The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-12-13
County and State Fairs,

The suggestion in THE Agis of November
18th, in relation to county and State fairs,
has attracted the attention of some of our CO.
temporares. The Towsontown Union thinks
the suggestion an excellent one.
The Rockville Sentinel treats the subject as
follows:
From the success that the Agricultural so.
cieties in the counties of the State glory in
and the reverse condition of the State society,
The Agis, published at Bel Air, suggests that
county fairs of the State suspend exhibitions
every fifth year in the counties, to be given
at the grounds and under the auspices of the
State society, that the society may be enhan-
ced in interest and given the standing which
it should have but now lacks that the effect
of this combination will be to expand the in
terest in the manufacture of articles and rails
ing stock commonly exhibited at fairs. In
our Judgment there is difficulty arises at
once-as to who will pay the amount of pre-
miumsg
This is a question which all county soce.
ties would at first consider. The county So
cieties would not obligate themselves to aid
in the payment without some chances of re-
turn. BY an unsuccessful exhibition they
might sustain O double loss-one by the sus-
pension at home, the other by the obligation.
If the exhibition were to be successful and
the proceeds divided among the associations
that each might award her own county, the
State society would be benefited very little,
unless extraordinary success attended the ef-
fort. Ii the State society will agree to as.
sumo all responsibilities the suggestion may
result in reality Though we do not believe
there can ever be made an entire union of the
whole State by whatever encouraging induce
hat, l. H..
ty, we believe, will refuse to be concordant
from her yearly increasing prosperity This
single refusal to concur should not be an OBJ
struction to the consummation of the idea.
With this financial barrier surmounted,
which The 1Agis has omitted in its forcible rea-
soning favorable to the movement there is
no reason why the union of the societies of
the State-with one or more exception
should not be made, as it is much to be desir-
ed, and articles discussing the subject are in
vited for publication.
AS to the difficulty suggested by our con-
temporary, THE Sentinel in the query who
will pay the amount of premiums? he will
pardon us for not seeing in it the force he
evidently attributes to it. Who now pays
the yearly premiums at the State fairs, that
could not afford to pay premiums once in foe
years? If languishing State society can
afford to pay yearly premiums, surely the
same society, should its financial prosperity
be increased by the adoption of the plan We
have heretofore indicated, would be better
enabled to pay premiums once in five years
Besides, our plan does not contemplate any
union of county societies or their absorption
into the State society. The State association
should be kept separate and distinct as an or
ganization and the county societies each pre-
serve intact its separate and distinct organi
cation. There should only be union exhi
biton at the State fair grounds once in five
years, for the benefit of all concerned Those
counties which would refuse to participate
we imagine would themselves be the losers
and would eventually, in view of that fact
join in with the rest All that is wanting is
sufficient number to inaugurate the enter
prise, and the rest would be constrained, in
course of time, to participate.