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Las Vegas - July 11, 1946 1 23-10 Mr. 0. f. Ashby: set Mr. Frank Strong w Returning newspaper olipping received with your letter July 8th regarding use of water meters: fit state law prohibits use of water measuring §& cities of over 4,500 population. Tonopah had about 2,500 people, according to latest estimates, and is therefore permitted to use meters, Sven so, f am advised in informal discussion with members of the Public Service Commission* that the fonopah water company has been operat­ing *in the red* for a number of years. They have quite a heavy investment (about #750,000) for the small number of consumers they serve, and have to pipe their water in from Rye Patch* about 16 miles from town. ^ „ .?he. ™ er was crammed through hours of the 1931 Legislature, and was direc tiend taheg aicnlsots inthge Sierra Pacific Power Company which serves water in Reno, gpely as a political move by a group of individuals in Reno. The Reno company endeavored to have the statute declared unconstitutional* but so far without success* and we in Las vegas had a bill presented at the last session of the Legis­lature to exempt from the law, water from underground sources. We shall continue our efforts to this end. JUL 1 3 1 J 6