Telegram-herald., 1889-09-30
TO FLOCK By ITSELF
The Western Michigan Fair Ter
inmates It's Kent Co. Alliance.
The COUNTY SOCIEIrS LEGAL STATUS
Ina portrait Aeti0A OF the W sst~rn M chi
saa Agricultural aad Industrial
socIsty's DirsetoEs-Ihs saasss
which Leu Ia IL

The board OF directors Of the Western
Michigan Agricultural and Industrial
society have voted b sever their con
necu0n with the Kent COuaty society
entirely. A committee of nye, cons-st-
lng 0f President RAmsdell. Judge Rus
sell. Of Hart. Hon. II. L. sweet, 0f this
city. Mayor Kelsey. u Iona, and A. r.
Strong. of Vlcksburg, has als0 been ap-
pointed for the purpose OF settling up
al matters With the Kenty County Fair
Association. and also 90 lease purchase,
or receive by donation or otherwise,
ground. suitable for fair purposes, and
proceed o. no the same for the next an-
uual FAR exhibition 10 September. The
committee Was further empowered 10
sell. assign, discharge, or collect the
mortgage which the society holds upon
the Kent county grounds, which
amounts % about 5000, and 70 use the
proceeds for the preparation OF the
new grounds.
The committee has been called TO
meet a. the Morton House al , p. m.
Cn thursday next, and ali members
have promised % be- present.
The directors are very retcent re-
geTding the reasons for their course. it
= understood, however. that it il owing
% the legal complications regarding
the ownership and sale OF the
grounds, and the dog IN the
mauger policy OF several OF the
directors OF the Kent county society.
The Western Michigan society has
been holding fairs for the past ten or
eleven years, and during that time the
Kent county society has been dormant.
The membership Of that society, Ike
all agr.cu tural societies. was made up
OF people who paid an annual member
ship Zee. During the time that the
grounds have been used by the Western
Michigan society no membership fees
have been paid. The present directors,
whose terms expired several years
ago, claim % ne officers because their
SUCCESSORS have not been chosen, and no
successors can be elected because the
society has no legal membership. In
fact nasmuch as the directors have
PAID no membership fees for ten years,
there may be q question whether they
are themselves members of the assOcIa-
tlNt- WiAN-f ii4'. .f.itFs NttUtu III p DtttJ
they propose control. This situation
70 Will readily O.. seen, opens vast field
for litigation ana an endless amount OF
trouble. IL is also understood that
Mr.. Mech. one Of the directors of the
Kent County Society, Will throw all
legal obstacles possible in the way of
the sale of the old grounds and pur-
chase OF a new site unless the other
directors concur in ms views OF the
grounds which should be selected.
ndrr these circumstances the Western
Michigan directors doubtless think that
it VII be better 90 avoid trouble and
o. secure grounds OF their own which
they can control.
It is barely possible that this may
cause Grand Rapids 70 lose the falr
While the majority of the West Michi-
gan directors favor Grand Rapids. they
teel that the benefits conferred by the
far unou the city where it is held enti-
tie them To- material aid in securing
grounds. II they should canvass the
western portion OF the state for COM
pcttve bids. It would behOOve Grand
Rapids 90 hc,tir herself.