Page:Final Report of the Northwest Territory Celebration Commission.pdf/47

 and they are mostly now available from the U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.

There were two news reels of which we have knowledge during the feel of the caravan and of course many during the President's visit.

There is no way to appraise their value, as figures on their distribution are not available, nor is there any commercial sale price involved.

The news reel companies are very insistent upon themselves determining the value of various events for newsreel purposes. There is no use approaching them unless in their judgments the events proposed suit their particular purposes.

In addition to the standard channels above described, there were various publicity projects of too many sorts to mention at length.

One of the most unusual was the State of Ohio automobile license tags—which ran through the year April 1938 to April 1939. There were some two million of these, and Ohio cars created interest and caused comment all over the nation. The writer heard considerable talk on the Pacific Coast of the celebration, brought about largely by these plates.

The State of Ohio paid for them. The Federal Commission only presented the idea to Governor Marti L. Davey. Some of the other states of the Territory had legal provision as to size of plate and copy to be used, hence could not follow Ohio's example.

There were special Northwest Territory Celebration billboards, blotters—letterheads, and even bread wrappers used by private concerns in conjunction with the commemoration.

The State Commission put out various literature in addition to the map. For instance, Ohio distributed over two million folders with the 1987 automobile license plates, some thousands of booklets, postcards and envelope stuffers. Minnesota put out elaborate window posters, etc.

The State Commission reports received do not go into detail as to publicity and hence cannot here be recapitulated.

The commission prepared and distributed only such mailing pieces as were of general value, leaving local situations to State and town preparation.

There were as follows: