Part 3 (1/2)

[Ill.u.s.tration: Views of Reno's Public Play Grounds]

RENO HAS ALL THE ADVANTAGES OF A BIG CITY WITH NONE OF ITS DISADVANTAGES

The following is a reprint of a circular prepared by the Reno Chamber of Commerce:

Location--Reno is situated in Western Nevada, twelve miles from the state line, and on the borderland of the lofty Sierras and Nevada plateau. The city lies in a fertile valley through which the beautiful Truckee flows, and is surrounded by high mountains.

Area of Reno--Three square miles.

Population--Power company, telephone company and school census show over 15,000; government census, 12,016.

Elevation--4,500 feet.

Climate--Winters short, moderately cold and open, with very little snow. Cool, dry, delightful summers, with cool nights, allowing refres.h.i.+ng sleep. No thunderstorms, hail, fogs or earthquakes. Average number of days without a cloud in the sky, 195; partly clouded, 105; and cloudy, 65. Doctors prescribe Reno's suns.h.i.+ne, dry atmosphere and alt.i.tude for health.

Railroads and Rates--Three railroads enter Reno; the Southern Pacific, the Western Pacific and the Virginia and Truckee, affording the city transportation facilities enjoyed by few Western cities. At the present time Reno enjoys full terminal rates or better for goods s.h.i.+pped from Eastern points and the distribution rates to the Nevada and Eastern California territory are also very favorable. All three roads furnish ample freight handling and side track facilities.

Highways--Reno is the center of the highway system of Nevada, and an important station on three transcontinental highways; the Lincoln Highway, the Overland Trail and the Pike's Peak Ocean to Ocean Highway.

City Government--The government is a munic.i.p.ality with a mayor and six councilmen elected by popular vote. Appointive officers are city clerk, chief of police, chief of fire department, city engineer and city health officer. The city attorney is also elected.

Industries--Reno is not an industrial city, but may be termed the office of the big industries of the state. Its biggest industries are a packing plant, machine shop and foundry, soap factory, planing mills, brick plant, flour mills and railroad yards.

Financial Strength--The six banks in Reno have a total capitalization of $1,745,000 and total deposits of $14,782,751.92. Total resources amount to $18,363,651.94. The clearings average $4,500,000 monthly, indicating that Reno does a business of a city at least twice its size. Of the six banks, three are national.

Tax Rate and Indebtedness--The tax rate of Reno, including state, county and city taxes, is $3.55 and the bonded indebtedness $433,000.

Jobbing Center--Due to its central situation Reno is the jobbing center for the territory of Nevada and Eastern California. Reno has several warehouses and wholesale grocery, automobile supply, produce, tobacco, building materials, hardware, bakery and confectionery store.

Cost of Living--The cost of living is about the same if not lower than in the Middle West and Western communities. The surrounding country supplies Reno with wholesome and cheap food and Reno's location on the main lines from the East and California enables the merchants to sell imported goods at a reasonable figure. One person can live well on $75 a month and the average family of five lives on $150 a month.

Housing Conditions--Like most of the cities of the country there is a shortage but not an acute one of apartments and small homes in Reno.

However, the amount of building done in Reno this year was almost three times that of any previous year, and the housing problem is expected to be solved by the summer of 1921.

Health Conditions--The clear, dry air, alt.i.tude and suns.h.i.+ne of Reno's climate are especially beneficial to health, and persons with lung trouble find relief in Reno. There are no tenements or unsanitary conditions and the city health authorities enforce the laws strictly.

Dairies, restaurants and bakeries are inspected regularly, and no refuse is allowed to acc.u.mulate in streets or yards. The water supply is pure.

Labor Conditions--Labor conditions are good in Reno, which is the s.h.i.+pping point for the labor of the mines, lumber mills, ranches and construction camps of the Nevada and Eastern California territory.

There is always work to be found in the trades and unskilled labor markets. The supply of office and store positions is about equal to the demand. There are no strikes or other quarrels between employer and employee in Reno. The trades are on a union basis.

Schools--There are five grammar schools, a kindergarten, business college, high school and university in Reno. Plans are now being perfected for the establishment of a junior high school which will take care of the eighth grades and freshman high school cla.s.ses. The scholars.h.i.+p standard is high and the best laboratory and playground facilities are offered. The teachers are paid salaries above the average, enabling the schools to maintain an efficient teaching force.

Churches--There are twelve churches as follows: Baptist, Congregational, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Christian Scientist, Lutheran, Methodist, Methodist Colored, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventist, Spiritual.

[Ill.u.s.tration: University of Nevada]

Hotels and Apartments--Reno has excellent hotel facilities with three large, first-cla.s.s hotels and forty smaller hotels and apartment houses.

Clubs and Civic Organizations--Headed by the Reno Chamber of Commerce there exists a live and aggressive group of civic and other organizations in Reno. Enumerated they are the Rotary Club, Lion's Club, Woman Citizen's Club, Italian Benevolent Society, G. A. R., Women's Relief Corps, Nevada Bankers' Society, Nevada Historical Society, Nevada Livestock a.s.sociation, Nevada Mine Operators'

a.s.sociation, Reno Clearing House a.s.sociation, Nevada Highway a.s.sociation, Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A., American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Reno Grocers' a.s.sociation, Reno Automotive Dealers' a.s.sociation, Washoe County Medical Society, W. C. T. U., Spanish War Veterans, Washoe County Farm Bureau, Washoe County Tax Payers' a.s.sociation, Truckee Meadows Water Users and Washoe County Bar a.s.sociation, Twentieth Century Club, Reno Nurses'