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(Pergonal) Mr. W. M. Jefferss Referring to telephone conversation fiat# with Mr* Cope regarding discussion of the water situation here with the Chamber of Commerce ’’ovember 3. I understand Mr. Cuild furnished you with details under date of November 6, and Sir. strong sent me copy of his letter November 7,to hr. Ashby, which contains a very good report of the discus;ion at the meeting. Rowever I wished to 'advise you the background and reason for the meeting, end that is to make the public conscious of the necessity for conserving the under­ground water supply in this basin. In 1940 w# discussed *ith the State Engineer the possibility of seriously de­pleting the supply of underground water by promiscuous issuance of drilling permits in the Lag Vegas Valley where more than 400 wells now exist. He advised that the policy of his office was to issue >#r®tts, and in the absence of any protest he had In fact no other course, however 'recognizing the seriousness of the threat to-the underground supply, he suggested the organ­ization of a Eater Conservation District in t M r Valley. This w©e done and the City of L a ’ Vegas, County of Clark and our Company became'members. A water Supervisor was employed, working under the direction of the State Engi­neer and hie ©alary was paid through donations from- the above named members until such time as authority could be received to pay hist from the State Tax Payroll. He is so employed at present and his duties are to close in those well© which are not being put to beneficial use. Lao Vegas - November 10, 1944 In May of this year we n tad an unusual decline in * the -reduction of our wells, and at'.the same time two of the land owners located In the immediate vicinity of the water supply filed an application to drill an additional well on their land. K® felt that this would deplete the supply of water to the Railroad and City, and therefor# filed a protest with the. state1 Engineer. The two land owners above referred to were members of the local Chamber of Commerce and felt that we were trying to monopolize the water in the underground channel