The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1921-07-26
THINKS ANSWER IS
IN BLUE SKY LAW
(From the Elko independently

course. Willie Ayres of The Silver
State. forwarded to Papa Ayres at
Washington. a clipping from the indie
pendent which dealt with certain
phases of the shale oil question as
brought before the public in more
or less enthusiastic fashion by the
written word, passed pro and con by
Willie. Papa and the editor of the In
The latest expression
from the congressional publicity de-
partment for Nevada seeks to sub
stantiate the primary claim of Mr..
Ayes that successful method of re-
ducing oil shales has not yet been
discovered. However that may be we
have said our say and do not propose
TO further burden patient public
with more of the same stuff. There
is still another field of argument ad-
vanced by the senior tformer) owner
of the Silver State, however. which
affects neither the parties to the con-
troversy, If it may be so termed, nor
does II affect the shale business, but
its relation in general to the welfare
of the state of Nevada has heretofore
furnished a subject for editorial dis
cussion in the columns of every live
journal within its boundaries. In
brief one of the arguments advanced
by Mr.. Ayres against the enthusiastic
optimism of the Independent ex-
pressed because of present conditions
in the shale oil hereabouts, is the
fNct that such newspaper expressions
of fact have been abused by swind-
lers-by stock sellers" Mr.. Ayres
ela borates in interesting fashion upon
the methods employed by stock
swindlers in persuading innocent in
vestors to place their slim savings in
bogus Nevada enterprises that are
fostered by the painting of attractive
pictures of almost instantaneous
wealth nv what he terms "one-cylin-
FER publicity men and wildcat min
ers." And herein lies the rub-the
same rub concerning which the indie
pendent has editorially dealt on at
least two previous occasions in an
appeal for adjustment of conditions
that will put the state right with the
honest people of the United States
and even of the world-for the world
today needs the wealth of this state
perhaps more than does our native
land
1t is not the fault of the newspaper
man who paints glowing picture
about actual facts that his statement
can be capitalized by swindling
wolves who operate among gullible
possessors of savings bank pass
books. 1t is the fault of the state
that permits her resources and her
name to be based upon beautifully
engraved stock certificates that mean
nothing whatever save evidence OF
the elimination of the plan of a
clever robber. 1t is passing strange
world of swindlers and police by his
true cognomen, but to the people who
know nothing of his record as George
Graham Rice" lands Immediately in
the tolls of the law when he begins
his operations in California or Utah
but escapes scot free. in fact without
even so much as a complaint against
him, after operating his thievery In
Nevada for more than year. 1t is
a passing strange circumstance that
all efforts of honest legislators to
pass blue sky law that will declare
Nevada on record as protecting her
investments, failed because of the un-
scrupulous activities of few boom
ers who make their thousands
through questionable schemes CEN
tered about Nevada mines and Ne
vada resources. 1t Is indeed a coin
cidence that the liberal Incorporation
law of Nevada permits the sale of any
thing in the line of autographed
stock certificates, regardless of what
they represent in the light of honest
while the Incorporation
laws of other states require a show
ing OF good faith and honest dealing
before stock selling can be carried
on within their boundaries: And this
last theory, propounded by Mr.. Ayres,
presents another startling condition,
|. e., that newspaper should not be
permitted to tell the merits of an en-
actually growing within its
own home town, because some stock
shark might make capital out of ii
in swindling innocent people. BY the
same token no other resource of the
state can be publicized. The people
Of the outside world may not be told
that Nevada's mines are rich in ores,
Nevada's fields rich in fertility. Ne
gada's streams productive of vast ag-
ricultural accomplishment when APP
piled to Neyada's vast arid stretches.
al because some crook might use
hat story to fitch the hard-earned
savings of some person who places
aith In what the newspaper says.
If this be fact is there any hope
If publicizing Nevada as long as her
statute books remain without blue
sky law? Perhaps it is better that