The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-10-04
GOVERNOR JOINS
NEWSPAPERS KICK
Hon. w. G. McAdoo,
Secretary of the Treasury,
Washington, DC.

Washington, DC.
My Dear Mr.. Secretary:
Since you have honored me with
appointment as a member OF the
Liberty Loan General Advisory
Board for this district and to the
end that the second Liberty Loan
campaign may be conducted in this
State with the same degree of CO.
operation and success that marked
the first campaign, l venture, with
some hesitation. to disclose to you
condition affecting this work In Ne
vada and possibly elsewhere, with
the belief that you will find 1t worthy
of consideration.
During the first Liberty Loan cam
paign in Nevada the assistance of the
newspapers in giving publicity to the
issue itself and its terms, as well as
to the plans for securing subscrip-
tions through local committees, was
one of the most potent influences that
made for that initial success. The
newspapers in this State not only re.
sponded ungrudgingly to all appeals
for publicity but lent to the service
an eager and spontaneous enthusiasm
which communicated itself to the peo-
pie and stirred their sense of obliga-
ton and pride.
In the present campaign, conducted
under a slightly modified plan, in
yolying the centralizing agencies of
the Federal Reserve districts and SUBJ
ordinating to some extent the element
of State efforts as such, | am told
that the newspapers are not mani
Testing the interest and enthusiasm
that are necessary for a repetition of
our first success. Although a meas
ure of cooperation continues il lacks
the early energy.
This situation, l apprehend, is due
to two causes: Under the district
plan. however. it may be furthered
by appropriate machinery in the re-
spective states. the emphasis is
ing or federalizing tendency. Con-
sequently the impetus to community
and State effort, through local pride,
is lessened. Furthermore. II you will
permit me to speak frankly. the at
tention of newspapers, who are asked
by the district agencies for publicity
is directed TO the Treasury Depart
ment of the federal government with
little mediation through state chan
nels. AS you are aware. the news
papers OF this country have been
keenly interested in pending legisla-
tion affecting postal rates and other
more direct taxation, and they still
feel that they are paying an unjust
tax compared to the magazine aai
other publishers. They also feel that
both congress and the departments at
Washington do not look with SYM
pathy upon the financial problems
that confront the average newspaper
publisher. especially in the rural
communities.
These problems are stubborn facts
in Nevada. From a circulation
standpoint. this State OF over 100000
square miles averages less than one
inhabitant per square mile and the
subscribing population may be esti-
mated from the number Of voters =
approximately $4,000 OF the thirty
FIVE publications. / should say that
but two have more than 5000 sub
scribers Considerably over half the
publications are located in communi-
ties of less than 5000 population
each. The small size of the mining
and agricultural towns limits the
available local advertising. while
revenues from national advertising.
usually small. have been materially
reduced by the consequences of con
gresslonal legislation affecting the
sale of liquor In addition to daily
competition from Reno, the metrop-
oils, rural papers compete with the
metropolitan press of Sacramento,
San Francisco. Los Angeles and Salt
Lake City. The cost of production Is
indicated by subscription rates. run
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