Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-24
Nebraska Productive Wealth;
It's Poverty in Advertising

The facts presented In the letters printed
below are Of deep interest to the people Of
Nebraska. They deserve serious consider
alton and remedial action at the earliest
possible day. In a pyramid Of statistics
are shown the quantity and value Of the
products Of the state. Beside II is a showing
Of the penurious policy of the state In tell
ing the world Of its productive wealth. In
other words, nature and industry produce
the goods" but the state fails to advertise
the exhibit.
In a note accompanying the letter Of In
quiry and the reply. General c. F. Handler
son explains that he wrote to the deputy
commissioner of labor for additional light
on the statistics Of the products Of Ne
braska contained in the annual report OF
the bureau. You will see," he writes,
that my estimate OF $500, 900, 900 as the
value OF the products Of this state for the
year 1908 was much short Of the facts.
With the great development of the state
during the last twelve months 1 firmly
believe that the value of the products of
the state, which by the estimate of Mr..
Maupin, were 500, OOO, 600 in 1908, have prob
ably increased so that the year 1909 will
show our products to approximate $3.50, OOO,-
600. These figures are enormous and almost
challenge belief. but those Of us who are
familiar with the state will realize that 1t
is not an over estimate"
Drawing out h Facts.
General Manderson's letter, dated oc-
tober 10, to the deputy commissioner of
labor, follows:
II received the report Of the bureau Of
labor and Industrial statistics and have
looked 1t over with interest. There is
much information in 1t that is of value,
but j wish 1t went into greater detail and
gave the value Of the different products
Of the state about which 1t treats.
"A short time ago l was in Cleveland,
and coming down from my room to the
office in the Hollenden hotel, / saw an
other Nebraskan who was with me in
Cleveland sitting by the side OF an old
gentleman who recognized me, and 1 saw
that he was looking at my companion in
an incredulous way and as he might look
at a champion liar. My Nebraska friend
said: Suppose you ask General Mander-
son to give you his estimate OF the value
of the products Of Nebraska 1 said: L
have seen 1t stated lately that the products
OF Nebraska resulting from agriculture and
labor are valued at 500. 900, 900 annually,
and 1 do not believe, from what l know
Of the state, that this is an over estimate.
The state had 100000 people by the census
of 1890 and l think the census of 1910
may show 1t to nave 1,25O,OOO, so you see
the product stated means tha there is a
production Of the value of $500 or $500 for
every man, woman and child in the state.
The Ohio man seemed utterly astounded
for, like many other people in the east, he
has always looked upon Nebraska as a
barren waste.
II think it would be Of great value to
the state II you would take all products,
whether Of labor in manufacture, or the
result OF labor in cultivation, and give an
estimate OF the value so that it might be
given to the world. Figures Of bushels and
acres and OF the number Of live stock of
all sorts do not carry information that Is
OF great value to the average mind, but
when you put it in dollars it appeals to
everybody.
For my qualification, and, indeed for my
use, where 7 think 1t will do the state much
good, i wish you would make an estimate
for me Of the value OF Nebraska products
in all lines. With the information that you
have you could approximate very nearly
to the actual value.
II shall be glad to heal from you at any
early convenience and will, OF course, see
that you and your office get the credit that
is fairly due for the material furnished"
An Overloaded Bureau.
Replying TO the above, the deputy COM
missioner writes:
Knowing your intense loyalty to Ne
braska, and your opportunities for making
known the wonderful resources OF this
state, l deem II a privilege to give you any
information within my power. And know
ing, too. you influence, 1 seize this op-
poTtunity to call to your attention TO a
few things about this department, hoping
to enlist your support to the end that the
bureau OF labor and census statistics will
be so equipped that it may. in future. do
something really worth while in the mat
ter Of making Nebraska's resources and
opportunities known Of all men. Before
going into the details you request, lei
me give you some idea OF the handicaps
under which this department labors:
1T is really the only public service bureau
in the state, and is the only advertising
bureau the state has. The entire force con-
sists Of myself and one stenographer who
also acts as statistician. librarian and as
oiSNaut' 4hctc are lWenty-one distinct 0u-
ties developing upon the department, in
GLIDING fire escape inspection, hotel in
s~pection, enforcement OF child labor law,
female employment law, free employment
agency law, inspection OF public buildings,
cooperation In the enforcement OF the ju-
venile court ana truancy laws and the law
relating to the Investigation Of industrial
disputes. In addition II must collect, coll
late and publish acre, crop and live stock
statistics, labor statistics, manufacturing
statistics and city, chattel and real estate
mortgage statistics. We are required to issue
periodically bulletins OF crop and m~snufac
turing statistics, mortgage statistics, etc.
and reports Of hotel, fire escape, factory and
public building inspection. Apart from sal
aries-n,5O a year for myself and $50 for
my asslstant-we have the magnificent sum
of $500 a year for every expense. consist
ing Of printing. postage. express. freight,
telephone, telegraph and travelling expenses
It costs us an average OF $500 for each
bulletin We issue, postage included, and
We issue from six TO ten every year.
WOefuI Lack of Means.
This may serve to give you some idea OF
the fearful handlcaps we are laboring under
Ia -