Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-02

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building. a large number of directors
and also premium winners were in at
tendance and listened throughout the
day 10 the various addresses given by
prominent speakers from all parts of
the State. All proved to be of an inter-
estipg nature and were beneficial to all
those in attendance
Tie meeting was called to order by
President r. p. Mayo at 1890 A. NJ
Prayer was offered by Rev. c. r. Owen
of this city. The records Of the last
business meeting were read by Secre-
tary George r. Fuller of Oakland and
accepted.
President F.. p. Mayo. who has been
the chief executive for the past four
years and who has SO faithfully served
in that capacity, delivered an address
in which he rendered his resignation
and spoke of the needs of the coming
year. Mir. Mayo said:
Ladies' and Gentlemen Of the Central
Maine Fair Associations:
Once again in the cycle Of time we
are assembled in this beautiful build
ing, where the Central Maine Fair
Association had it's birth four short
years ago. Looking back over the
struggle and victories that have been
ours since We organized it seems as
though an age had rolled away, but it
was less than half score of years ago
that in this building we plighted our
troth and set out to make agricultural
history that should be read and known
of all men.
We certainly must have been
Divinely guided. or else no such
growth and material advancement
had been ours. On taking the presi-
dents chair as your first presiding
officer you may recall that l told you
that the infant just born would be
precisely what you made it. That
your president was simply to do your
bidding as presiding officer over your
deliberations, and that if the Fair
ever became worth it's name it must
be thing of your own creation. You
will all, l am sure, recall how loyalty
and zealously you accepted the re-
sponsibility and today you may with
cOmmendable pride exclain: Behold
what we have wrought"
In laying down the care and respon-
siblity that devOlveS upon your leader
it is with no fear or sOlicitude of its
future. No association can obtain
such a start in life alone and unaided,
without possessing enough of vitality
and stability to compel it to go on,
whether it would or not. But in this
case the future is full of brightness
and cheer. 1t never has lost a friend,
but on the contrary is gaining them
day by day. While it has had severe
struggles it never has had a defeat.
but has come up out Of all struggles
full of courage and covered with the
laurels of victory.
There have been great strides made
along the line of agricultural fairs
since we first opened our gates with
fear and trembling. We seem to have
been fortunate enough to keep just
little ahead Of the procession all the
while In fact We have adopted the
motto of our beloved commonwealth
and have vcritably been the personiil-
cation of our State motto. "Dirigo. I
Direct" This has been so generally
recognized that it is needless for me
to dwell upon it here.
AS to the finances. the very clear and
makes very satisfactory showing. At
the same time it reveals the crying need
of a reform along the line of management
of finances The fair has come to be too
big an undertaking to continue old-tine
methods longer. The fair costs more than
it should on this account.
Next year the new order of things
should prevail. and the fair put into the
hands of n few business men who will
run it as they run their own business. 1t
has alre ady come to be entirely too large
an affair for one man to handle or con-
troll. or to be tossed about by town
meeting gathering. 1t wants and demands
the best attention of trained business
heads, and I hope and trust that this Is
what it will have in the immediate future.
BY the same devotion and toll and per-
severance that you have succeeded in the
past will you grow and expand in the fu-
ture. and you have many fold greater
opportunity.
The greatest advantage is probably in
the additional acreage at your disposal
and for your growth and expansion. The
newly acquired territory makes it posi-
ble to do things that We hardly dared
to dream Of before, and some of the ways
this newly acquired territory may be nti-
lied will be suggested by soH'e OF the
learned gentlemen who nave so kindly
consented to address us today. In brief
1t may be said that it is hardly possible
to say what we may not do If We will in
our enlarged area.
One thing is certain, and that Is the falr
can be much better separated into de-
partments than it has ever been possible
to do before. and this is certainly con-
summation to be most devoutly wished
While do not care to trespass upon the
province of the new board of officers you
are to elect here today. cannot lay down
my role of Office without expressing the
idea that when the grounds are rearrang-
ed that the restaurants and eating tents
shall be in a row by themselves: the ag-
ricultural exhibits in a section all by
themselves and the fakirs ard shows also
relegated to themselves. We have been
so crowded for room that nothing Of this
sort has been possible. but the reform