The Imperial press., 1905-08-12

Commissioner at Imperial was abolish ed in December, last it. was upon the direct, positive representation that the law, permitting afidavits in land office business to be made before such officers, would be repealed as soon as Congress met.
 Mir. E. B. Linnen, the Inspector of the General Land Office, on whose re- quest the office was abolished, stated positively that this law would be knocked out before last Christmas, which was within three weeks time. He also pointed out that the lands in the Imperial Valley were withdrawn from final entry on account of the new survey which must be completed and the new system of land descriptions inaugurated before the final receipts for these lands could be issued and the lands pass to patent.
 He also stated that the General Land Office had, in March, 1904, made a regulation that all proofs made before any other officers than the Registers and Receivers Of the United States Land Offices, should be suspended and no action taken on them untill the land itself could be examined and the proofs investigated and reported on by a Special Agent of tine United States Land OiGc&
 All partie. ekiug to make proof be- fore other c; CTS than Registers and Receivers w.,a notif4d of this regula- stion and warnea that if they made proof before other than the Register and Receiver, that a"tlon might seriously delay their getting title to their land. Previous to the promulga- tion of Chis regulation, final proofs made before the United States Com missioner at Imperial had been passed upon and final receipt issued by the Register and Receive: at Los Angeles within one week after the proofs were forwarded from Imperial.
 Under this condition the people of this Valley had every convenience afforded them that they would have enjoyed had the Land Office been located at Imperial instead of Los An geIes. The Commissioner had q set of records of all the lands within the Valley. had daily reports from the United States Land Office and kept these records mp to date. Enquiries concerning lands could be answered at once without communicating with the District Land Office Entries, proofs, contests and all manner of land office business could be transacted here and the saving in money and time and the convenience such an office was to the people of Imperial Va ley was q mark ed factor in it's prosperity and upbuild- ing.
 The regulali""@ established about March 1, l9Oi veyer, so involved the matter "f ir. .'roote as to render largely rugatory .e good the office was to the lnperi;' valley people. True, they might still make entries, annual proofs and contests here that would be effective, but the final proofs would be suspended for an indefinite time and the entryman left in a condition of un- certainty tor no telling how long.
 The first final proof made before the United States Commissioner at Inn perial to come under the operation of the suspension regulation and require investigation hy Special Agent of the Land Office before the proofs could be acted upon, was that of Lena Ranson, whose proof was made on March 8, 1904 This was seventeen months ago. and so far as known there has been no visit made to this Valley by anyone from the United States Land Office for the purpose of Investigating this ar any other final proof.
 We presume that the reason for this is the new survey which must be com pleted and the new method of describ- ing the lands in this Valley inaugurated before final receipts can be issued.
 At any rate We are informed by Mir. T. D. Molloy, the clerk of the District Court at Yuma, Arizona, before whom final proofs are made and all kinds of