Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-11

Iowa should be represented. Iowa IS the
| best state in the union, as far as agri-
cultural products are concerned. and IL
would indicate lack of enterprise to
/ slight this important matter other
/ states may excel in the matter of manu-
4 featuring industries but we lead n ag-
| ricultural pursuits. 1t is, therefore, very
| material that we are represented.
| The department of agriculture he
| said. must take a leading part at the st.
Louis exposition. 1t will not interfere
/ with our fair. BY asking for duplicate
/ exhibits. we can get what we want and,
| at the same time, prepare just as well
| for the ST. Louis fair The fact that
! other states have confided in the agri-
| cultural departments the larger respon-
sibiity for carrying on the exposition
work has placed them far in the lead of
this state and given them an advantage
which Iowa can soon have if the ex-
| ample is emulated The Iowa state
board of agriculture is in better condi-
| ton today, however. to put on an ex-
| hibit at st. Louis than any other state
and this opportunity should not be ov
| erlooked.
In concluding his annual report Mr..
Van Houten said:
This department was represented at
the annual meeting of the American
association of fairs and expositions in
Chicago, December 2 by your president
and secretary and the dates assigned
for our fair will be August 2230. l
recommend that the date be approved.
This is an early date. but our lack of
shelter, with buildings widely separ-
ated and without good walks connect
ing them, and with our desire to in
crease the number of campers. 1t seems
that this is desirable date. This
date does not conflict with other fairs.
except New York, which is so far dis
tant as to not injure us much, and is
the only date we could have without
being in conflict with some fair in the
western circuit, or else taking a date
so late as to be dangerous. 1t, of
course, is early for fruits, corn and
vegetables but for all other exhibits
not an unsuitable date, and with the
many advantages in it's favor. think 1t
is best to adopt the time as suggested.
Under the old system the years were
the same as the calendar, but under
present law the year ends with Novem-
first eleven months as year. and with
this understanding will refer to the
conditions for three years. or during the
time that have had to do with the So
ciety and the department of agricul-
ture. AT the beginning of this period
had all the cash in the treasury been
paid out there would still have been
an Indebtedness of S473.S6 in 1899. Inn
provements and repairs We're made at a
cost of s4.6S33.39; in 1900 improvements
and repairs cost $S,115.59, and the cost
for like work and purchase of build
ings this year was S13,37S.73. During
the three years. in addition to payment
of premiums and the expense of con-
Quoting the fairs all the old debts have
been paid and we now have cash bal
ance of S34,224.62.
"All the officers and superintendent
of Departments have have contributed
to this showing, and there has been
complete harmony in every department
of the work. not only in the work Of the
department Of agriculture, but in the
management of the fair, and present
conditions are such that we may con-
fidently expect great results in the
future, not only in fair work, but IN
the general advancement of all the ag-
ricultural and stock industries of the
state. For the uniform courtesy and
consideration shown me by all the
members of the board return thanks"
In regard to the condition of the state
fair grounds at the present time he
said:
TT is safe to say that the conditions
of the grounds is better than ever be-
fore and yet there is much in the way
of Improvements that might be sug-
gested. There should be walks and
and yet we can not have this last i'm
sprovement until we can get the city to
extend sewers to the river or some
other outlet. More trees should be set
out and above all plan formed for
future improvements, so that work may
not be done that will have to be de-
stroyed in future work. It should be
determined where large buildings
should be erected, when means will per-
init, and such places should be left
free from trees or temporary buildings
that would have to be sacrificed or re-
moved in the future permanent inn
provements of the grounds. The time
must soon come when our present
buildings will not longer meet the re-
quirements of our fairs. Some of the
barns and other buildings will soon
require new roofs or to be replaced by
buildings more suitable for the use in
tended, and if we are to make the state
fair permanent and satisfactory dis
play we should begin to plan for better
buildings to take the place of the ones
now in use. Neither have we capacity
for all the stock that we have had, for
we needed at least two more cattle
barns for the recent fair, and 1t is
hoped that exhibits will INCREASE as
the years go by, so greatly increased
capacity will be required. Most of the
buildings now on the grounds are Of a
temporary character and will soon need
to be replaced with better, and it should
be the policy to erect buildings that
will be more suitable for the purpose
intended and at the same time of dur
able material. new roof was put on
the exposition building and the great
size of this building made the cost
great, and as the years go by other
buildings will need extensive repairs. |
unless replaced with more permanent
All of these considerations
call for plans to be made, so that the
least amount of loss shall occur from
quirements. The high rate Of insur-
ance required would would make a
large item in the erection of better,