At the time these contests were held I promised myself that some time in the near future I would air my views concerning contests in general and this one in particular, but upon mature reflection I decided to wait until the smoke of battle had cleared, the wounded fully recovered and the landscape once again serene. Do State Contests Pay? personally, I think not. These contests were originally gotten up as a publicity stunt to show the balance of the state what the mining companies were doing. Again, they were supposed to provide an incentive for the employees, so that they would be eager to take the training. As a publicity measure the three contests held have had little value, for the reason that the average citizen considers it a corporation matter, something in which he has no interest, and from which neither he nor the state will derive any benefits. 10 p.