Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-03-07
Agricultural Society Matters.

1
Board of Agriculture met at the Secre-
tary's office at the Pavilion at 3 P. NJ.
Yesterday. President Carey in the
chair. Present = Directors Chamber
lain, J. j. Green, c. Green, Hamilton,
Younger, Cox and Biggs. Reading of
the minutes dispensed with. :
The Building Committee through
their Chairman, Cox, reported prog
ress and asked for further time, which
was granted.
The Chairman of the Committee on
Appropriations reported progress and
was granted further time.
Peter Brandow, suspended at the
last State Fair, was reinstated.
A communication from Cyrus Jones
g. Go. was read and fled
The Secretary was instructed to
answer a communication of Heads
burg Grange No. Is, p. of H., relative
to the Board, and the following resolu-
tions in reply to that Grange was
ordered transmitted to it and also pub
lished:
Whereas, Healdsburg Grange No
Is, p of II has caused to be sent
| abroad a circular containing vague,
| unfounded charges against the State
Agricultural Society and its Board of
| Directors, which the Board unquali-
fiedly deny in every part and word;
therefore be it resolved in reply to said
| Grange and in answer to its wholly
unwarranted attack, as follows:
AS to the charge concerning the mis-
management of the affairs of the State
Agricultural Society, we deny that any
of the avowed objects of the society
have been laid aside or neglected; on
the contrary, to thefullest extent each
purpose of the society has been foster
ed and encouraged to the full ability
of the association.
And further, as to the alleged mis-
management of the affairs of the So
ciety, the Board points with pride to
the personal employment and standing
of the members of the Board as a COM
I'plete reply to the untruthful and UNI
Warranted attack of Grange No. Is.
That the books of the society have
been open to examination, and COM
plete exhibits of its financial affairs
have been published, showing the adj
ministration to have been discreet and
successful in paying off debts long
since contracted, awarding liberal pre-
miums and acquiring valuable proper
ty. That the agricultural mechanic
cal and household arts and the mining
interests y have in no sense been made
secondary considerations, nor has the
society conducted "horse-racing" SO
as to make it "one grand carnival of
pool-selling and gambling The fig
ures quoted by Grange No. Is from our
report of 1872, when properly stated,
make the following showing:
Total expenditures......... ,S3l l6
Amount paid for premiums in cash,
plate, diplomas, gold and silver
......................." 9SI 10
OF which 1884 was cash,
Amount paid in racing purses.......- Il, i22 90
OF which amount there was received
from entrance money to purse, pool
privileges and rent of stand.......... l0,7l1 90
Which leaves 81. I'll as all the money
of the society actually spent for racing
premiums. AS further proof that the
society money has not been squander-
ed, we cite the fact that the receipts at
the Park, separate and distinct from the
Pavilion receipts, for the exhibition of
1872, were $15,337 so, thus showing
clear gain of 1926 so from the Pare
attractions, which was used in advance
ing all the interests of the society. The
receipts of the Pavilion during the
same period were $S,963 so.
That in relation to speed trials and
exhibitions the Board has followed
the established custom of the society
for years and the manifest demand of
public opinion, as exhibited in the sue
cess which has met the same. When
public sentiment and patronage shall
be sufficient to enable the society to
accomplish its ends without the at
fractions of the track, the policy of
abolishing all speed exhibitions may
be timely considered. That the cree
ton of the grand stand, to which
Grange Is so strenuously objects, is not
to be wholly for racing purposes, but
is to be used, in common with the gem
eral use of the Park, as stock ground,
and for viewing in comfort the daily
stock parades and other exhibit
tons, which have at late fairs
been attended by the people in num-
bers beyyJhs the present seating capci-
ty of the grounds. That in relation to
the alleged liability Of contamination
of the people by attendance on the
State Fairs, we Indignantly repudiate
the aspersion implicitly cast upon the
people of Californsa by Grange Is, and
in reply point with pride to the fact
admitted by all observant visitors
from abroad, that the assemblage of
people at the State Fairs of California
is more orderly and reputable than
those gathered on most great public
occasions and festivals in other States;
and that the illdisposed and disrepu-
table persons hanging upon the out
skirts of great assemblages are less in
number and kept in closer check than
in any other State in the Union, and
in proof of this we cite the conduct of
the last State Fair especially. Final
ly, we call attention to the fact that
upon our Board, out of ten members,
seven are practical and extensive
farmers and stOckraisers, and no
member of the Board has ever eXhib-
tied horse at a speed programme in
any race anywhere. That the attend
ance at the fairs has rapidly increased
and the exhibition in all its departments
greatly advanced, the exhibition of
stock in 1873 having been proven to be
the best, most varied and extensive
ever made in the Union, and the eX-
hibition of agricultural implements
and machines being the best yet given;
and as last reply to Grange Is of
Healdsburg, which threatens to with
! draw its patronage from the society,
we reply: that a diligent search of the
books of the society discloses the fact
that for eight years no life or other
membership has been taken from that
section, nor has that vicinity had a
solitary exhibitor at the State Fair.