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LAS VEGAS EVENING REVIEW-JOURNAL November 2, 1944 Water Parley Plan Representatives of the state, county, city, Union Pacific rail­road and the board of,directors of the Las Vegas chamber of commerce will gather tomorrow at noon, at El Rancho Vegas, for a discussion on the water prob­lem of the Las Vegas valley. The meeting, one of thf most important which has been held in this area in many months, probably will go a long way to­ward providing an answer to a problem which has been in­creasing in importance since Las Vegas began its industrial growth with the advent of the big Basic Magnesium plant, ac­cording to Max Kelch, presi­dent of the chamber of com-, merce. and if it is available, undoubtedly will be given much attention by the conferees, Kelch reported. Governor E. P. Carville, who has been taking the lead in the securing of the BMI system, has called a meeting of the eco­nomic confeemce for Carson City on November 9, and the purchase program will occupy an important place on the agenda, p was reported today. State Engineer A. M. Smith, and his assistant, Hugh Shamber-ger, will be here to explain the state s stand bn the development of the underground water supply m the valley, and it is probable that some definite policy will be outlined to be followed in the future. The meeting here tomorrow is the outgrowth of protests which Wef eJ iled by th€ Las Vegas Land and Water company against drill­ing of wells near the big spring which supplies Las Vegas with i P domestic water. However since the meeting was called, the BMI system, which is expected to be partially abandoned with the closing of the plant, has en­tered the picture, and plans for toe purchase of the system, when The Las Vegas meeting tomor-. row has assumed new importance for, upon decisions reached here, the future of the water supply in Las Vegas will hinge, the gov­ernor indicated. The Colorado river commission has delayed any action on the proposal for the state to purchase the BMI water system until after the Las Vegas meeting, and rec­ommendations which probably will be made at the conference tomorrow, may play a large part in the program to be developed by the commission. The meeting tomorrow, whi'eh ?originally started to be a general indignation meeting to protest the action of the state engineer’s office in clamping down on per­mits for artesian wells in the area, has developed into some­thing far more important, Kelch reported, and the foundation for a program of the entire future of the water in the valley may be decided. - The Union Pacific and Las Ve­gas Land and Water company of-ficiais have reported that they' will cooperate in every way pos^ sible to work out a long range program and pointed out that they are as interested as. any other business man in Las Vegas in seeing that the future of this area is assured. It is probable, Kelcn said, that the meeting tomorrow will be the start of a series of such confer­ences which may be held from time to time in order to work out a comprehensive, long- range program for the development of an assured water supply for the use of future industries.