district remains self-governing its efficiency will 
depend upon the choice of directors who are able to combine business 
ability with public spirit and who are broad-gauged enough to leave 
the administration of details to employees more capable than 
themselves of performing such duties. 
The actual character of the management varies greatly in different 
districts, and many examples can be cited of careful and altogether 
high-class management. In probably the greater number of oper- 
ating districts the character of the management is but a reflection of 
the progressive spirit of the farmers composing the electorate. After 
diseounting the activities of the ever-prevalent ''chronic kickers,'' 
the farmers usually get, sooner or later, the kind of management 
thev really want. 
FINANCE. 
The irrigation district secures revenue for the construction or 
acquisition of irrigation works, their annual maintenance and oper- 
ation, and for all general purposes primarily by means of assessments 
levied upon the land. Each assessment becomes a lien upon the 
land when levied, and its collection may be enforced by delinquent 
tax sale or in some cases by a suit at law. Other and secondary 
methods of raising revenue are through tolls charged for the actual 
use of water, through the sale or rental of water to lands outside the 
district, and the sale of electric power generated by the district. 
In order to spread over a series of years the burden of paying for 
the irrigation works, the district may borrow money through the 
issuance of bonds, or may contract with the United States for the 
construction or acquisition of an irrigation system. The interest and 
principal of the bonds and the installments due the United States 
are payable from the proceeds of annual assessments. Current 
expenses are taken care of. pending the collection of assessments, by 
the issuance of warrants and in some States by negotiable notes. 
Financial officers. — Although the irrigation district is responsible 
for its own financial condition, the services of county officials are 
utilized to greater or less extent in most of the States for levying 
and collecting assessments and disbursing district funds. California. 
Idaho, and Texas, however, provide complete district machinery for 
handling financial matters and make the district entirely independent 
of the county so long as the district continues to levy assessments to 
