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<br /> <br />To the oOlllplaint tl:n1s brou,ght the defendants demurred, one at the <br /> <br />grounds thereof belng "that there ....s a misjoinder 01' partles plaint11'f <br /> <br />and defendant." The trJ.al court sustalned the dCl1lllrrar. Sald ruling .....s <br /> <br />a1'1'irmed by the Supreme Court 01' Colorado, the court saying' <br /> <br />"The ruling 01' the court below upon the ground 01' misjolnder <br />01' partles, plaIntlf1' and de1'endant, is sustained by the deolslon <br />in Farmers' Ind. Dltch Co. v. Agr1cultural Ditch Co.. 22 Colo. 61Z. <br />It Is there1.n he~d. that, by reason 01' thO number or oonsumera undez- <br />cU.tches 01' this charaotert. it YOUld be impractlcable to make them <br />palotles to a proceeding 11.l<e the one be.fore UlI' and that the ditch <br />c~ itself 18 the proper party to maintain the act10n, 1t being <br />trustee 1'01' lts stockholders and oonsumers. . + + + <br /> <br />The first sentence or the flrst sectlon 01' the Act relating to the <br /> <br /> <br />matter of the changing of points of d1verzion (Sea. 104, ch. 90, '35 C.S.A.) <br /> <br /> <br />readll. <br /> <br />"Every person, nssocJ.ation or corporation desirous of chang- <br />ing in ..mole or in part the point or points of d1verdon 01' his or <br />its right h use ""tar 1'l'om any of the str_ of the state,-aE'all <br />presont a petit10n to the dlstriot cour.: n-am which the originAl <br />decree l8sued, whether the c!Jn'1ge be 1'l'om one d1strict to 11I10ther or <br />not, prlQ'1ng that such ohn'1ge be grl1Ilted. + + + " <br /> <br />Attentlon 1s called to the langu.age "hi. or ita r1sht". It will be <br />- - <br /> <br />recalled, as hereinbe1'ore pointsd out, thC.t the rlght to the use of ....ter <br /> <br /> <br />18 in the consumers or conlNlUers and stockholders, and not in the ditch <br /> <br /> <br />oorporat10n. The point .....s ro.1sed in lIonte V1sta Canal Co. v. CentennJ.al <br /> <br /> <br />Irrigating Dltch Co., 24 Colo. App. 496, lZ5 P. 981, that the mutual d1tch <br /> <br /> <br />compa,ny whioh brought the prooeed1ng there under revlew for authority to <br /> <br /> <br />c\1,llnge the point of d1vcrslon 1IIllS not the proper party, because the d1tch <br /> <br /> <br />COlIIp&ny itself dld not own the .....ter rlght or rights exercised in connec- <br /> <br /> <br />tion with and through the d1tch. In other words, the 1Il1ter r1ght was not <br /> <br /> <br />"ita right." The court held that, 1thile the corporation carried the ....tar <br />- <br /> <br />for the use of its stookholde1'll only, and, 1lh1le it owned no land ex"ept <br /> <br />its right of way, and irrigated no land 1'or its own uee, nevertheless 1t <br /> <br />was the proper party to institute and c.e.rry through the prooesding. IYo <br />quote from the opinion (498-499) I <br />"Pet1tioner _s a corporation or assoo18t1on known as a mutual <br />ditch company, carrying .....ter for the use of 1ts stockholder:! onl,., <br />maintaining and operating the d1tch solel,. for their use and beneflt, <br />and, "lthough it owned no lam exoept for its right of wey, and a. a <br />oorporatlon irrigated no land 1'o~ its own use nevertheless we think <br />that by virtue ot 1ts relation to its stockholders in ..mom was veeted <br />the 'rlght to the use of water from the stre&lll,' the corporation bad <br />the right, as trustee for such stOckhOlders, to institute end prosc- <br />cute the proceed1ng. <br /> <br />-7- <br /> <br />e..~\. <br />"'t.-J <br /> <br />