Repealing Clause. Section 2. All acts and parts of acts in conflict herewith are expressly repealed. Approved March 17, 1924. CHAPTER 136. HOUSE BILL NO 117. Board of County Commissioners AN ACT fixing and regulating the salary and compensation for each of the members of the Board of County Commissioners in all counties in the State of Oklahoma having a population of not less than 11,250 inhabitants and not exceeding 11,275 inhabitants, according to the last Official Federal Census, and repealing all laws in conflict herewith. BE IT ENACTED, BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: Board of County Commissioners—Salary. (Sic). That all counties in this State having a population of not less than 11,250 inhabitants and not more than 11,275 inhabitants, according to the last official Federal census, the salary and compensation of each of the members of the Board of County Commissioners shall be $600.00 per annum, payable monthly; provided, however, that the terms and provisions of this Act shall not be deemed to apply during the present term of office. Repealing Clause. Section 2. All Acts and parts of Acts in conflict herewith are expressly repealed. Approved March 17, 1924. CHAPTER 137. HOUSE BILL NO. 118. Prohibiting Destruction of Fish. AN ACT amending Section 6561, of the Compiled Oklahoma Statutes, 1921, prohibiting against destruction of fish in ponds and streams of the State; providing for the rescue of fish and rewards for the violation (sic) of this act; making an appropriation therefor and declaring an emergency. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: Section 1. That section 6561, of the Compiled Oklahoma statutes, 1921, be and the same is hereby amended to read as follows: Section 6561. The State Game and Fish Warden is hereby authorized to offer a standing reward in the sum of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), for the capture and conviction, or for evidence leading to the capture and conviction of any person, or person's guilty of dynamiting or poisoning the waters of any lake, pond, river or stream in the State. Said reward, when offered and approved as provided by law, shall be paid out of any appropriation made from the fish and game protection fund, as provided by law; provided, that the fish and game commission may offer rewards for the capture and conviction, or for evidence leading to the capture and conviction of any person or persons violating any of the fish and game laws of the State. For the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this section, there is hereby appropriated out of any moneys in the State Treasury to the credit of the game protection fund, not otherwise appropriated, the sum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,0000.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary for the purpose of paying rewards as provided in this section, and rewards offered by the State Fish and Game commission for the apprehension and conviction of persons violating any provision of the fish and game laws of this State. One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), of said Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), as appropriated in this Act, may be used for fish rescue work under the supervision of the State Game and Fish Warden. Emergency. Section 2. It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this Act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval. Approved March 25, 1924. CHAPTER 138. HOUSE BILL NO. 119. Per Diem and Mileage of County Commissioners AN ACT repealing Chapter 110, Session Laws 1921, which. regulated and fixed the per diem and mileage of County Commissioners and County Engineer of Grant County, Oklahoma, and declaring an emergency. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: Repealing Clause. Section 1. Chapter 110, Sections One (1), Two (2), Three (3), and Four (4), Session Laws, 1921, are hereby repealed. Emergency. Section 2. It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this Act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval. Approved March 17, 1924. CHAPTER 139. HOUSE BILL NO. 123. Buildings For County Free Fair Association. AN ACT authorizing County Commissioners in counties of not less than 37,500 population and not more than 37,550 population to erect buildings for the purpose of County Free Fair Associations, providing for the levy of a tax therefor, and for issuing certificates of Indebtedness, and declaring an emergency. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: County Commissioners-Budget. Section 1. The county commissioners of all counties in the State of Oklahoma, having not less than 37,500 population and not more than 37,550 population, according to the last preceding Federal Decennial Census, are hereby authorized and empowered to include an item in the estimate of the County Budget for the next five fiscal years for the erection of live stock and exhibition buildings on the grounds of the Free Fair Association of such county, in the amount of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) per year, for each year, and the County Excise Board is authorized and empowered to levy a tax to cover the same. Provided the amount herein provided for may be an addition to the maximum levy allowed by law for the support of County Government. Provided further that said Board of County Commissioners be and are hereby authorized to construct and contract for said buildings immediately after the first Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) is provided as herein set out, and to issue certificates of indebtedness payable for the four succeeding years of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) each without interest, to pay for such buildings. Emergency. Section 2. It being immediately necessary for the preservation of public peace, health and safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this Act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval. Approved March 21, 1924. CHAPTER 139 HOUSE BILL NO. 47. Drainage and Irrigation Districts. AN ACT authorizing and providing for the Establishment, Administration and control of Drainage and Irrigation Districts to be known as "Conservancy Districts" for flood prevention and irrigation, and conferring certain jurisdiction on Supreme and District Courts and Judges thereof; for regulating flow of streams; reclaiming wet lands; providing for irrigation; diverting or eliminating water courses; and flowage for impounding and other purposes; providing for control and administration of districts; for election of district officers; for ascertainment and assessment of benefits and damages; for acquisition, rental and sale of properties; conferring power of Eminent Domain and the borrowing of money, issuance of bonds and evidences of indebtedness; for levying and collecting taxes and assessments; conferring police power and defining offenses and fixing punishment therefor; and creating a state drainage and irrigation commission and for other purposes; conferring power to make contracts in and with other States. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: Conservancy Act. Short Title and Interpretation. Section 1. Terms Defined. This Act may be known and cited as the "Conservancy Act of Oklahoma," the bonds which may be issued hereunder may be briefly called "Conservancy Bonds," and shall be so engraved or printed on their face; the districts created hereunder shall be briefly termed "Conservancy Districts." The books and records provided for hereunder shall be termed "Conservancy Books of Conservancy Record," and such titles shall be printed, stamped or written thereon. Wherever the term "publication" is used in this Act and no manner specified therefor, it shall be taken to mean four insertions. in a weekly paper or in one issue a week for four weeks in a daily newspaper in each of two newspapers of different political affiliations, (if such newspapers there be) and of general circulation in the county or counties wherein such publication is to be made. It shall not be necessary, if publication is made in a daily newspaper, that publication shall be made on the same day of the week in each week, but not less than twenty-one (21) days (excluding the day of the first publication) shall intervene between the first publication and the last publication, and publication shall be complete on the last day of publcation. Wherever the term "person" is used in this Act, and not otherwise specified, it shall be taken to mean person, firm, co-partnership, association or corporation, other than county, township, city, village or other political subdivision. Similarly, the words "public corporation" shall be taken to mean counties, townships, cities, towns, school districts, road districts, ditch districts, park districts, levee districts, and all other governmental agencies clothed with the power of levying general or special taxes, or assessments. Wherever the term "court" is used, and not otherwise specified, it shall be taken to mean the district court wherein the petition for the organization of the district was filed or assigned. Wherever the terms "land" or "property" are used in this Act they shall, unless otherwise specified, be held to mean real property, as the words "real property" are used in and defined by the laws of the State of Oklahoma, and shall embrace all railroads, tram roads, roads, electric railroads, street and interurban railroads, streets and street improvements, telephone, telegraph, and transmission lines, gas, sewerage and water systems, pipe lines and rights of way of public service corporations, and all other real property whether public or private. Creating the Commissioners of Drainage and Irrigation. Section 2. There is hereby created the Commissioners of Drainage and Irrigation for the State of Oklahoma, to be composed of five members, to be appointed by the Governor by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Said Commissioners shall have the powers and duties set forth herein and otherwise defined and provided by law and may be removed for cause as provided for the removal of other State appointive officials. One of said Commissioners shall be appointed for a term of one year; one for a term of two years; one for a term of three years; one for a term of four years and one for a term of five years and one of said Commissioners shall be appointed thereafter each year to fill the vacancy caused by the expiration of the term of the Commissioner appointed whose term expires in that year. Organization of District. Section 3. The District Courts To Organize Districts. The district court of any judicial district in this State, or any judge thereof in vacation, is hereby vested with jurisdiction, power and authority, when the condition stated in the fourth section of this Act are found to exist, to establish conservancy districts, which may be entirely within, or partly within and partly without, the judicial district in which said court is located, for all or any of these purposes: (a) Of preventing floods; (b) Of regulating stream channels by changing, widening and deepening same; (c) Of reclaiming or of filling wet and overflowed lands; (d) Of providing for irrigation where it may be needed; (e) Of regulating the flow of streams; (f) Of diverting, or in whole or in part eliminating water courses, or part of the flowage thereof. And incident to such purposes and to enable their accomplishment, to straighten, widen, deepen, change, divert, or change the course or terminus of, any natural or artificial water course; to build, or rebuild reservoirs, canals, levees, walls, embankments, bridges, or dams; to maintain, operate and repair any of the construction herein named; and to do all other things necessary for the fulfillment of the purposes of this Act. Section 4. Petition. Before any court shall establish a district as outlined in Section 3 of this Act, a petition shall be filed in the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma. Said petition, if said district does not affect more than one county, shall be signed by fifty-one per cent of the owners of land embraced in the proposed district. The governing body of any city of first class shall have the power and authority to instruct the mayor or chief executive officer to sign any petition under this Act |