12 
Bulletin 67. 
change made. Thereupon the water commissioner is required 
to allot the priority right to the new ditch, in pursuance of the 
new decree. 
The 3rd section of the same act, permitting between ditch 
owners an exchange of water for a limited time to save crops, 
or to use the water more economically, provides for the owners 
making such loan or exchange, to give notice concerning the 
same, and thereupon requires the water commissioner to recog¬ 
nize the exchange in distributing the water. 
No legislation of the Thirteenth General Assembly which 
has recently adjourned, affecting the duties of water commis¬ 
sioners has been brought to our attention. 
COMMENTS ON POWERS AND DUTIES OF WATER COMMISSIONERS. 
The foregoing compilation of legislative enactments defin¬ 
ing the powers and duties of water commissioners makes it plain 
that the office is one of great responsibility and importance, re¬ 
quiring for the efficient discharge of its duties, to carry out both 
the letter and the spirit of the statute, constant attention, strict 
impartiality, energy, tact, hard work, and ability. From the 
very nature of the duties imposed, the fluctuations in supply of 
water during an irrigating season, the need of its use frequently 
being greater than the supply, considerable discretion must be 
exercised by the official in charge. It may be said at the outset 
that it is probably not possible, with the necessary limitations 
of human wisdom, for any water commissioner to attain per¬ 
fection in performing these duties. But every faithful official 
should aim to attain as near an approach as possible to a perfect 
discharge of all the duties imposed upon him. 
It is to be hoped that in the course of time, and with in¬ 
creased experience, the service will be improved; that mistakes 
and neglect of commissioners in the past and the injuries result¬ 
ing therefrom, will occasion greater diligence and care, and more 
freedom from error in the future; that in time, the sooner the 
better, the selection of these officials will be removed more and 
more from the scrambles of politicians, so that a trained class 
of officials to perform these important duties necessary for the 
proper development of one of the leading industries of the state, 
will be evolved. In time, the demands of the irrigators of the 
state will be such that a faithful, conscientious and experienced 
official will be retained in office irrespective of the fluctuations in 
political control of the state government. 
An effort will now be made to make some suggestions con¬ 
cerning the proper discharge of many of the duties of water com¬ 
missioners prescribed by the statutes. 
