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accept the responsibility and criticism that would certainly result from his efforts to prerent any cer­tain indlTldual from securing a supply of water on hia land* Second, % seriously question whether the State Engineer could make his refusal stick, even though he were hacked up by such a protest* %% would hare to be shown that there was no unappropriated water remaining in the channel,— a more or less simple matter with surface streams, but practically an impossibility with underground sources, Of course, when the day arrives when there actually is an Interference with existing wells caused by too many wells decreasing the flow, then the State Engineer mist adjudicate th# water on the basis of priorities granted since the Water Law became effective in 1913, lou are familiar with the attitude of the people of this community on the water question, from the contacts and discussion we had In our November 1944 meeting with the Chamber of Commerce, City Commissioners, County Commissionere, state Officials and other inter­ested parties. The people of Lae Vegas feel just like the people of Los Angelee or any other community: it is the responsibility of the Water Company to provide this community with water, and if they can* t handle the job then will have to get our water supply from lake Head or some other source* However, there is a proviso: they feel that the artesian supply should by all means be conserved for domestic use; and if and when the time arrives for bringing in water thru the S.K*X« pipe line, this latter supply can be devoted to irrigation. X repeat, that is the oonoensue of opinion among our cltlsens, each of whom has his own problems to take care of, Personally, 1 do not believe it would be financially practicable to bring the water in from Lake Mead to irrigate this valley, and X certainly would not want to put our own investment in such a project. Therefore, it behooves Ue to protect our­selves, As long as we continue to operate a railroad through Las Vegas we will require water. And the people of the Community will need water for domestic use. what happens out in the Paradise Valley may remotely affect us, but a method had been provided to take care of that, as evidenced by the activity of the Artesian wells in*. Frank strong Page #2 October 26, 1945