12 BULLETIN 1177, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
are as vitally interested in the district as are the large holders, and 
that the plan of giving a vote to each acre puts control of district 
affairs in the hands of a few large landowners. 
The really important feature at the present time, however, is the 
very general recognition given to the interest of the landowner in the 
creation of district indebtedness. The irrigation district has but one 
end in view — the development of a community through the irrigation 
of its agricultural land. All persons in the community are interested 
in its development, but those persons whose lands are to be made to 
pay for the entire irrigation development are necessarily most deeply 
concerned. 
MANAGEMENT. 
The management of an irrigation district is vested in a board of 
directors or commissioners, who must usually be landowners and 
electors in the district. The directors are elected in whole or in part 
every year or two years, and, except for the collection and custody 
of funds by county officials or by elected district officials, are solely 
responsible for the conduct of district affairs. They may appoint 
and discharge at will ail officers and employees of the district except 
those whose election is provided for by statute. In California, where 
the handling of funds is in the hands of the district, the assessor, 
collector, and treasurer are elected officials. In Idaho, on the con- 
trary, the assessor, whose duties arc performed by the secretary, 
and the treasurer are appointed by the directors. Again in Texas 
the assessor-collector may be appointed by the directors or elected 
at their option. In all of the States directors have the respon- 
sibility either of levying assessments or of initiating proceedings 
therefor, as well as of authorizing expenditures. 
The number of directors depends in some measure upon the size 
of the district. Some States authorize only one officer — usually 
three — but others allow some latitude either to the original petitioners 
or to the electors after organization in determining whether the num- 
ber of directors shall be greater, the highest number allowed in any 
State being nine. Owing to the wide range in size of irrigation dis- 
tricts (the smallest in the United States containing 42 acres and the 
largest 603,840) , it is realized that some latitude in the size of the man- 
aging board is desirable, for a large board of directors makes the 
management of a very small district unwieldly and cumbersome, 
whereas a small board may not afford adequate representation in a 
large district of divergent needs and conditions. The usual practice 
is to lay out the district into divisions as nearly equal in area as prac- 
ticable and to choose one director from each division. 
The powers of the board of directors are usually set forth at great 
length in the statutes. In the execution of their policies the directors 
are given extensive authority to appoint employees on the scale 
desired. Owing to the nature of an irrigation district, which requires 
construction of works at certain times and maintenance and opera- 
tion of the system at all times, the services of an engineer arc 
always needed, highly trained services a great deal of the time, and 
practical experience always. So it has come about that the district 
engineer is frequently the principal executive officier as well. Some 
large districts have found it advantageous to employ a general man- 
ager of executive ability, and usually of engineering training and 
experience, who is placed in charge of all phases of the district's oper- 
