The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-18
YAKIMA PEOPLE GR|tYED.
THEIR PET INSTITUTION IN THE
HANDS OF GRAFTERs.
Have worked Hard 20 Make II n Sue
cess and Hope People of state
wiz Place Responsibility for
Encouragement where II Belongs

special Dispatch 10 the Post-Tnteliigencer.
NORTH YAKIMA. Oct 1.-THE ra-
markedly complete and accurate expose
OF the grating operations of Gov. Rog-
ers' state fair commission which APP
pcared IN Sundays Post-Intelligencer.
has caused great deal Of comment here.
For a long time past It has been COM
mon talk that there was crookedness In
the management % the fair. The fact
that according 70 the report Of Secretary
Gum the 1899 fair cost about $4,000. while
that ~ 1900 held under protest and after
the exhaustion Of the funds, cost 5000
less had not escaped the attention OF
Yakima people. But no publication had
been made in which the details were
given 40 fully aud the exposition Of the
methods employed by the commission in
iooting the fair as given by the Post-ln-
feiligencer conveyed new and interesting
information TO regular readers OF the
paper. and some hundreds Of others VINO
bought II.
The feeling Of the people here toward
the commission, which has not been the
best for n long time, was not improved
by the publication Of It's inside history.
North Yakima citizens are intensely loyal
20 the fair II s. the only state institu-
ton they have and as they live In
strictly agricultural section Of the state
they believe that Il Is an institution
which
They sought It's creation and every year
they have givcn up more money. twice
over for its support and 10 make ~
s,,ceess than II has brought back 20
them. They have watched It's steady
deterioration under the present manage
ment. and have heard the reports on
financial crookedness with deep chagrin-
,rhey long ago lost all confidence In the
cou,nission This feeling has not peen
coufned 10 the town. II has extended 70
the farmers al over the valley, anu ~
N. date OF The last fair not 50 much as
q yellow pumpkin was ohered TOT e .sIn.
billion by the farmers. and no exnipits
could be obtained from them unul the
commission hired men and sent them out
20 buy exhibits.
notwithstanding this feeling. when 2
meeting was called AZ the 1o f',1a,ii
Haxter and Secretary Gum explained
The situation saying the appropriation
was exhausted and a fair could nor pe
held this fall unless the citizens came
~ the rencue committees were appointed
10 10 out among the business men ana
secure subscriptions 20 iunn hrss
enough TO guarantee the payment OF
premiums Merchants who were APP
preached by these committees on which
were the very best men In the cominuh-
fair mad disgrnced North Yakima long
enough and that they wouldnt put a
dollar OF their money into such hands
Appended 10. when thew were told tnat
unless they came to the rescue no fair
could be held. and its abandonment this
year might make y imposslnl,e !" ,, sec. ,he
coming winter, they went down into their
pockets, some for s25. some for 80 ala
some for sitn They raised si,Nw ann
put n into a fund for the payment %
premiums In case IL was needed, IL fs
unnecessary 10 say that Il was needed
and that the subscribers have been called
upon 20 pay
Rogers Was Advised.
That IS the experience the people OF
North Yakima have had this year with
Gov. Rogers fair commission, and IL
must not be overlooked that Gov Rog.
ers was fully advised Of the methods OF
his appointees by the letter OF William
Lee ST.. sent him when that gentleman
resigned from the commission because
man Every year the North Yakima peo-
pie have done as much for the fair as
ihis year, though heretofore what they
have given has been In the form of spe-
rial premiums. They would have given
these willingly and would have contrib
uted money as willingly this year had
the fair been IN other hands. but 10 the
Baxter Gum outfit they have yielded up
with reluctance and sometimes with pro-
family. And always they have looked
forward TO a time when there would be
People here have stood up for the fair
~ spite Of the fact tina, they knew there
could b. ne excuse for permitting 8, %
remain In the hands Of men who even 10
they had the virtue ~ honesty. are thor
ouEhly Incompetent and who. since tho
exhaustion Of the funds. have been prac-
tically paraiysed by iuacttoR. To hold
fair this year would have been out
~ the question had not the citizens raised
the guaranty fund Nothing was done
all summer and On August 81 twenty
four days before the time set for holding
the fair. they had decided 60 abandon a.
~ II shown by the letter af the assistant
secretary, published 81 the Post-intcui-
GnHcer ~ sunday Yet an summer such
public spirited citizens ~ North Yakima
a. A. y Weed. r. A Otter and Alex
Miller the mon who raised the guaranty
manaed that the fair should not be
abandoned because 81 would Eixn the
town a black eNe And II n b. said