Letter from Charles Walcott to the Secretary of the Interior E. A. Hitchcock

This is a letter regarding public ownership of the Imperial Valley Water Users Association.

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In reply please refer to FHN and date of this letter. Address all communications to Director, U. S. Geological Survey, Washington, D. c." SUBJECT: Imperial Valley, California. FHN-CDM DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WASHINGTON, D. c., October 15, 1904. The Honorable, Secretary of the Interior. Sir: In accordance with your request of October 15, I have the honor to submit a report upon a letter from the Secretary to the President, dated October 13, asking you to send to the President, a report on the enclosed pe- tition from the Imperial Valley Water Users Association, This petition is signed by W. F. Holt, President, and Dr. C. S. Lombard, Director, and is accompanied by a note dated October 13, signed by Mr. Willis George Emerson. The petition asks that the Reclamation Service be instructed to make the way smooth and not difficult to bring about public ownership under the provisions of the reclamation law; and states, second, that arrangements have been made to purchase property for three million dollars which, in the judgment of the people, is worth far more. The matter is one which, in one form or another, has been before Congress and the Department for nearly a year. A resolution was passed by the last Congress instructing you