Memo from Thomas A. Campbell to Spencer Butterfield and others about the bond election campaign, August 31, 1953

Officers and Directors THOMAS A. CAMPBELL President Spencer L Butterfield LAS VEGAS VALLEY WATER DISTRICT vice-president WILLIAM COULTHARD 300 SOUTH 5TH STREET secy -treas. LAS VEGAS NEVADA HARRY E. MILLER JAMES CASHMAN TELEPHONE 5920 JOHN BUNCH August 31, 1953 MEMORANDUM TO: SPENCER BUTTERFIELD, Vice President HARRY E. MILLER, Secretary and Chief Registrar CALVIN C. MAGLEBY, Assistant Secretary JACK PEPPER, Publicity and Advertising Manager FROM: THOMAS A. CAMPBELL SUBJECT: BOND ELECTION CAMPAIGN Advertising - Publicity - Direct Mailing - Speaking Program ADVERTISING: 1. General: It is now recommended that the newly organized Alex Struthers and Co., Advertising Agency, be retained by the District to handle all advertising phases of the bond election campaign under the direction of Jack Pepper, Campaign Publicity and Advertising Manager. This will enable Jack Pepper to more efficiently direct and supervise the exploitation aspects of the campaign, and give more concentrated attention to publicity. The proposed arrangement has been discussed with him, and he is wholeheartedly in agreement with it. The fee or compensation charged by the Struthers Agency for services would necessarily be based on the amount of work involved in preparing copy, layouts, diagrams and other,material and data for the various advertising media. This will necessitate outlining the scope of the contemplated advertising campaign and authorizing an advertising budget. In this connection it will be recalled that the District Directors recently gave tentative approval to a proposed total outlay of somewhere between $5,000 and $7,500 to cover all forms of campaign exploitation?advertising, publicity, direct mailing, posters, automobile bumper strips, etcetera. If the above recommendation meets with the approval of the other Directors, it is suggested that Jack Pepper be immediately authorized to contact the Alex Struthers Agency . In the event that he is successful in effecting a financial arrangement satisfactory to the District, all advertising aspects of the bond election campaign would henceforth be handled by the Alex Struthers Agency under the direction and supervision of Jack Pepper. 2. Newspapers: It is recommended that the District continue to run daily in each newspaper an advertisement calling attention to and urging registration. It is suggested that this be continued until at least the middle of September. However, it may be in order to reduce the size toward the latter part of the current week or early next week. In addition to bringing out that special registration is a prerequisite to voting at the bond election on September 30, it is recommended that our advertising copy also emphasize the following points: (a) Anyone who is a resident of the District and a property owner is eligible to vote. (b) Anyone who owns property anywhere in the District is eligible to vote, even though he or she is not actually domiciled in or a resident of the District. (c)Residents of the District must register and vote in the division where they reside. (d) Non-residents are required to register and vote in the division where the majority of their property is located. (e) If title to property is in the name of both the husband and wife, then both the husband and wife can register and vote?but not otherwise. (f) Anyone whose name appears in a deed to real property is eligible to register and vote, even though such an individual holds only a part or partial interest in the property. The above points can be incorporated into the general advertisement containing the list of places of registration. That is, one or more points can be covered in an ad for a certain number of days. However, it is recommended that a separate newspaper display ad, not containing the list of division registrars, be prepared to cover these points. Other special display copy along the following lines might be given consideration? If you believe (or agree with officials or Directors of the Las Vegas Valley Water District) that Las Vegas and the surrounding area must supplement the present underground water supply by bringing Lake Mead water, then be sure to register now, so that you can vote on September 30 for the bonds necessary to finance this vitally important project,, The above is merely an outline of suggestion and similar copy with an even more forceful message can be prepared and run. Until around the middle of September it appears that the greatest emphasis might well be placed on registration. Or, at least, urging registration so that all of those interested in the bond issue will qualify themselves to vote on September 30. 3. Radio: In conjunction with the newspaper advertising campaign, spot announcements should also be broadcast on all four radio stations. The copy, or material for these announcements can be based upon the salient features to be brought out in the newspaper advertising campaign as outlined above. Jack Pepper has already been given authority to start using such spot announcements. A more comprehensive program can be worked out by the Alex Struthers Agency in the event that the proposed arrangements are made with that firm. 4. Television : It appears not only highly desirable but almost essential that advantage be taken of the facilities of KLAS-TV in furthering the campaign. There are probably a variety of ways for handling television exploitation of such a campaign. One of the most convincing might to arrange for a series of graphic charts or diagrams illustrating the depletion of the underground water supply. That is, we know from figures furnished by the State Engineer's Office that the underground water reservoir in Las Vegas Valley is diminishing at the rate of between 10,000 and 15,000 acre feet annually. Translated into gallons, this is equivalent to somewhere between 9,000,000 gallons and 13,500,000 gallons daily. The State Engineer estimates the safe yield of the underground supply to be 30,000 to 35,000 acre feet annually. In 1952 the discharge from wells, springs and upward leakage amounted to an estimated 45,000 acre feet. These figures can be worked into a very interesting, informative and constructive message with a series of graphic charts that might well be reproduced on television for the "captured" audience which KLAS-TV now affords. NOTE: The basic diagrams which would have to be prepared for television purposes could doubtless be utilized for newspaper, and possibly a direct mailing reproduction and distribution. DIRECT MAILING : 1. Since the previous memorandum of August 25 concerning the election campaign exploitation, the Helen Wilt Direct Mailing Service has addressed the first set of envelopes which will be mailed to the list of property owners within the District?numbering approximately 9,080 names?furnished to the District by the County officials. Within the next few days it is planned to insert in these envelopes two mailing pieces as described below. An by 11" sheet addressed to the property owner. In substance the message which this would carry would be approximately as follows-- According to the Clark County Records you as a property owner within the boundaries of the Las Vegas Valley Water District are eligible to register to vote in the election which will be held on Wednesday, September 30, 1953, to approve a proposed $8,700,000 issue of bonds to finance bringing into Las Vegas and the surrounding area much needed Lake Mead water to supplement the rapidly diminishing supply of underground water. NOTE: The above is merely a general outline of the proposed message. In addition, it has been suggested that this 85" by 11" sheet also show the places of registration in the various divisions. Likewise, that a chart such as the one reproduced on the registration map be used so that property owners can tell at a glance in which division they must register and vote by reference to their regular election voting precinct. The second enclosure which it is proposed to put in this first mailing would consist of a four page (8^" by 11" suggested size) brochure. This would consist of a reproduction of material contained in the bond issue election announcement. The first page of this proposed brochure would be devoted to the written material used in the press hand out of Friday, August 21. On the second and third pages there would be reproduced the tabulation of proposed expenditures based on estimated costs of improvements. This was identified as Item '2 in the press release. It is also planned to reproduce in the proposed brochure the estimate of required revenues for the period 1954 to 1963. This was identified as Item '3 in the August 21 press release. IMPORTANT : Before the tabulation referred to as Item '3 above is used, great care must be taken to see that it represents the latest revision. The revision which did not contain a date. The latter revision was further amended. At this writing it is not possible to give an identifying mark, but copy should not be released to a printer until it is cleared and initialed by the undersigned. The foregoing two mailing pieces , namely the one sheet notice to property owners, and the four page brochure should be processed and mailed out as quickly as possible. On Monday, August 31, Mrs. Wilt stated that envelopes for this purpose would be completed for use by Wednesday or Thursday of this week, 2. Second Mailing: The Wilt Mailing Service has also been authorized and directed to order and address a second batch of envelopes. On this second batch there will be a special message in a different color (probably red) which will be substantially as follows? Be sure to register by September 23 so you can vote at the special bond election, September 30, 1953. The above Is probably too "wordy" and should be worked over. Mrs. Wilt was instructed to submit copy to Jack Pepper and Calvin Magleby. The second mailing will be a folder now being processed by the Union Pacific Railroad through its advertising agency. The front page is captioned "The Water Crisis?A Report of Major Importance To Every Home Owner?Every Job Holder?Every Businessman". The folder consists of five pages or faces, each carrying a message urging property owners to register and vote yes on the water bond. Consideration is being given to a third mailing piece which would be timed for mailing and receipt about one week before the election. This would be a forthright appeal to the registered voters for support of the bond issue. Obviously the list to which the latter mailing would be send would comprise only the property owners who had registered. Arrangements are being made to segregate the list in such a manner that only property owners whose names appear on the list of registration would be covered in this. In addition to the above direct mailing, it is also planned to send the brochure to a selected list of Pacific Coast security dealers. Likewise to a handpicked list of security underwriting firms in New York, Boston and Chicago with municipal departments. The purpose of this would be to give some advance advertising to the proposed bond issue, so that they will be alerted to it and will give consideration to bidding if the bonds pass. When the envelopes for this purpose are made up arrangements should be made to keep a list of the security dealers in both categories so that they can be covered at a later date if desired. In this connection, Mrs. Wilt can follow the same procedure that she is on the property owners list. That is, she has worked out a plan whereunder four mailings can be accomplished with one typing of the address. ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENTAL: 1. Motion Picture Screen: It has been suggested that we might arrange to have some form of advertising in the motion picture theaters. This could be handled by slides or possibly some type of moving picture. 2. Automobile Bumper Strips ; Jack Pepper has been authorized to purchase 1,000 automobile bumper strips at a cost of $115.00. Mayor Baker has already approved of having these 8. placed on all city vehicles. The County authorities will be contacted in order to get their permission to have them placed on County vehicles,, One of the Directors will have to be designated to take charge of this so that we can get full advantage of the bumper strips and have a thousand of them put out. PUBLICITY; The following stories, with appropriate illustrations as indicated, have been scheduled but to this date apparently have not appeared in print. Schematic map showing the pipe line installation from the point where the existing 40" line is tapped near Manganese Ore Plant to the 30,000,000 gallon reservoir on the west side of Las Vegas. A story has already been prepared which can be edited and submitted to-go with this. Story on the number of property owners in the District. This is approximately 9,080. Story discussing the comparative water rates in various cities in the west in relation to the indicated $6.50 rate in Las Vegas. Story designed to clear up questions arising on the eligibility of people in the District to register and vote. Either Vice President Butterfield or Secretary Harry E? Miller can be quoted. This story can parallel to some extent the various points suggested for advertising copy. That is that anyone in the District is eligible to vote who owns property. Also the other qualifications. It seems particularly important to keep stressing the fact that property owners residing in 9. the District are required to register and vote in the division where they reside. Nonresident property owners must register and vote in the division where the majority of their property is located. Material and information is now being obtained to stress the drain on the underground water supply. As soon as all of this data is at hand it will be placed at the disposal of Jack Pepper and the advertising people for appropriate use.