Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-10-09
AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT,

There is now under consideration by the
State Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry
in annual session in this city-the subject
of premium lists at agricultural fairs. Il
is a topic Of much interest. 1t is the
conviction of all who have given the sub
iect thought that the premium lists adopted
by the agricultural societies of this State
are very defective. They appear to have
been formulated upon the principle of
money rewards-a nisconceptioa in the
outset. The premiums are disproportioned,
are often vague and uncertain, and the
competition invited is frequently of such q
character that the award really amounts 10
nothing as a stimulus to industry, inventive
genius or production.
Thus, it is common thing 10 find in the
same class a like premium for =" best SAM
ple' and "best specimen Not one COM
mitteeman in one hundred is able TO i'm
mediately or correctly draw the distinction
between these two terms when examining
exhibits and the. result uniformly is.
where there are two competitors, TO shift
the responsibility" and give one the pre-
MUM for the best sample" and the other
for the e best specimen" Many of the
classes call for goods of American manu-
facture but 10 proofs are required as to the
origin of the product, and the committees
are driven 10 accept the ipse dixit OF the
exhibitors. 1t is notorious that frauds are
perpetrated in consequence.
Then again, there appears to be nothing
TO prevent the same piece of handiwork
from taking leading premium year after
year, TO the Encouragement of fresh com
petitors. Still again, amateurs by the aid
of teachers, impose handiworl upon the
Society, and receive awards over unaided
workers. In other classes there is failure
TO distinguish between the finest display
and best home-product display that seri-
ously handicaps home industry. We know
of one instance where this grievance 50
reused the sense of justice Of one board of
judges that, while forced to award TO a.
the premiums listed for finest display, it
unanimously recommended like premi-
UNI to " b, setting forth that his exhibits
were Of California manufacture, equally
serviecabe. practical, useful and deserving
Of encouragement, but that by the prerni-
um list % Is s. was totally shut out by the
arbitrary, conventional best"
These are but drops in the bucket; mere
incidents in long lists of absuriitics, cor
tradictions and the general muddiness of
premium lists. We have not touched upon
defects in the premium lists for stock, but
there are similar complaints of inequalities
in that department of fairs. 1t is notorious,
we repeat, that our fair premium lists,
taken as mass are very far from salts
factory. They exhibit objectionable igno-
rance in many respects. For instance,
premiums are Offered for the best exhibit OF
certain goods or certain manufacture, by
which articles of like material but wholly
dissimilar character and uses are thrown
into competition. TO illustrate Wehaye
known statuary and chimney pots,
andirons and artistic ornamentation, wash
basins and sideboard ware, articles of dec,
Grafton and articles for the homliest uses 10
be thrown into the same class and forced
into competition, though in art indus
trial and commercial fields the makers
OF any one are not recognized as rivals OF
any of the others in any sense what
ever. Then there are great gaps in
the premium Ests-omissions, By which a
Sarleiy OF useful products are excluded for
lack ofinvitation. So, too, the amounts OF
money given in premiums arc in very
many cases inconsistent, and are dispro-
portioned to the effort of competition. 1t
is not possible to cnumerate all the defects