Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-03-07
A Defense of the, StAte Agricu''
Y turai Society.

A few days since the HERAhBfss edi-
torial columns contained brief
synopsis of, and allusion to, series OF
resolutions passed by the Healdsburg
Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry
in reference tothe management Of the
State Agricultural Society. The reso-
lutions in question gave the following
statement of the EXPENSES of Che socie-
ty and the relative amount paid in
premiums for ssaeing, and for ether
purposes:
Total amount ofexpendiftirss .lA...S47 ,s5l 10
Amount paid for racing premiums. 2,i22 10
Total amount of agricultural, stock,
mechanical, I'm lining and prRiilininS
of all kinds paid by the society,". 1881 W
From this exhibit the Healdsburg
Changers argue that the principal OBJ
ject of the association seems to be the
encouragement of horse-racing, and
that the agricultural and other Indus
triafinterests Of the State We're practi-
cally ignored. Assuming the facts as
set forth to be true, we did not hesitate
to commend the spirit of the resolu-
tions, at least so far as they aimed at
, relieving our agricultural associations
from the odium of being mainly run
for the benefit of men whose only i'm
terest i'm fihe' horses is the opportunity
they afford for gambling. The Sacra-
mento Record of the Sd comes to the
defense of the association in an article
of considerable length, in which the
facts assumed to exist in the resolu-
tons alluded to are in the main con-
troverted. Always striving to act
with the utmost impartiality, and only
desiring that the truth shall prevail,
we give the other side of the ques-
ton as presented in the agricultural
department of the Record. In reply
to the Deductions drawn by the Healds-
burg grange from the statement of
expenditures given above, the Record
says: - =.
They say these figures show that
more than twenty-five per cent of all
the expenditure was paid for racing
premiums, which latter exceed all
other premiums awarded by S4, 4SS.
Now, in the first place, 81, 1884 was only
the cash premiums paid. The diplo-
mas, silver and gold medals and plate
paid instead of cash, swelled this
amount to S9,9S7 Is. The racing pre-
miums paid were as stated, $l2, 422.
But every horse entered has to pay ten
per cent of the purse in cash before he
is allowed to compete. Some of the
purses are frequently forfeited by foul
dealing of jockeys, and the privilege of
pool selling brings in. good income.
From these sources and the rent of the
grand stand on the occasion of the race
between Lucy and Goldsmith Maid,
the society realized that year the sum
of Sl0,7ll, leaving only the sum of
Still which the society paid for purses
over and above what they received
from the same, source, not taking into
account the receipts atthe gate. Dur
ing the eight days of the fair that year,
the receipts at the park were $l5,337 so.
Deducting from this amount the Sill,
the deficiency of purses not paid by the
races proper, and we have $13,626 so
surplus of receipts at the park over eX-
penses for races, to apply in the pay
ment of premiums in all ether de-
partments. Let us stop right here
and inquire what it was that swelled
the receipts at the gates of the park
to such liberal dimensions. The
answer is conclusive that public opin-
ion is in favor of the turf as "a test of
speed, strength, endurance and value
of the horse. And we assert here and
defy contradiction that the farmers
take o greater interest I'm the trials of
speed of the horses fairs, than any or
all other classes Why should they
not? The farmers raise all the horses
and raise them as they do all other
products of, the farm, to sell fpr.tlie
most they can get for them. And every
farmer knows that speed and endRr-
ance gives value more than any other
quality and brings greater profit to the
raiser sAafast horsewill bring thou
sands of dollars while horse fitted
only for hard labor brings onlyillun-
dreds. But we will leave this point
and examine the financial side of the
exhibition of the agricultural aside
from the stock, mechanical Eand
mineral products, for the encourage
ment of which alone the Grange seems
to think the $4,000 was appropriated
by the State. The society paid out
for these purposes, as stated above,
S9,9S7 10, or in round numbers double
the appropriation. Then how could
the States money have been nfsap-
propriated? On the contrary, it will
be seen that the society are indebted
principally to the receipts arising from
the attractions of the races for the adj
ditional $4,000 which they devoted to
the encouragement ofthe Agricultural,
mechanical and mining interests. This
will appear more fully when the fact
is stated that the receipts at the doors
of the Pavilion. during the fair of 1872,
were $500 So or but little over half
those at the Park during the same
time. The truth is the Board have
done,ilr the managenaent'of thesotfety
just what every good, shrewd, bust
ness man does in the management
of his own business-he takes the sur
est way to makeiit pay.
r. II 8 r.
The Board are charged with extrava-
.gance in the management of the Soci-
ETY. in the past and in their proposed
action. in .the.sfutalre. In ten years
past they have paid off debt Of
$4,000 and have bought and paid for
real estate. which with the improve
ments upon it is worth to-day $780,
600, and still the patronage of the
Society, or the exhibitions and atten-
dance at the Fairs are increasing so
rapidly from year to year as to de-
mand improvements faster than the