The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-01-16
81 PUBLICATIONS OF
70 in AREA CASTING
VOTES BACK DRY Law
Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska,
North and South Dakota
Included in Section
EASTERN DISTRICT WETTESTI
Anti Prohibition Tendencies
Seem to Increase as Pop
ulation Gets Larger
EASTERN DISTRICT WETTEST
By BRUCE CATION
(NEA Service WRITER

~ oNA
Analysis of the returns in the ma
tional survey of American newspa-
pers' editorial attitudes on prohibition,
conducted by the NEA Service, of
which the Bismarck Tribune is a
client, seems to indicate that a news
papers wetness, generally speaking,
is in direct proportion to its size.
Replies were received from 859
newspapers in all parts of the coun-
try. OF these, 389 declared for pro-
hibition as it stands; 345 seek repeal
of the 18th amendment and the Vol
stead act; 80 favor modification of the
Volstead act, and 81 are neutral.
The average daily circulation OF
the newspapers which favor prohibi-
ton is 10,l08.
The average circulation of the
newspapers which oppose prohibition
is 1921.
Papers calling for modification,
however, average 6,944 in daily circu-
lation: and the neutral papers e
age a circulation of 7,085.
This survey, which undertook to
show the editorial attitudes of the
newspapers and not the individual
preferences of their editors, vas con-
Quoted along the lines of a survey
announced last fall by the Federal
Prohibition Bureau. Shortly after
that survey had been announced it
was Cancelled by Colonel Amos w.
". Woodcock, prohibition director,
who said that he feared its purpose
might be misunderstood.
Believing that the information
which such a survey would obtain
might be of value to students of the
prohibition question. NEA Service
thereupon mailed out missionaries,
containing exactly the same questions
as those asked in Colonel Woodcock's
original survey, to approximately
$500 American dailies. In this series
Of four articles the results are pre-
scented herewith for what they may
be worth. No attempt is made to
say what significance they may have,
all conclusions being left to the read
er. before whom only the facts are
placed.
Total Circulation II, ZOO, 900
The total circulation of the $50
papers that replied in the poll was
17.333,225 When these papers are
classified according to their sizes,
added interest is given the results.
For example:
Replies we're received from IS pa
pers whose calculations were more
than 1000 each. OF these IS pa
pers. 30 were for repeal and five we're
dry.
Replies we're received from Al pa
pers whose calculations were between
10000 and 100000 each. OF these Al
papers. SO were for repeal. nine were
dry and two were neutral.
Replies were received from 81 pa
pers between $4,000 and 40. 1000 in cir
culation. OF the 81, 40 were for re-
peal, SO were dry. six were neutral
and six were for modification.
Replies we're received from 234 pa
pers between 5000 and Is, 900 in cir
culation. OF the 234. 81 were for re-
peal, 120 were dry, "a were neutral
and eight were for modification.
Replies were received from 426 pa
pers under 5000 circulation. OF the
426. al were for repeal, 2O9 were dry.
81 were neutral and % were for mod
ification.
In addition, there we're replies from
70 papers for whom no circulation
figures could be obtained. In nearly
all cases, these are believed to be
small newspapers. Seven Of them
called for repeal. 10 were dry, three
were neutral and two were for mod
1fication.
Large Papers Wet
The survey, accordingly, seems to
establish fairly definitely that large
rapers constitute the bulk Of the wet
strength, while the small city paper
Is the backbone of the prohibition
cause. This becomes ever more evil
dent when the total circulation fig
ures Of the opposing camps are O n
trasted. Altogether 389 papers re-
ported in favor of prohibition: their
circulation totals 3,932,041. There
were 345 papers calling for repeal,
and their circulation adds up to 10
520,91l.
Analysing the figures geographic
cally is also enlightening. Such an
analysis shows the bulk of the wet
newspaper strength to lie In the mid
Atlantic and middle western sections.
with a rather heavy representation,
also, on the Pacific coast. Dry news
papers are also numerous in the form