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The second, method, suggested, is for the Water Company to drill additional wells. Last October I attended a meeting at which the Las Vegas Valley Water District was represented, members of the City Commission were present as well as representatives of the Public Service Commission, including Commissioner Smith in his capacity as State Engineer, Mr. Hugh Shamberger, Assistant State Engineer, and Mr. Jameson, local representative of the State Engineer, in con­nection with water problems in the Las Vegas Valley. These expert engineers agreed with me that the drilling of more wells would not increase the net water supply to the City of Las Vegas but on the other hand would tend to increase the withdrawals from the underground basin and decrease the pro­duction of existing wells. At the present time, the water engineers are of the opinion that the withdrawals from the Las Vegas basin are in excess of the replenishment of water in that basin and it is obvious that these over-drafts cannot continue. I \d.ll not go into detail -with respect to these engineering features as other witnesses will cover that phase of the situation more thoroughly. Any money spent for drill­ing of additional wells would be wasteful and would merely add to the cost of the Water Company system with the necessary increase in water rates but with no substantial benefit to the water supply obtained. It is, of course, necessary for the water users to pay rates which will compensate the Water — 3—