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LAS VEGAS SUN - May 9 , 1953 WHERE I STAND By HANK GREENSPUN I would like for the Las Vegas Land and' Water Company to know the story of the “Merchant Guyot.” Guyot lived and died in Idle town of Marseilles iVi France. He amassed a large fortune by the most laborious industry and by habits of severest abstinence and privation. His neighbors con­sidered him a miser and thought he was hoarding up money from mean and avaricious motivesi The populace, whenever he would ap­pear, pursued him with hootings and curses, and the boys threw stones at him. He finally; died and in. his will were found the following words: “Having observed from my in­fancy that the poor of Marseilles ‘are badly supplied with water which they can only purchase at high price, I have cheerfully la­bored the whole of my life to procure for them this great bless­ing, and I direct that the whole of my property be laid out in building an aqueduct for their use.” The Las Vegas Land and Water Company which is owned by the Union Pacific Railroad, realizes, most thoroughly, that water is ,pne blessing, of which Las Vegas is in short supply. But unlike the merchant Guyot, the water Company is extremely anxious to {CeuUatMS 90 fs$« it WHERE I STAND v! (Continued from Page 1) y isqueeze the last‘dime out of thef parched public, before turning over to the Water District, the facilities which can assure con­tinued growth to the community. The water supply has been i dropping steadily for the past j [years. . Around the middle of | [the summer, it is not an unusual j [sight to turn on the faucet and |watch the water drip in a mad­dening fashion, not unlike the [common forrri of Chinese torture. The population of Las Vegas is growing. New subdivisions are ; finding it increasingly difficult'[ to get water. This summer should [reach a new high in frayed tern-1 j pers as women wait to wash the ?[ j dinner dishes and menfolk rave i at watering lawns. - And what is being done about [ it? The seven men on the board of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, have shown remarkable patience in trying to work out a deal'with the Union Pacific-Rail­road for sale of the water prop-: erty. Tom Campbell, Spence But- ; terfield, Bill Coulthard, Harry Miller, Otto Underhill, Jim Cash- man and John Bunch have taken much time away from their pri- vate4' business to serve on the board without pay, in hopes that i ; sufficient water will some day; be brought to this ’area to take : care of our needs. Their efforts, J up ’til the present, have been met with delays and procrastipa- [ | tion on the part of the Unipn i Pacific officials. I have been writing columns about this subject for more then ; a year and it’s very fortunate for the railroad that I am not a member of the water district be- [ cause procrastination is one facet [Of life which I.cannot endure.' I would have blown my top long ago. As long ago as last August,: a idefinite understanding was reached between the Water Com- : pany and the District for pur­chase of the local water system for a nrice of S2,500.000. j The Union Pacific "played | Iround” with the matter until the | middle of October when they [asked for a redraft. The District complied on October 15, and [it | tpok until the end of January be- i fore the Railroad once more pe- j plied, asking for another re­vision. There have been revisions on revisions and it is now approach- i ing the middle of May, with an-: other parched summer coming up, and still the Railroad and the Water District are no nearer com- pletion than they were a year' j ago. I personally think there his been enough procrastination in;a matter which is very vital to the well-being of the entire comma- I hlty. If anyone should ask me, I might even suggest that an im- I mediate conference be held with all principals sitting around a table where problems can be solved in a matter of hours as compared to months when it is ‘ ? left to subordinates. The entire matter should tie wound up without further delay | so that a bond election can be ! held before the summer is over. Water must be brought in from [ Lake Mead and the Las Vegas | Land and Water facilities must [ be turned oyer to the Water Dis-! trict if the community is to pro­gress. As matters now stand, the Un­ion Pacific has an opportunity j tp receive 2% million dollars which should show them • hand- j some profit on their investment. If delays should continue, it; might not be a bad idea for the Water District to explore the : possibility of condemnation pro­ceedings. Through condemna­tion, the Railroad would be lucky to get out with their original in­vestment. Lay it on the line, you men of . the Water District. Summer is coming on and the temper of the people increases proportionately with the rise in temperature and the decrease in water. Water is good anywhere ex­cept on the brain. I strongly fear that if the decision is left to the Union Pacific, the time will : not be too far distant when the [people of Las Vegas will turn 1 on the faucets and sand will come out.