The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-09-20
the funds the same, are subject to SINH

D
lar rules.
The Secretary and Treasurer Of the
Society are required to give bonds for
the faithful performance of their duties,
and those bonds are held by the Society,
through its President, until their ac-
counts are examined and approved by
the Board of Managers and Finance
Committee at the January meeting, so
that fraud is next to impossible if any
were designed; besides, those who sell
the tickets are selected with reference,
first of all, to their honesty and general
character. I do not believe that $ was
ever lost through the gate-keepers, but
am firmly convinced that if the money
was in the Treasury which has been
taken from the Society by passing
tickets and badges through the en-
closures, and in various ways / could
name, defrauding it of its means, there
would be no account Of Indebtedness
against the organization to-day.
MONEY IN HANDS OF THE TREASURER.
Premiums and expenses of the Fair,
paid before its close generally leave
about $500 in the hands of the Treas
urer on Monday following Fair week.
This sum is in a few days reduced by
payment of bills and premiums, until
S2OOor $500 only remain, and small out
standing accounts and premiums gen
orally find the Treasury nearly empty
before the January meeting, 50 that often
there is barely money to pay the mileage
and per diem Of the members of the
Board; but while this is true, it must not
be forgotten that from 800 to 1900 is
annually expended for improvements Oh
the Fair Grounds, and pail FOR, which
leaves the Society at the close Of each
fiscal year, better prepared TO meet the
demands Of the public.
WORK PERFORMED BY CONTRACT.
Many suppose that few favorites re-
ceive all the work TO be done on the Fair
Grounds or for the Society. This opin-
ion, also, is not founded on fact. All
work, of any considerable amount, is
: done by contract, and let TO the lowest
7 bidder, nor has favor ever been shown to
any contractor or laborer on the inn
provements of the Society. The print
! ing, also, is left TO the lowest bidder, and
has been for the last three years, every
Office in the state being solicited to
compete for the work, aud furnished
with a list Of the printing required.
/ AAfUsEsIENTs, ETC, on THE GROUNDS.
Much complaint is made because the
Society gives license to circuses, and
amusements of various kinds. Ii the
$4,000 in premiums, to say nothing of
the expenses of the fair, and improve
ments annually made, could be paid for
in promises, or on the 10 per cent. en-
trance or sale Of tickets, there might be
some show of reason in the complaint,
but every dollar the Society agrees to
pay, for premiums or otherwise, it must
pay, else its patronage would cease and
its organization be left at the mercy of
the law. But while licenses are granted
for places of amusement, which tend TO
vastly increase the revenue, and make
'Fair week" an occasion Of pleasure to
thousands who come for pleasure only,
nothing calculated to corrupt the NOR
ais Of the people is allowed to occupy
the ground with the knowledge or con-
sent of the Society or its officers; and
l doubt whether any one who had char
acter to lose was ever materially in
jured in morals or otherwise by the
licensed exhibitions of the Fair; though
if money-making alone was the aim %
the Society, $1,000 could be obtained for
gambling tables, and other chances to
fleece the public. That the devil can be
found at the Fair, think is true; but
there is no justice in charging to the
management of the Society all the vice
and Immortality which may obtain
where 10000 people are congregated fol
all sorts Of purposes.
CONCLUSION.
That there are many things in the
conduct of the Society and the Fail
which might be improved, shall not
undertake to deny; but these will re-
quire time and money. That the So