Imperial Valley press., 1915-12-16
Land Office
Plan Revised

| New life has been breathed into the
ambition to secure a United States
land office for Imperial Valley and
the old plans have been revived. c.
W. Collins is the protagonist in the
new movement
In the House of Representatives
William kettner, congressman from
this district introduced bill ere
ating an additional land district in
the State of California and for "other
purposes. In the letter. which accom-
panied a copy of the bill Kettner sent
to Collins, the congressman conveys
the following encouraging informa-
tion:
81 feel certain that the committee
Will pass it at this session, and am do
ing all | can TO expedite action"
1t Is understood Senator Phelan has
promised to lend his support to the
movement and Collins is now agitatihp
the matter all over the valley. The
Agricultural Assembly, which is to
meet at Brawley next Saturday, is
to be asked for resolution endorsing
land office in the valley, and the
Valley Chamber of Commerce will
likewise be asked to lend its support
as will the supervisors.
Mr.. Collins himself has sent letters
to Scott Ferris, chairman of the pub
lie lands committee, urging the pas
sage of the bill.
THE bill will undoubtedly PC
through if Ferris signifies his en-.
dorsement, as he has already said h,
would Mr.. Collins said this morn
ing.
every person who is interested il
the cleation of a land office in thi.
county ought to wire or write to theil
representatives at Washington urginl
that the measure be adopted"
Mr.. Collins pointed out that if the
legislation does actually become a re
ality, 2 important offices will be ere.
ated here.
Kettner's bill, which is brief
states:
"Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representative of the Unit
ed States of America, i'm Congress
assembled, that AN additional land dis
trict is hereby created for the State
OF California, to embrace the lands
contained in the following described
boundaries: Beginning at the inter
section of the range line between
Ranges 8 and 9 east of the San Ber-
nardino meridian with the southern
boundary of California;; thence north
along the range line to the northwest
corner of Township . south, Range 9
east; thence west along the Second
standard parallel south to the south
west corner of Township & south.
Range Z east; thence north along the
range line between Ranges and Z
east to the northern corner of
ITOwnship south, range east; thence
east along the township line between
Townships | and = south to the Colo
RADIO river; thence southerly along the
Colorado river to its intersection with
the south boundary of California:
thence southwesterly to the place of
beginning; that the land district shall
be known as the Imperial district, and
the Secretary of the Interior shall be
authorized to select the site of the
land office
"Section 9. That the Secretary of
the Interior shall cause all plats,
maps, records and papers in the Los
Angeles land office which relate to
or folm necessary part of the rec
Iords of the lands embraced in the dis
trict hereby created to be transferred
to the Imperial land district.
= "Section 3. That the president is
hereby authorized to appoint, by and
with the advice and consent of the
Senate, a register and receiver for
said land district, and they shall be
subject to the same laws and entitled
to the same compensation as is or may
) be hereafter provided by law in rela
T. tion to the existing land offices anC
officers in said state"
, Interest in the movement to gair
land office for the valley a year agt
, waned and the project was dropped
DiscoCraging reports from various
= sources indicated that the government
, was diminishing rather than increas
ing land offices in the United State,
and after series of efforts which
apparently led nowhere the PROPOSE
tion dropped out of sight.
J Now, however, the affair has taker
new and encouraging turn. The
proposed legislation has reached the
place where it is in the hands Of tn,
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