upr000050 237

I»as V&gm * March 12 th, 1935, (Confidential) Dear Fred; Unclosed is a flipping from the lias Vegas "Evening Review-Journal" and also editorial comment, with regard to the City ©f las Vegas going into the water and power business. Hesse note that the news item states vlt was not the idea to lanneh the City into any program of municipal owner ship’, hut the editorial indicates the amendment is * intended to put the city Into the water and power business * • For some months past, there has been a quiet move­ment under way to harass the water company, which came to light about the time we requested the City Commissioners to place cer­tain restrictions on "the waste of water during the temporary shortage last July. fwe of those most act lye in this campaign are members of the City Commission, Messrs. Arnett and Marble, both local businessmen. .Arnett is owner of a drug store and saloon here, and with the assistance of Mr* Marble, who is the bookkeeper for the Ford Agency in las Vegas, defeated that por­tion of the local ordinance which we had requested to prohibit the running of water through a cooler and thence to waste; Mr. Arnett had these coolers in his drug-stare and saloon. Incidentally, Mr* 0©ey attended this meeting with us, and is familiar with what transpired there and will possibly give you his views on same, as he became so disgusted that he left before the meeting was over, Because of the City Commission’s failure to cooper­ate with ms to prevent the waste of water, we recently had drawn up through ota? legal Department a bill which was in possession // of one of our Assemblymen at Carson City to be introduced, amend­ing Section 13 concerning Public Utilities, whereby we would be permitted to install meters on business houses and industries. However, prior to the introduction of this bill, the entire City Commission visited me while In Carson City os matter a pertaining to the fraln limit Bill, and assured me while up there that if this M i l were withdrawn they would immediately place in effect such ©rdinance for sprinkling or other waste of water that there would be no need of metering water to control it, fhey and our Assemblyman up there had incited the Washoe delegation to such an extent against this bill that it looked as though it would posi­tively be defeated, so I agreed with them to withdraw the bill if they would, as promised, pass the city ordinance for the pro­tection of our water supply. Shis, I believe, will be done at a very early meeting of the City Commissioners.