Letter from Walter R. Bracken (Las Vegas) to J. P. Mack (Los Angeles), July 12, 1939

Las Vegas - July 12th, 1939. R-ll Mr. J. P. Mack, Division Engineer, Los Angeles, Cal. Dear Sir: This will acknowledge receipt of your letter July 11th, file 013-38-G, with regard to payment of claim by Robert Edwards and his helper for Sunday, June 11th, because their duties were performed by employees of the Water Company. I do not know whether railroad employees were available to do this work or not, but the fact remains they did not repair the leaks. My file is filled with copies of telegraphic reports to your office regarding leaks in this wooden pine line over the past eight years, and in March of this year I wired you that there were between 50 and 75 good big leaks in the line, suggesting some be repaired before the heavy drain commenced in the hot summer months. Again, Saturday June 10th, I sired you regarding the condition of the 16-inch wood line from Tonopah Highway to the shop-yard fence, and called attention to the fact that the water was dropping steadily in the reservoir, partly on account of the excessive number of leaks in this line. As late as 11AM Sunday, June 11th, no action whatever had bean taken to repair these leaks, and at that time the level in the reservoir had dropped to 5 feet. Considering the lack of attention given this matter by the railroad water servicemen on previous occasions, there was no use in looking to them for assistance in the emergency, so we did the only thing Mr. Mack: #2 July 12, 1939. that could be done under the circumstances, and that was to hustle up a gang of our own Sunday noon, which we did, patching over 100 leaks in the line as a result of which we gained approximately one foot in the reservoir Sunday night. Does it appear to you that your water service repairmen were properly performing their duties if it was possible for our men to repair over 100 leaks in the line Sunday afternoon and evening; or that they were paying any attention to this work at all? Even today we are feeling repercussions from the sloppy way in which this line has been maintained. We spent considerable money on advertising in the local newspapers, soliciting the cooperation of the citizens of Las Vegas to conserve water. Last Wednesday night at the meeting of the City Commissioners, the subject of passing an ordinance to prevent the waste of water was presented and no action taken because, it was said, the Water Company itself was guilty because anyone driving around the road to Lorenzi's could see a solid spray from the wooden pipe line, so what was the use of asking the people to save water? As a matter of fact no spray was coming from the line, and has not been since the Water Company's forces repaired the line on June 11th. The Las Vegas Land and Water Company pays approximately 80 per cent of the cost of maintenance of this pipe line, and Edwards' claim for time on that Sunday is a cheap price to pay for having this line placed in condition where it will safely deliver a supply of water to the city. Nevertheless, I am opposed to a policy of paying employees a bonus for sloppiness and neglect of the duties they are supposed to perform. Yours very truly, WALTER R. BRACKEN. Bcc - Mr. W. M. Jeffers, President, LVL&WCo., Omaha, Nebraska.