20 BULLETIN 1257, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Table 7. — Number, purpose, and present status of irrigation districts organized 
under State laws — Continued. 
Excluding districts that were in the preliminary stages of organization 
and construction, because they have no record of success or failure by 
which they can be judged, gives the following results f 
All districts that have passed beyond preliminary stages : 
Number 402 
Number operating 244 
Percentage of total 60. 7 
Number gone out of business 158 
Percentage of total 39. 3 
Districts organized for the purpose of developing new projects which have 
passed beyond preliminary stages : 
Number 156 
Percentage of all districts 38. 8 
Number operating 46 
Percentage of total of this class 29. 5 
Number gone out of business 110 
Percentage of total of this class 70. 5 
Districts organized for the purpose of taking over projects developed by 
other agencies which have gone beyond preliminary stages : 
Number 246 
Percentage of all districts 61.2 
Number operating 198 
Percentage of total of this class 80. 5 
Number gone out of business 48 
Percentage of total of this class 19. 5 
The statement shows that 26 per cent of all districts organized 
have failed. Of the districts that have passed beyond the preliminary 
stages 39 per cent have failed. 
About three-fifths of all the districts organized have had for their 
purpose the taking over of enterprises developed by other agencies. 
In those cases, 57 per cent have succeeded — at least they are still 
operating — and only 14 per cent have failed. Of districts that were 
organized to develop new projects only 19 per cent are operating and 
44 per cent have failed. These statements refer to all districts 
reported, including those still in preliminary stages. 
A better measure of the record of failure is furnished by the dis- 
tricts that have passed beyond the preliminary stages. Considering 
these districts only, 61 per cent are still operating, and 39 per cent 
have failed. Of those organized to take over existing projects, 80 
per cent are operating and 20 per cent have failed. Of those 
organized to develop new enterprises only 30 per cent are operating, 
and 70 per cent have failed. 
On the basis of these figures the chances for failure on the part of 
districts organized to develop new projects are more than 2 to 1. 
Probably careful investigation prior to approval and State super- 
vision of expenditures will decrease the chances of failure, but there 
will be still a considerable probability of failure, with consequent 
loss on the part of the State where the State has assumed any finan- 
cial responsibility, and with demands for public reparation where 
the State has certified bonds without assuming any legal liability. 
CALIFORNIA STATE LAND SETTLEMENT. 
In 1917 California undertook another policy new to this country, 
that is, State land settlement. 7 The State buys land, provides irriga- 
7 A<-t of June 1, L917. 
