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V Housing extension in vegas depends ON UTILITIES STAND, G OF C INFORMED First step- toward an extensive building program in Las Vegas piust be a definite commitment from the, utility companies re­garding extension of their facili­ties, now being negotiated but not yet completed, according to the opinion of several Las Vegas busi­ness men expressed at the cham­ber of commerce meeting today. 1 The- discussion centered -around a motion to send a representative from the chamber to Washington. It was concluded with an agree­ment of the members that a dele­gate should be sent east when a favorable report is received re­garding the utility situation and the Nevada congressional dele­gation deems it-necessary.VE. A. Clark, local real estate man plan­ning a 400-house development, OK fered to underwrite the expenses of.the delegate. R. B. Griffith, chamber secre­tary, reviewed the housing situa­tion, which he termed “pitiful” and stated that the FHA has done “everything • possible in ? accept­ing applications for 800 house's” but that priorities oh building in Las Vegas have been limited to 300, under the present status. He predicted that housing in Las Ve­gas can become nothing but worse in the next 90 days, as his office has not even a bedroom listed: to which new residents might he re-, ferred. Marion B. Earl, chamber-presi­dent; reported on the committee, meetings held in the past, few days with representatives of the Las Vegas Land and Water Company, the Southern Nevada Power com­pany,, and the, McNeil Housing, corporation, which are nearing an agreement on the matter of exten­sion 1 of facilities by the utility companies, toward the proposed housing developments. A. M. Fol- ger, superintendent of the water company; stated that a definite agreement is expected to be work, ed out with his company within a few days. Griffith stated: that the power company also expects to work out a plan shortly. In reply to Clark’s, requests for. relaxing of regulations in new subdivisions on paving and curbs, Harry Scheeiine, FHA-director of Nevada,1 stated- that such regula­tions are made by . the land plan­ning division of the FHA, not by the underwriting division of which he is a part. 1 He suggested direct contact with the land plan­ning division to work out any­thing not in keeping with the gen­eral federal regulations' followed throughout the nation, .-, Murray Wo'11 man urged that im­mediate,: action be taken to solve the housing problem, which he said was acute. He referred to the 125 houses for non-commissioned officers of the army air corps gun­nery school, .planned for several months, but delayed many times. Griffith suggested that • if the proposed new town ' planned by Basic- Magnesium, Inc., is to be built, then information should be given, as to the type of town it will be and what the taxlsituatipn in the' towh will be. Clifford A. Jones stressed the necessity to solve the .utility ques­tion here before sending a dele-, gate to Washington, who would not be -in a position to accomplish anything until that question is settled. He said" the utilities.-. are the key to the problem and with­out them Basic Magnesium would be forced to build a new town outside of Las Vegas. Earl outlined the propositions on which the ..utility companies are working, stating that they propose to have the construction company pay the cost of:the ex­tensions, with repayment to -he made from the monthly water rates over a period of years. Fred - S. Alward arid; Charles Pip-kin- spoke briefly, suggesting the congressional delegation' from Nevada be contacted to offer them whatever help they , need." Pipkin stated that the water company has done more to deprive the growth of this' community than any one thing and urged that the chamber -of commerce fight for the heeded- facilities. A. C. Grant stated that' a policy of sending a delegate to Wash­ington now would be hasty •until. the utility question is worked out. When a definite answer is receiv­ed on that question, then the. in­formation should bn sent to the Nevada congressionaldelegation, he said. The, discussion concluded with thb passage of a motion to send', a delegate to Washington after the full policy of the utility com­panies is known and if Senators Pat McCarran and Berkeley Bunker and Congressman James .G. Scrugharri deem it advisable. —Is——o;—-—ikSjt 9 I