The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-01-23
AGRICULTURAL
SOCIETY TALK.
Some Men Think the ASsOcia'
tiOn Should Be Dissolved.
BUT IT WILL NOT DISSOLVE.
Directors Are Already Making Prepara-
tions For "A Big Exposition This
Near---what It Costs
the County.

The fact that the Stark County Agri-
cultural society is $4,000 in debt and
that the debt is increasing at the rate of
s., 900 a year, and i'm view of the further
fact that the society is asking that the
commissioners levy a tax upon the peo-
pie of the county to help support the
annual fair, one of the commissioners
was moved to remark a few days ago,
that the county fair seemed to be loos-
ing it's hold on the people and to ask
the head of one of the township courts
how he would vote If a proposition were
submitted to the voters of the county
to sell the fair grounds, use the money
to pay off part of the county debt
and close up the fair business alto
gether.
Il would vote to close it up" replied
the justice.
Since the report of the last year on
the county fair has been made public
there has been considerable talk along
this line in Canton. The directors, how
ever, do not propose to give it up and
they are laying plans which they eX-
pect to reduce the debt materially this
coming year. The county commission
ers, with the county fund overdrawn,
anu lut blliBG lullu ONtl vi dN H. w
not feel very enthusiastic over the
proposition to take a part of the trNCs
to relieve the strain on the agricultural
society. In fact, part Of the board, at
least, would be in favor of submitting
the question of closing the fair up,
to vote of the people.
Ever since the removal of the fair
grounds the county fair has had rough
IA ,s,1I Go. l.,
pretty thoroughly demonstrated that
the removal was unpopular. Many of
the directors admit it now. The manner
in which it was accomplished in the
first place, whereby the dollars of cor
porate interests We're said to weigh more
than the opinions of the farmers, took
the enthusiasm out of the rural pOpula-
tion and the farmers have stayed away.
Then Alliance thought Canton had gone
back on her and was flirting with Mas
sillon and that made her mad and she
stayed away. AS for Massillon, the
largest pumpkin that ever nestled in
the shadow Of a corn shock would not
draw the average Massilonian to the
fair grounds if a base ball game or
wrestling match could be gotten up in
the other direction. And so the atten-
have dwindled and the society is get
ting deeper and deeper in debt.
The fair grounds belong to the county
and about $4,000 are invested in the
ground and buildings. At 8 per cent
interest this sum would be worth to
the county $500. Then the commits
sioners gave the fair 81 900 in cash last
year. This made the fair cost the
county directly $500.
But while the fair may or may not be
expensive it will probably continue as
long as the directors desire. For the
law gives the directors of the agricuI-
tural society absolute control of the
matter. The general law of the state
and the special act passed to allow the
of Stark county to
purchase the present fair grounds, both
hold explicitly that the agricultural
society shall have entire control of the |
fair grounds forever, The commission
ers could not sell them If they would
The only way the fair could be stopped
would be for the agricultural society
to dissolve and quit business. In that
event, If no other agricultural society
sprang up to take it's place the title to
the grounds would be completely in the
if desired.
A vote of the people on the case
would not cut any figure. But the
directors do not propose to dissolve and
the county fair is probably a fixture
The only question that will be to be
decided is as to whether it will be big
fair or a little one. The directors are
bent on making it a big one. They say,
a leo faf IN, Will ha
record breaker, both in exhibits and
and that bad weather Is
accountable for many of the misfor-
tunes that have overtaken the society.
This year they have set the date much
earlier and have determined that they
will meet goood weather If they have
to get into the middle of the summer.
They are working diligently to prove
fa re pa yat