(e) Duty of district attorney. Upon the complaint of the department of engineering any district attorney is hereby authorized and directed to prosecute violations of the provisions of this section.

§ 3. Audit. All expenditures hereunder for rights of way, labor, materials and machinery, or in payment, in whole or in part, of any contract shall, before being paid, be audited by the state board of control, as provided by law.

§ 4. When available. Of the money herein appropriated fifty thousand dollars shall become available immediately upon this act becoming effective and the remaining one hundred thousand dollars shall become available on the first day of July, 1918.

ACT 3818c.

An act to provide for the accomplishment of the work of the direct improvement of the navigation of the Sacramento, San Joaquin and Feather rivers of the state of California, by controlling the floods, removing the debris and continuing the improvement of the Sacramento river, California, in accordance with the plans of the California debris commission contained in the report of said commission submitted August 10, 1910, and transmitted to the speaker of the house of representatives of the United States by the secretary of war on June 27, 1911, and printed in house of representatives document number eighty-one of the first session of the sixty-second United States congress, as modified by the report of said commission submitted February 8, 1913, approved by the chief of engineers of the United States army and the board of engineers for rivers and harbors and printed in rivers and harbors committee document number five, sixty-third United States congress, first session, in so far as said plan provides for the rectification and enlargement of river channels and the construction of weirs; and making an appropriation for such work; and providing for the continuance of such work as provided by section two of an act of the congress of the United States entitled "An act to provide for the control of the floods of the Mississippi river and of the Sacramento river, California, and for other purposes," approved March 1, 1917.

[Approved May 15, 1917. Stats. 1917, p. 536. In effect July 1, 1917,]

§ 1. Appropriation: flood control. The sum of five hundred thousand dollars is hereby appropriated out of any money in the state treasury not otherwise appropriated, which shall be available July 1, 1917. for controlling the floods, removing the debris and continuing the improvement of the Sacramento river, California, in accordance with the plans of the California debris commission contained in the report of said commission submitted August 10, 1910, and transmitted to the speaker of the house of representatives of the United States by the secretary of war on June 27, 1911, and printed in house of representatives document number eighty-one of the first session of the sixtysecond United States congress, as modified by the report of said commission submitted February 8, 1913, approved by the chief of engineers

of the United States army and the board of engineers for rivers and harbors and printed in Rivers and Harbors Committee Document Number Five, Sixty-third United States Congress, First Session, in so far as said plan provides for the rectification and enlargement of river channels and the construction of weirs.

§ 2. Condition. The appropriation made by section one of this act is made in compliance with the provisions of section two of that certain act of congress of the United States entitled "An act to provide for the control of the floods of the Mississippi river and of the Sacramento river, California, and for other purposes," approved March 1, 1917, and shall be paid to the treasurer of the United States whenever a like sum of five hundred thousand dollars shall have been appropriated or authorized to be appropriated by the congress of the United States, conditional on the payment of an equal amount by the state of California, for the prosecution of said work pursuant to section two of said act of congress.

§ 3. Expended by California debris commission. The money hereby appropriated, when paid to the treasurer of the United States, shall be expended under the direction of the California debris commission and in such manner as it may require or approve, and as provided in section two of said act of congress; and none of the money so appropriated shall be expended in the purchase of or payment for any right of way, easement or land acquired for the purposes of said improvement.

§ 4. Controller's warrant. The controller of the state of California is hereby authorized and directed, upon request of the governor, to draw his warrant or warrants on the state treasurer in favor of the treasurer of the United States for the amount hereby appropriated, and the state controller is hereby directed to pay the same.

§ 5. In case less sum appropriated by congress. If the congress of the United States shall not appropriate the full sum of five hundred thousand dollars for the prosecution of said work in accordance with section two of said act of congress, as herein before referred to, but shall appropriate a less sum or sums from time to time for said purpose, then the said sum hereby appropriated shall become available and be paid over to the treasurer of the United States, for said purpose as hereinbefore provided, in such sum or sums from time to time as may equal the sum or sums so appropriated or authorized to be appropriated by congress.

АСТ 3822.

TITLE 532a.

STATE LAND SETTLEMENT BOARD.

An act creating a state land settlement board and defining its powers and duties and making an appropriation in aid of its operations. [Approved June 1, 1917. Stats. 1917, p. 1566. In effect July 31, 1917.]

§ 1. Importance of land settlement. The legislature believes that land settlement is a problem of great importance to the welfare of all the

people of the state of California and for that reason through this particular act endeavors to improve the general economic and social conditions of agricultural settlers within the state and of the people of the state in general.

§ 2. State land settlement board created. Term. Per diem and expenses. Officers. Superintendent. With the object of promoting closer agricultural settlement, assisting deserving and qualified persons to aequire small improved farms, providing homes for farm laborers, increasing opportunities under the federal farm loan act, and demonstrating the value of adequate capital and organized direction in subdividing and preparing agricultural land for settlement, there is hereby created a state land settlement board to consist of five members appointed by the gov ernor to hold office for a term of four years and until their successors have been appointed and shall have qualified; provided, however, that of the members first appointed two shall be appointed to hold office until the first day in January, nineteen hundred eighteen, one until the first day in January, nineteen hundred nineteen, one until the first day in January, nineteen hundred twenty, and one until the first day in January, nineteen hundred twenty-one.

The members of the board shall receive a per diem for each meeting attended, to be fixed by the state board of control with the approval of the governor; they shall also receive their actual, necessary traveling expenses in the discharge of their duties.

The board shall elect its own chairman and secretary. The secretary may or may not be a member of the board. The board shall appoint a superintendent who shall be the general executive officer of the board, and such expert, technical, and clerical assistance as may prove necessary, and shall define their duties. It shall fix the salaries of all officers and other employees, with the approval of the state board of control.

§ 3. Body corporate. Quorum. The state land settlement board hereinafter called the board, shall constitute a body corporate with the right on behalf of the state to hold property, receive and request donations, sue and be sued, and all other rights provided by the constitution and laws of the state of California as belonging to bodies corporate.

Three members of the board shall constitute a quorum and such quorum may exercise all the power and authority conferred on the board by this

act.

§ 4. Agricultural lands to be acquired and sold. For the purposes of this act the board may in the manner hereinafter provided acquire on behalf of the state agricultural lands in California that are susceptible of intensive culture and suitable for colonization in an area of not more than ten thousand acres, together with any water rights and rights of way desirable or necessary therefor, and shall without delay improve, subdivide and sell such lands with appurtenant water rights to approved bona fide settlers under the conditions and in the manner hereinafter provided; provided, that, with the approval of the governor, the board shall have the authority to set aside for townsite purposes a suitable area purchased under the provisions of this act and to subdivide such

area and sell or lease the same for cash, in lots of such size, and with such restrictions as to resale, as, with the approval of the governor, they shall deem best; and provided, further, that the board shall have authority to set aside and dedicate to public use such area or areas as it may deem desirable for roads, schoolhouses, churches, or other public purposes.

§ 5. Purchase of private lands. Whenever the board believes that private land should be purchased for settlement under this act, it shall give notice by publication in one or more newspapers of general circulation in this state, setting forth the area and character of the land desired and the conditions that shall govern such proposed purchase, and inviting owners of lands believed to be suitable, and who are willing to enter into a contract for the sale of such lands on the conditions proposed, to submit such lands for inspection.

§ 6. Inspection of tracts. Within thirty days thereafter the board shall direct an officer or officers in its employ, or one or more persons who may at its request be designated by the dean of the college of agriculture of the University of California, to inspect and report on all tracts of land suitable for closer settlement which are so submitted.

§ 7. Report of inspection. The board shall give not less than one week's notice of the approximate date when tracts submitted will be inspected and every report of such inspection shall as far as practicable specify the

(a) Situation and brief description thereof;

(b) Extent and situation of land comprising so much of any tract as it is proposed to acquire;

(c) Names and addresses of the owners thereof;

(d) Character of water rights; (e) Nature of improvements;

(f) Crops being grown on land;

(g) Appraisement of value of land, water rights and improvements.

§ 8. Decision. On receiving the reports on all of the land examined the board shall decide which of the areas is best suited to the purposes of this act. Before so deciding the board may examine the land, or it may employ one or more competent valuers to fix the productive value of the land and report the same in writing; the owner or his agent may give evidence as to its value.

§ 9. Purchase. If from the evidence submitted or from the results of its personal inspection the board is satisfied that one or more of the tracts submitted are suited to intensive closer settlement and can be acquired at a reasonable price, it shall submit to the governor its report, giving the reasons for recommending the purchase, and on the approval of the governor the board shall be authorized to purchase the same; provided, that before such purchase is made, the attorney general shall approve the title of such lands and any water rights appurtenant thereto, and the president of the state water commission shall certify in writing as to the sufficiency of any water rights to be conveyed.

§ 10. Control by board until moneys advanced repaid. All purchases of land under this act shall be made under such terms and conditions as shall give to the board full control of any subdivisions thereof until all moneys advanced by the state for the purchase, improvement, or equipment of such subdivisions are fully repaid, together with interest thereon as herein provided.

§ 11. Subdivision. Improvement of land. Seeds. Cottages and water. Loans. Immediately upon taking possession of any land purchased as above, and after deducting any areas to be set aside for town sites or public purposes in accordance with section four of this act, the board shall subdivide it into areas suitable for farms and farm laborers' allotments, and lay out, and where necessary, construct roads, ditches, and drains for giving access to and insuring the proper cultivation of the several farms and allotments. The board, prior to disposing of it to settlers, or at any time after such land has been disposed of, but not after the end of the fifth year from the commencement of the term of the settler's purchase contract, may

(a) Prepare all or any part of such land for irrigation and cultivation; (b) Seed, plant, or fence such land, and cause dwelling-houses and outbuildings to be erected on any farm allotment of make any other improvements not specified above necessary to render the allotment habitable and productive in advance of or after settlement, the total cost of such dwellings, outbuildings, and improvements not to exceed one thousand five hundred ($1,500) dollars on any one farm allotment;

(c) Cause cottages to be erected on any farm laborer's allotment and provide a domestic water supply, the combined cost of the cottage and water supply not to exceed eight hundred ($800) dollars on any one farm laborer's allotment;

(d) Make loans to approved settlers on the security of stock and farm implements, such loans to be secured by mortgage or mortgages on such stock or farm implements, and the total amount of any such loan, together with money spent by the board on improvements as above speeified, not to exceed three thousand dollars on any one farm allotment.

§ 12. Irrigation works. Authority is hereby granted to the board, where deemed desirable, to operate and maintain any irrigation works constructed to serve any lands purchased and sold under the provisions of this act. All moneys received in tolls or charges for the operation and maintenance of any works or for any water supplied therefrom, shal' be deposited in the land settlement fund created by this act and shall become available for the payment of any costs, expenses, or other charges authorized in this act to be paid from said land settlement fund.

§ 13. Lease. After the purchase of land by the board under the provisions of this act and before its disposal to approved bona fide applicants the board shall have authority to lease such land or a part thereof on bonded or secured lease on such terms as it shall deem fit.

§ 14. Allotments.

Notice of opening for settlement. Right to reject applications. Lands disposed of under this act, other than lands set