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DU 2-1750 Reproduced from: Journal SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 1956 Vegas Boom Still Runs in High Gear What are the facts about Las Vegas? Is it true that the “ Las Vegas boom has bust?” The answer is “ N o !” ^ And the year’s end has provided an array of solid, unbiased statistics to prove it. Figures compiled from nearly every source in Las Vegas ranging from city, county, state and federal offices to privately-owned comoanies and corpora­tions — indicate that the trend ir. this community is up. Definite-1 ily up. j The months of 1955 brought : steady growth and gains in every- ! thing from retail sales to post-jcffitfe receipts — from bank con­ditions to air travel — from rail­road carloadings to building per-jmits. Little Effect Individual enterprises which slumped or fell by the wayside during the last annual period af­fected the over-all prosperity level of Las Vegas very little, the sta­tistics reveal. In view of the high economic and financial status of In addition to presenting the sta­tistics for 1955 as compared to 1954, the lengthy report also pro­vides percentages covering the last five-year period of 1951-1955. The entire compilation proves that Las Vegas not only is growing steadily but, in comparison to most of the rest of the Nation, phenomenally. Taken in alphabetical order, some of the statistics are as fol­lows : AIR TRAVEL — During 1955, an estimated 444,000 persons em­planed and deplaned at McCar-ran Field, a 42 per cent increase over 1954; and an increase of 400 per cent over 1951. BANK CONDITIONS Com­bined deposits and resources of all three of the commercial banks with offices in the Las Vegas area (Bank of Nevada, First National Las Vegas during 1955, the indi-j k of Nevatja, ’and Bank of Las vidual business failures or slumps ? were owing to weaknesses inher ent to the businesses, themselves, rather than because of conditions) existing; within the city. The unusually comprehensive, 22 - pages - long statistical report which provides this promising pic­ture of current local conditions was compiled from authorita­tive sources by Thomas A. Camp­bell, head of Campbell Realty Co., and a community leader who has I played an important part for many | years in the growth of Las Vegas. The compilation, it is stated, is in furtherance of Campbell’s regular Vegas) totaled $95,096,455.49 — a figure representing a 2.16 per cent increase over 1954. This gain is considered particularly significant in view of the fact that Nevada ranked first in the entire United States in 1954 in rate of bank de­posit growth, and some quarters anticipated a drop from this uni­que peak, rather than an increase. Between 1951-55, the local bank­ing institutions marked up a growth of 105 per cent. BASIC MANAGEMENT, INC. — The Henderson industrial group comprising American Potash and ’ policy of maintaining complete Chemicalu Stauffer ChemicaL U.S statistical files on Las Vegas andj |the Las Vegas area, files which he! 'makes available to all civic bodies' or other groups or individuals re-; iquiring such data. Lime Products, and Titanium Me­tals are currently in the process of compiling their 1955 reports and although, they report, final tabu­lations have not been completed. all preliminary totals indicate that the group’s combined dollar sales and tonnage will be 20 to 25 per cent in excess of those in 1954. BUILDING PERMITS — Build­ing permits issued in 1955 by the City of Las Vegas reached a new high of $33,308,975, an increase Of 20.5 per cent over 1954. Building permits had a total increase of 105 per cent during 55 the period of 1951- CARLOADINGS — The Union Pacific Railroad reports a gain of 19.2 percent in 1955 carload­ings here over 1954. Their total forwarded traffic, amounting t o 39,720 cars for the year 1955, rep­resenting a daily average of 109 ; carloadings for the Las Vegas Ba­sin, compares with a daily aver­age of 91 in 1954, and 82 daily carloadings in 1953. ELECTRIC POWER SALES AND CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS — The year 1955 showed a 17 per cent gain over 1954 in customer accounts; and a 40 per cent gain in kilowatt hours used. GAMBLING INDUSTRY — Lat­est figures provided by the Ne­vada State Gaming Control Board were those released in late No­vember, 1955, when it was reported that hotels on “ The Strip” had, during the first nine months, gross­ed 25 per cent more in gambling earnings than the same period in 1954. Downtown Las Vegas casinos chalked up a 14 per cent higher gambling income. GAS SALES AND CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS — The Nevada South­ern Gas Company reports a whop­ping 249 per cent increase in na­tural gas sales in 1955 over 1954; and a 410 per cent increase in the ! three years of 1953-55. In 1955, cus-j tomer accounts increased 59 per | cent over 1954; and there was a i 436 per cent gain in accounts from I 1953-55. # 002- BOULDER DAM — During 1955, 2,675,371 visitors and an estimated 840,000 automobiles crossed Bord­er Dam, an increase of 26.6 per cent in visitors and 20 per cent in cars over 1954; and a gain of 28 per cent in visitors and 27 per cent in cars for the five years of 1951 - 55. Las Vegas and Clark County, it was pointed out, pro­vided lodgings, meals, and auto­mobile services to large numbers of these travelers. MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRA­TION — An unofficial preliminary estimate of total motor vehicle registration for Clark County by the close of 1955, supplied by Coun­ty Assessor James Bilbray, show­ed a count of 55,000 registrants, a gain of 17 per cent over 1954; and a 100 per cent gain for the five- year period of 1951-55. MARRIAGE LICENSES — Cup­id also had a banner year in 1955 when the highest number of mar­riage licenses ever recorded in a single year in Clark County — namely, 22,985 — were issued by the County Clerk’s office. This represented an increase of 14.4 per cent over 1954; and a 50 per cent increase for the five -year period 1951-55. POSTOFFICE R E C E I P T S — Postoffice receipts took a big stride upwards during 1955 when they reached a total of $1,025.139.-: 99 by the year’s end, a gain of ] 26.24 per cent over 1954. Local postal receipts have grown 134 per cent from 1951 to 1955. RETAIL SALES — Continuing their steady upward climb, re­tail sales in the City of Las Vegas reached an estimated total of $163,- 112,640 during 1955, a 15 per cent upward swing over 1954; and a 105 per cent increase for the 1951- 55 period. The figures are based on an estimate of sales furnished for tax purposes to the City of (See reverse side) u