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Las Vegas Evening Review-Journal - Dec. 11, 1941 - Las Vegas, Nev " " Tx~Ti " ? | No New Defense Plant Town To Be Built Says Bunker I Houses Wilt Be Built In Las Vegas, Solon Says Senator Berkeley L. Bunker has been advised by Defense Plants corporation officials that indications now are there will I be no new town built at the j j magnesium plant, he announced today from his Washington of­fice. “When I returned; to Washing- I ton at the request of the Las 'Vegas business , men, to make -the j fight for additional housing allot- ! ments, I discovered the recom- I mendation had already gone thru j 3 for .'-the new town,- and-that in all j gj probability Las: '.Vegas’ growth ?s would be. greatly, curtailed,” the s Senator said., £ ' v ' _ - Convinces Officials ? “I immediately'threw the full 3 weight of: rny office in the balance I i in .an effort .to convince those re- ' 3 sponsible .that, there is no need for the new town and that the housing should be built iii Las ( ~ Vegas: > “At my request, Defense Plants ? ’ launched a new -investigation to I determine the facts, and I was advised-thistmbrnmg:;-thaf the re- '< sults,:, have been most favorable • to Las Vegas’ cause. ' “They have found it much more I : economical to build the houses ' i in Las Vegas than to construct a new city.- They have found that |' Las Vegas wants.: the housing j r thereWthat : utilities, sewer and - water can be furnished. That the | :- school system can be expanded . - to take care of the children com- , ing in, and that there are build- f ers on the ground ready to build 1 10,000 houses if necessary. '! “While the final decision is not i i to be made until next Week, I am S now certain that the, magnesium o plant housing will be built in Las Vegas and Boulder City, and that the plan for a new ei.ty will be g abandoned. BUHKEB BLASTS "MINORITY" WHICH AGITATING NEW MAGNESIUM TOWNSTE '? - ••• •• a- r' if; I WASHINGTON, D. C„ Dec. 1J. (WNS)—Senator Berkeley L. ^Bunker today charged that the , “minority” which is agitating for I creation of a new townsite to , house magnesium workers, are I motivated, by visions of personal financial profit. He made this charge in a letter. ! to Sam H. Husbands, president, ; Defense Plant' Corporation, in which he outlined’ advantages o-c- | curing from having Las Vegas and I.Boulder City absorb ;these, new 1 workers. “Ninety-five, per cent . of the 'people in southern Nevada are strenuously opposed to the cre- jation of a new townsite,” he said. “Of the remaining percentage | there is a group of individuals | who would profit personally and I financially from the" building of ' a new townsite.” system;.; public ?buildings, papksr, recreation-; centers, sbcial func­tions. ' 2—An,..established police force,: which' would ’need only • to- be expanded. 7 3—-Basis for expanded school, hospital; and Sewage facilities. A new • townsite-. would mean com­plete .construction of these facilr; itics, at total"icpSi to the govern­ment, while expansion of existing facilities in Las Vegas and BouL der City Would require only a. loan-grant arrangement. i 4—Utilitih|'.twould.be furnished: by present operating companies at no cost to the government,',In event, of reluctance by present? operating .companies, Senator Bunker said, he had .been assured' by the “Mayor and City Corrifnis- sioners” that a municipal corpora!:* lion Will be established if necesri He cited the, following advan­tages of building new homes in Las Vegas and BbuldeP City 'f ' 1—Immediate 1 availability of banks, theaters, department stores, complete transportation sary. , , 77 ?- ' ' Wy;,, - 5—Existing private buildup contractors .and: real - estate men* have expressed- willingness to* construe^ 25,000. new' homes *iH Las Vegas and .Houlder City: FHA has indicated it will insure home construction '’mortgages within these twi| Cities',.'blit not a,t a. new townsite. 8 SBMH Water Okeli Water company officials have indicated they will be able to take care of the situation for three or four'years. After that, it will be a b question of getting water in from the lake. Defense Plants will help us with that. . “I discussed the sewer system also, and was assured the- City could expect government aid in expanding the .present system. “It was a'hard fight, but I am most happy to report success. It will-mean much to the future de­velopment.. of Las Vegas and Boulder City,” Senator Bunker flew to Wash­ington immediately after Las Vegas had been, .notified priori­ties for new residential construc­tion had been cut to 300. After a conference with representatives of the Las Vegas, chamber of commerce, he said he was- con­vinced Las Vegas wanted the de­velopment here, and that he might be in a position to bring it about. “I felt.it was my duty to put up the fight, and I have. I am very happy over the result,” the senator said. : . 0———— ?-