The Pensacola journal., 1907-05-14
r. w. STORRS ON THE
PRACTICAL VALUE EOF FAIRS
DeFuniak Man Makes {
Strong Argument to Legis
lators at Tallahassee.
PROVES cONSLUSIVELY THAT
STATE AND COUNTY FAIRS
ARE OF DIRECT VALUE BY IN
CREASE OF POPULATION AND
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.

The following is from the Tallahas-
see Sun of May IL:
are fairs of practical value-of
such practical value that the state is
justified in making appropriations for
them?
This question was asked Mr.. Storrs,
editor of the DeFuniak Breeze, who is
here in the interest of the West Flor
ida Fair.
Mr. Storrs said:
Taking the West Florida Fair at
DeFuniak Springs, as an example, the
following facts are submitted as evil
dence that these institutions are of
such practical value to the state as
to make appropriations for them not
only justifiable, but justified.
1.-The first of these fairs was held
in 1899, and every year up to and in
Guiding 1904. before any appropriation
was asked for from the state. From
1900 to 1905 the increase in popula-
ton of Walton county, in which this
fair was held, was 81 per cent; in
Washington county, in which one fair
was held, it was II per cent; in
Holmes county, which adjoins these
and which for this reason derived a
portion of the benefit, the increase
Rosa and Escambia counties the in
crease was IA per cent; in Calhoun
county, the increase was IS per cent.
None of these latter named cOun-
ties did anything in this line. In none
of the counties of West Florida were
there any new railroads built, or large
manufacturing establishments located,
which would account in any manner
for the difference, and the increase in
Walton county of IA per cent above
the next highest can only be attribut-
ed to the advertising that county got
from the exhibition of it's material re-
sources.
From the fact that all expenses of
every kind, including premiums paid,
was met by personal contributions, it
was, of necessity, entirely local in it's
nature, and so local in its influence.
Along the same line it may be said
that from figures furnished by the
transportation companies, 1,00S fami-
lies located in Florida as a direct re-
suit of the South Florida Fair at
Tampa
But the greatest value of the fairs
| is not in the way of inducing immi-
grafton. 1t is in their educational and
inspirational value to the home peo-
| pie.
Taking again practical examples
from the West Florida Fair: When
the first fair was held one of the corn
exhibitors was highly indignant be-
cause his exhibit did not win the pre-
MUM, because his exhibit was COM
posed of the largest ears. In his
mind, as in the minds of many others,
the largest was synonymous with the
best. Last year this same man was
present with an exhibit that ranked
high in the general exhibit, which
was pronounced by the expert corn
judge who passed upon that class of
articles, as the best he had ever seen
in the south, being superior to that
shown at the state fair in Georgia and
comparing favorably with the exhibits
of Illinois and Indiana. The exhibit
winning first prize scored ninety
points by the standard score card
used in the corn shows of the corn
belt.
Nor was this man alone in what
he had learned. The entire display of
forty individual exhibits was of the
same general excellence.
| "Other instances might be cited in
reference TO potatoes, sugar cane and
other products of the farm, field and
garden.
$50 with live stock and poultry. Be-
cause in these fairs the people have
had object lessons in the comparison
of the native and the better class,
there has been the same progress
along those lines.
Under the provisions of the bills
now before the legislature the money
can be used for the payment of pre-
miums only, and the money goes di-
Irectly to the producing classes of the
state. and by reason of these appro-
priations the fair associations are en-
abled TO offer premiums of such
amounts as to bring competitors from
| every section of the state. Last year
premiums were paid by the West
Florida Fair TO residents of every