The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-14
THEY WANT A FAIR
VIEWS EXPRESSED BY DIRECTORS
OF ASSOCIATION.
A FAIR OR RACE MEETING.
SEEMS TO BE IN PROSPECT FOR
SAVANNAH NEXT FALL.

Mayor Myers Thinks That just
Good, or "a Better Fair, Can BE
Given by savannah without the
Assistance of the State Agricul-
turaI SOciety-His View That the
Society Rather Hampered Than
HeIped-If a Fair Is Given, Efforts
Must he Made to Make 1t Unusual
Ey Attractive, the Mayor Saddle
Would Rather Have Race Meet
ing of the Right SOrt-Mr. 1. A. Sol
onions Is for Another Fair.
Mayor Myers does not believe that
Savannah should feel in the least dis
heartened over its failure to secure the
State Fair. He is not disposed to de-
tract in any way from the enterprise
that Valdosta showed in outbidding
Savannah, but, on the contrary, wants
to have a fair that would not conflict
with that Valdosta will hold.
Savannah can have a Fair that will
be in every respect as good as that
which was held here last fall under the
auspices of the Agricultural Society,""
said the Mayor. I'm fact 1 believe Sa-
vannah can have better fair. The
State Agricultural Society did not help
the enterprise in any way that Iicould
see. 1t rather hampered than aided the
Savannah Fair Association, and there
is no reason why fair or exposition,
held independently of the society,
should not prosper and prove more
successful than that held in co-opera-
ton with the society.
mo, there is no reason why there
should not be either a fair or a race
meeting here next fall. / should think,
as director of the Fair Association,
that it would be preferable to have a
race meeting that would bring many
of the~best horses in the country. We
have one of the very best tracks that
is to be found anywhere, and the
horsemen would come. The races
proved the principal attraction at the
Fair last fall, and the people would go
TO see them. Not only would Savan-
nahians go, but there would be a great
many people attracted from distance.
IF it should be decided to hold a
fair, however, care should be taken to
make the features particularly attrac-
tive. Unless that is done, do not be-
lieve that the Fair will prove very sue
csesful. Fairs are held all about the
country, and there are so many of
them that one has to be arranged on
plans of real merit to draw visitors
President George w. Owens of the
Savannah Fair Association and Mr..
l. A. Solomons, a director, returned
yesterday morning from Atlanta,
whittier they went as members of a
committee from the association to APP
pear before the Executive Committee
of the State Agricultural Society and
extend an invitation to the society to
hold the next State Fair at Savannah.
Mr.. owens was seen last night about
the trip, but said that there was nothing
further to be said than that which APP
peared in the Morning News dispatch
from Atlanta, which told of the failure
of the committee to secure the fair
Mr.. Owens said that he had had no
opportunity to discuss the matter with
the directors of the association and
that he did not know whether or not
it was their desire to hold another fair
in Savannah.
Mr. Solomons was also seen, and his
views on the question of a fair were
sought. He stands fiatfooted for a fair,
saying that Savannah should have one
and that there is no reason why Just
as successful a show should not be
given as that of last fall.
"A Savannah association" said MIR.
Solomons, can give a fair just as well
without as with the cooperation of
the State Agricultural Society. In fact,
there would be money saved on sala-
ries paid officers and appointees of the
Agricultural Society, and that might
be judiciously and advantageously ex-
pended for advertising.
II feel somewhat disappointed that
we did not secure the State Fair, as
we went to get it, but a South At
lantic Fair, or one by any other APP
propriate name, would take just as
well as a State Fair at Savannah. All
the agricultural exhibits we want
could be secured and there should be
more attention given the industrial
department than there was last fall.
I'VE presented a business-like prop
osition to the EXECUTIVE Committee.
President Hughes complimented us on
this. We did not offer any percentage
of the net profits, as did Valdosta, for
the. reason that we knew that profits
We're very uncertain element in state
fairs. We would have been glad enough
to offer 80 or 100 per cent. of the net
profits, if we had thought that would
count for anything. When We made
our offer, we were under the impress
sion that opportunity would be given
us to be heard again, after the offers
of Savannah and Valdosta had been
considered, but such was not the case
and the next we knew was that the
fair had been awarded to Valdosta."