Letter from Bracken asking the Las Vegas mayor if the city could assign a policeman at the water company's expense to enforce water restrictions as they were entering the hottest part of the year.
hln001071. Union Pacific Railroad Collection, 1828-1995. MS-00397. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/d1ft8hj9x
English
Las Vegas - June 15th, 1935. W 23-3-5 Hon L. L. Arnett, Mayor of Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada. Dear Sir: Your attention is respectfully Invited to the water situation in Las Vegas, which is rapidly becoming acute, due to the excessive waste of water which is be- ing permitted to run into the streets. Daring the past two or three years, we have been continually receiving complaints from water consum ers about their neighbors permitting water to run over a long period of time, flooding their streets and alleys and causing deterioration of their street paving, as well as filling ditches at street crossings full of water, splashing on cars and causing a hazard to pedestrians. Inasmuch as the water is sold to the people of Las Vegas on a flat rate, we have found it is of no avail to make request on the parties who cause those complaints, and last year the City Commission passed an ordinance to prohibit waste of water and to regulate sprinkling. However, as the Summer progresses, this situa- tion changes to the extent that instead of this waste of water being a nuisance, it becomes a serious menace to the water supply of the city, and immediate action should be taken to conserve the supply of water. We are now taking out about one foot per day from the reservoir, and with at least two or three more months of hot weather before us, I respectfully request that you and the City Commissioners pass an ordinance to prohibit this unnecessary waste of water during the hot Mr. Arnett: June 15, 1935 summer months, so that innocent people will not have to suffer along with the guilty ones because of a serious shortage of water. It has been our past experience that the majority of the people are perfectly billing to cooperate with us in conserving water, when the necessity for same is brought to their attention, but they of course feel somewhat dis- couraged when their neighbors continue to run water to waste Last year, we put on an inspector, at our own expense, to check the town and see that the provisions of the ordinance were lived up to, and are willing to foliow a similar plan this year if you will have such employee delegated the auth- ority of a special policeman. Confirming our conversation a few days ago. at which time yourself and Commissioners were taken over the springs, well, settling basin and reservoir. I am sure you appreciate the increasing gravity of the water situation and in view of your kind offer of full cooperation in the matter, I respectfully request that the restrictive ordin- ance be passed as promptly as possible. Yours very truly, /sgd/ WALTER R. BRACKEN, Vice-President. Copies to - City Commissioners, Las Vegas, Nevada. (c o p y )