The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1910-06-09
n REGARD TO OUR COUNTY FAIR

ly request for funds was made to the
County Board by the Fair Association
and granted by the County Board it
seems apropos at this time to make a
passing remark in regard to our Coun-
ty Fair.
A Fair is an exhibit prepared by a
community or by trade or profession
for the purpose of advertisement and
for the education and attraction of the
public, The exhibit then should re-
present the ability and enlightenment
of the community backing it. A Coun-
ty Fair by its exhibit should advertise
the county and its products. And the
Manitowoc County Fair should re-
present the products and industries of
Manitowoc County. And the exhibits
at all times should be of the best as it
is to represent the maximum of
achievement
With these thoughts in mind let us
revisit last years County Fair. TO
those that attended it the following
facts must appear apparent. lD a
Fair ground that is well equipped in
every respect Indicative that a good
Association is backing it. i2) An at
tendance of visitors that is Indicative
of more than passing interest by the
public. (3) A wonderful lack of
Manitowoc County products on eN-
hibit indicative of either an Associa-
tion that is unfair to its local exhibit
ors, or farming community that has
not yet awakened.
| Where is the trouble? That the
Fair Association is trying its best is
indicated by the first fact and hence
the blame would appear to be thrown
on the farmers. No where was the
lack of local products more striking
than in the stock exhibit. An outsid-
er remarked to the writer while visit
| ing the Fair, "'rhere are no horses,
! there are few cattle that are fair,
| and the rest is not to be counted" ;"
| Is this then the advertisement that is
offered by the farmers of Manitowoc
County? Have we "no horses, and but
few fair cattle and nothing else to
be counted" or are we ashamed to
show that we have.
a few weeks ago this paper pub
lished list of prizes offered for the
benefit of the members of the County
Experiment Association sr~ In the
opinion of the writer the County is
| unfortunate in the stand taken by this
Order and surely an Order of this kind
should represent the best of the com
munity. Animal Husbandry is the
foundation of all permanent Agricul-
ture and Animal Husbandry is the
| foundation of exhibition advertisements
And this Order offers inducements not
| for the foundation of thing but for
the cap and climax of it. Out of ten
visitors to a Fair, nine will be attract
ed by the stock exhibits and not always
one will be attracted by sheaf Of
wheat or an ear of corn. And our fair
must be attractive before it can be a
success. IT, however, we can once
attract the visitor by the living, NOV
ing exhibit, it is easy to sidestep him
to the barley and other products of the
field And inasmuch as Agronomy is
secondary to Animal HuSbandry in the
| Agriculture of the County, it is but
proper that it should obtain secondary
sade. Moreover, our fair comes at
such an early date that at the best it
is impossible to put out a first class
field and garden exhibit. Why then
does this Order offer inducements for
| Agronomy and not for Animal Hus-
| bandry.
1t is then up to the farmers of Mani
towou County to make or break the
Fair of the future. As local citizens
of the community what are we going
to do about it? This is our county
Fair and our exhibit and our adver-
County Fair of 1910 and Of the future
is going to be. The Fair Association
is not to be considered If they do not
offer us suitable Inducements we must
demand them and they cannot but
comply with our wishes. 1t is of in
| terest to note that at the recent re-
quest for funds by the Fair Associa-
tion it was the farmer members of the
Board who fought the proposition.
| The writer does not understand thi,
attitude. 1t appears to be a blind at.
tempt to save the County's dollars at
the expense of the Countys future
| Agriculture. Which is the better
economy? Let the farmer members of
the County Board realize that the
Fair is held in the interests of the
| farmer and the penny saved in the
present may mean dollars in the econo-
my Of the future. And We who are
stock -raisers and farmers in the Coun-
| ty let US at this time pledge our
selves to support the Fair not merely
by our attendance, but by the pre-
sence of such members of our stock
as will be a credit to the Agriculture
OF Manitowoc County And only in
this manner can success for the Mani
towoc County Fair be assured. And