The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-14
FAIR
 IS ENDORSED Another Step Nearer Its
 Achievement MEETING LAST NIGHT People of All Sections Invited
 to Join. Association win Be Organised With stockholders All over Alabama to Give an Annual Exhibition
 in Montgomery.


 tion. which was called to meet in the rooms of the Commercial and Indus. trial Association by Chairman W. D. Westcott.
 A committee of three was named with authority to appoint seven additional members, making q final committee of ten members upon whom 1t will de- volve to devise plans. draft charter and other general things Incident to the organization of Fair Association with a capital stock of at least $50.o0o, The work of this committee in a ten- tative form will be presented to mass meeting of citizens of Montgomery and surrounding counties in every kind of business, association or industry. The calling of this mass meeting is left to the judgment of Chairman westcott. The three original members appointed last night. upon motion of H. C. Davidson. are Chairman West colt, President M B. Houghton of the Montgomery County Agricultural As sociation and George W. Jones of the legal department of the Louisville ana Nashville Railroad Company. The gen. tlemen have promised to delay making the plans of organization as little as possible. and the mass meeting will likely be called in a few days.
 The Plan is Endorsed. The fraction of the committee of fifty odd representative business men and farmers who met last night at the call of Chairman westcott heartily en- dorsed the general proposition suggest ed by M B. Houghton last Saturday at the annual meeting of the Agricultural Association. This was to incorporate the State Association under the regular laws of Alabama with capital stock of s5O,0 to hold annually State exhi- bition in Montgomery of agricultural, industrial, lumber, live stock and fac- tory interests of the State.
 Preceding the appointment of the Executive Committee last night there was an extensive discussion of the state Fair project and the highly. propitious time which contemporary prosperity in Alabama now affords for it's success. It was generally agreed that with con centrated action on the part of patri- otic men in all enterprises in every section of the State. the idea of State Fair should hastily materialize. As soon as the Executive Committee gets to work. it is believed that in it's plans will be included that of finding representative. earnest citizen In every county of the State. who Will DC charged with the responsibility or arousing interest and the spirit or proud rivalry necessary to the success of the Fair.
 Already Chairman Westcott has writ ten to all the Probate Judges to fur nish a list of such possibly patriotic men in their respective counties. When returns are had from these requests, the several sub-committees can be ju- diciously chosen for all counties.
 MT. HOughton Speaks.
 NJ. B. Houghton first enjoyed the privilege of the floor last night. He re-read his paper delivered before the County Association Saturday in which he outlined briefly the plan of State Fair Association and the necessities for it's success These are well known. The $50. 900 of stock to be subscribed in shares of $25 each. by people all over the State, or out of 1t, the erection Of buildings on suitable grounds to be leased or purchased, the intention of the association to be permanent, are some of his ideas
 MT. Houghton called attention to the demand of a State Fair to supercede street fairs forever There are Ken tuckians, Kansans and other farmers from the West, he said. who have come to Montgomery and other counties in the State, and this good immigration could be multiplied without limit If there was an annual exhibit to adver- tise our resources. Successful fairs have been held in Macon and Vaidosta. Ga. They are always immense educa- tors.
 The State Fair Association. he de- clared, ought to be an investment and the speaker believed that the Legisla- ture of Alabama would be willing to make a permanent appropriation or funds to help the fair.
 TNax xytA noYt PAIatAd his X- periences, gained from official 'connec- tion with past State fairs in Montgom- cry. He told of how the project in the year of the first fair here. with S1s,o00 of stock subscribed. was suc- cessful There was a surplus fund for another successful exhibition In 1S9O. The fair In 1894 failed on account of the collapse of a bank in which the funds were deposited. combined with the low price of cotton which prevail ed that year.
 Mir. Davidson believed from his ex- periences that the time was now ripe for such an organization. He said that Col. B. l.. Holt, the owner of suitable grounds for the fair buildings, near Pickett Springs. had offered to him, as chairman of the committee. to lease enough ground for the Association for a merely nominal price to cover taxes
 MT. Rice Enthusiastic.
 Alex Rice, who has had experience in the direction of Street Fairs said he believed 1t was time to sound their death -knell by the State Fair move ment- It required, however, men and brains behind the movement He pre- dicted that in the fall when all the crops are laid by the farmers and their families were anxious to come to Mont gomery to enjoy themselves and the attraction to draw them in larer num- bers would be a progressive State Fair.
 J. c. Adams, chief clerk of the Department of Agriculture and Indus tries. was called upon to give his views of the fair and the attitude of the de- partment. He travels throughout the State regularly and sees the necessity for a State Fair. the people of one section Knowing but little of what Is raised and manufactured in other sec tions.
 The Department in the past has been giving $2,500 and &3.000 to the State Fairs and the speaker thought that the Legislature could be induced to appropriate $10,000 annually to an as- soeiation.
 Other members of the committee spoke briefly as follows: Hon John " Smith, President of tae State Rail. road Commission; AdJutant General ". W. Brandon: George W. Jones' w NJ. Blakey. Frank P. Kohn. Hen. ry Abraham. R. P, Dexter, W. $.