said properties a subdivision of the greater drainage district, shall have the right to require of the drainage commissioners, upon the written petition of two-thirds of said property owners, to create one or more subdrainage districts within the larger district, over which the said drainage commissioners shall have the same jurisdiction as over the entire district.

Petition for Tax Levy.

2498. [Sec. 2.] Upon the petition of one-half of the property taxpayers residing within said subdrainage district or districts petitioning that a special election be held, in the manner required by law, to ascertain the sense of the property taxpayers residing within said subdrainage district upon the undertaking, prosecution and consummation and maintenance of any special work of drainage within said subdrainage district, and upon the question of imposing a special tax or an acreage tax within said subdrainage district for the prosecution, and consummation and maintenance of said special work, the drainage commissioners shall order an election to be held in the same manner and under the same provisions of law as applied to elections held upon similar proposition within the entire drainage district;

Provided, that nothing in this Act shall compel the said drainage commissioners to call said election unless they may consider the creation of said subdrainage district advantageous and to the best interest of the existing district.

Limitation Upon Special Tax.

2499. [Sec. 3.] No proposition shall be submitted for a special tax or an acreage tax save to such extent as the constitutional limitations to such special tax or acreage tax shall not have been exhausted in the entire district; and provided, that the collection of said special tax or acreage tax as may be voted, and its disbursement, as well as the undertaking of the special drainage works sought to be had for the said subdrainage districts. Its consummation and maintenance shall be within the province and under the control of the drainage commissioners of the entire district.

Special Tax Makes a Special Fund.

2500. [Sec. 4.] The drainage commissioners shall have no right to do any work different from that voted upon by the property taxpayers within the subdrainage district out of the special fund provided for the special purposes set forth above,

and the fund derived from any special tax or acreage tax imposed as above shall be kept as a separate fund for the exclusive use of the special work above provided for and their maintenance.

Acreage Tax.

2501. [Sec. 1, Act 29, 1906, p. 45.] In order to raise the funds necessary for the purpose of draining the lands situated in any drainage district of the State, created and organized under the provisions of Act No. 37 of 1894, or of other acts of the General Assembly of the State, enacted previous to the adoption of the Constitution of 1898, in addition to such as may be raised by special ad valorem taxation under existing laws, a local assessment or forced contribution, not to exceed twenty-five cents per acre, may be levied and collected annually on all lands situated in such drainage districts, provided such local assessments or forced contributions be authorized by a majority in number, and amount or value of property, of the property taxpayers authorized by Article 199 of the Constitution of 1898, to participate in said election, at an election held for the purpose of submission of same to them.

State Engineers to Make Preliminary Surveys for Drainage.

2502. [Sec. 1, Act 103, 1906, p. 168.] In addition to the duties already prescribed by law, it shall be the duty of the Board of State Engineers to make such preliminary surveys and other surveys and to perform such services as may be required by the board of commissioners of any drainage district in the State of Louisiana, for the construction of ditches, canals, or other public works necessary for drainage purposes in any drainage district in this State.

Payment of Expense of Surveys.

2503. [Sec. 2.] All of the expenses that may be incurred by said Board of State Engineers in the performance of such services, as aforesaid, shall be paid monthly on their own warrants approved by the Governor out of funds provided for drainage purposes in the drainage districts in which such surveys and such services as are, herein required, may be performed by the Board of State Engineers.

2504. [Sec. 3.] The Board of Commissioners of Drainage Districts are hereby required to pay in cash, on presentation, all warrants drawn as set forth in Section 2 for all surveys and

services officially required by them from the Board of State Engineers.

Acreage Tax.

2505. [Sec. 1, Act 211, 1902, p. 401.] Any drainage district organized under the laws of the State of Louisiana which does not desire to avail itself of the provisions of Article 281 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana of 1898, and the Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana carrying into effect said Article of the Constitution relative to the assessment and collection of the taxes in such drainage districts shall have the power to levy an annual contribution on all lands situated in such drainage districts not exceeding fifty cents on the acre; provided, that such contributions be authorized by a majority in number and amount of the property taxpayers voting at an election held for that purpose in the manner provided for under existing laws.

Ratification of Acreage Tax Levies.

2506. [Sec. 2.] Any drainage district organized under existing laws, which has not availed itself of Article 281 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana of 1898, and the Acts of the General Assembly carrying the same into effect, and which has levied an annual contribution or acreage tax on the land situated in such drainage district, such contribution or acreage tax is hereby ratified and confirmed and the election by which said contribution or acreage tax was levied and the debt incurred upon the faith of said tax shall never be questioned.

Control Over Drainage Channels.

2507. [Sec. 1, Act 61, 1904, p. 142.] The various Levee and Drainage Districts of this State shall have control over all public Drainage Channels within the limits of their respective Districts and for a space of one hundred feet on each side thereof, selected by the District and recommended and approved by the Board of State Engineers, whether such drainage channels have been improved by the Levee or Drainage District, or have been adopted without improvement as necessary parts of or extensions to improved drainage channels; and shall have authority to adopt rules and regulations for preserving the efficiency of said Drainage Channels.

Drainage District vs. R. R., 124 La. 502.

Penalty for Obstruction of Drainage Channels.

2508. [Sec. 2.] Any person or persons who shall obstruct such Drainage Channels by bridging same except in accordance with plans, specifications and instructions prescribed by the District; construct dams, locks or gates in them; extend fences across them of wire or of any other material; establish fording places across them, or water places or approaches for stock; anchor rafts, crafts, fish traps, fish cars and other obstacles in the channel; drain into them by natural or artificial inlets except under regulations prescribed by the District; float timber in them; use them for transportation or navigation except under authority of and agreement with the District, or in any manner obstruct such Drainage Channels, or violate any of the rules or regulations adopted and promulgated by the Districts for preserving and maintaining the efficiency of the Drainage Channels in their districts, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof before any court of competent jurisdiction, shall be punished by imprisonment without hard labor, for a term not less than thirty nor exceeding sixty days, or fined in a sum not less than twenty-five or exceeding five hundred dollars, or both, at the discretion of the Court.

2509. [Sec. 1, Act 214, 1912, p. 464.] The Governor Superintendent of Public Education and the Attorney General, together with as many citizens appointed by the Governor as there are Congressional Districts, being one from each congressional district of the State, shall be a body politic, and corporate by the name and style of the Board of Education for the State of Louisiana, with authority to sue and defend suits in all matters relating to the public schools. The above specified citizens shall receive as compensation for their services in attending the meetings of the board, their actual traveling expenses and per diem for the number of days that the board is in session, the same as members of the State Legislature, payable on their warrants, approved by the president and secretary of the board, out of the current school fund.

Duties of Board.

2510. [Sec. 2.] The Governor shall be ex-officio president, and the State Superintendent, secretary of said Board. The State Superintendent shall be authorized to appoint an assistant secretary from his office. The Board shall meet on or before the first Monday in December of each year, and at other times when called by the Governor. The acts of the Board shall be attested by the signature of the president and secretary of the Board. All papers, documents, and records appertaining to the Board shall be filed by the Secretary in the office of the State Superintendent of Public Education. The Board may direct the proceedings of the State Board of Education be published in the official journal of the State or in an official pamphlet.

Employment of School Inspectors Authorized.

2511. [Act 248, 1914, p. 479.] The State Board of Education shall have authority to employ such high school inspectors, rural school inspectors, or other school inspectors as may be needed to keep the Board in proper touch with the educational system of the State and to aid the parish superintendents and other school officials of the parishes in improving in every way possible the public schools of the various parishes. Provided that not more than three inspectors shall be appointed under authority of this Act.

Text Book Committee.

2512. [Sec. 1, Act 39, 1910, p. 60.] The Governor, by and with the consent of the Senate shall select and appoint seven educators of known character and ability in their profession, each of whom shall hold parish superintendent's eligibility certificates, a first grade teacher's certificate, or the equivalent, one to be selected from each of the seven Congressional Districts, who, together with the State Superintendent of Public Education, shall constitute the State Text-Book Committee.

Superintendent of Education Chairman.

2513. [Sec. 2.] The State Superintendent of Public Education shall be ex-officio chairman and shall serve on the committee without compensation, and the other members of said committee shall be paid the sum of five dollars ($5) per diem during the time they are actually away from their homes on the business of said committee, and their actual traveling expenses in going to and from the place of meeting, upon warrants drawn by