upr000207 131

(copy) la te r 3erYl.ce - Las Vegas* £-9£4 attach in g copy Mr. J e ffe r s ' P-157. Los Angeles, itp r il £7, 19£9 Mr. P . H. Knickerbocker: 3*8 Vegas Land and .ater Oorapany, under i t s x2r£inQiiiS6* w£k*y xs#*fcsi.l. i&6t6x*8 &*fc ii»s own &xp6iis6 &nd &pply the schedule o f meter ra te s given in the fran ch ise to a l l consumers in C lark’ s Las Vegas Townsite upon n o tice g ive n to Commissioners o f C ity o f Las Vegas, and also to Public S ervice Commission o f Jfevada, The a p p lic a tio n o f meter ra tes as in the fra n ch ise w i l l more than double the f l a t ra te now paid by consumers. P ro tests from consumers w i l l undoubtedly be made, and the Public .Service Commission w i l l n otice a hearing \ and apply such schedule o f meter ra te s as may be warranted ^ upon th e showing made. Su bdivision A o f Section 4 o f the fran ch ise au th orizes the Pu b lic Service Commission to change the r a te s , but not to exceed t i e maximum ra te s provided in the fra n ch ise. This would seem to exclude the con sid era tion by the Commission o f an increase in th e f l a t ra tes provided in th e fra n ch ise, but I am o f the opinion that notwithstanding th is p ro visio n , the Commission would have a r ig h t to consider and order an increase In the f l a t ra te s i f the fa cts would warrant, in lie u o f the expense o f the in s t a lla t io n o f meters. Considering Mr. J e ffe r s ’ le t t e r as a whole, and h is reasons why d e fin it e a c tio n be taken now rather than w ait u n t il the fran ch ise exp ires in 1934, w i l l say th at the method whereby we now, and fo r many years la s t past have served the inhabitants o f Las Vegas C ity w ith water, has been discussed w ith Mr. J. F. Shaughnessy, Chairman o f the Pu blic Service Commission, and he was g iven to understand that in the near future some comprehensive system would be adopted. I now advi se ; ( a ) . That a l l con tracts now in existan ce whereby we serve a iy su b d ivision on a f l a t r a t e , be term inated, and that new con tracts be made applying the wholesale meter ra te o f Qd per 100 cubic f e e t ;