Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-02-07
Wausaet Pilot,
WauSdu, Wis.

| WdUSdu Petot,
Wausau, Wis.
GENTLEMEN
This afternoon Thos. J. Mahon.
member of assembly from Shawano
county, and well known to many of
the business meG in Wausau, intro
duced bill providing that the state
fair be removed from the city of Mil
waukee to the city of Wausau. Mr..
Mahon says that he will push the
| bill to the limit. He takes the stand
that the basic idea of state fair is
one of education. Its purpose should
be to assist in the development of the
state from an agricultural standpoint.
1t should aim to strengthen those
| sections of the state that are weak
in the methods of improved farming.
For several years last past the state
fair has been conducted for the bene-
| fit of the people in the large cities.
Crowds from the cities gather to see
flying machines, fast horses, automo-
bile races and the like. The aim of
the present association is to get as
large a crowd as possible, in order to
swell the gate receipts, while the
matter of agricultural development
has been neglected. Mr.. Mahon be-
lleyes that such things should be ex-
plotted at state fair as will help in
clearing the land of stumps and
stones, and that will enable the farm
er in the newer country to learn how
to clear his land cheaply, and how to
handle the new soil.
Wausau, as the Industrial center of
the north, should have the state fair
so that the poor farmer, who cannot
afford 10 make an expensive trip to
Milwaukee, may readily and easily
learn the lesson of improved farming.
| am proud to say that | received
an excellent and non-partisan endorse
ment for member of the state board
of agriculture from the Tenth con-
gressional district. Besides having
the endorsement of all the democratic
members of the legislature, a petition
in my behalf was submitted to the
governor, signed by some of the lead
ing republicans, including Senator
Sanborn of Ashland, Assemblyman
Stevens of Rhinelander, Assembly
man Reader of Amigo and many
others. A. w. Prehn of Wausau,
however, received the appointment.
With reference to Mr.. Mahon's bill
let it be said that his idea emanated
from him alone, and was not prompted
as he says, by anyone from your city.
Yours truly
A. j. PLowMAN.
AS Mr.. Plowman states, Mr.. Mahon
is we'll known here. He spent several
weeks in this county last fall cam
paigning for the republican ticket,
neglecting his own candidacy in help
ing his Marathon county brethren.
Tommy is a gentlemanly little fellow
and hustler, and Wausau and Mara
thon county people ought to respect
his efforts in trying to bring the state
fair to this city. His reasons for
wanting the change are sound and
logical, but it is hardly likely that
his efforts will be successful. All of
the southern members of the legisla-
ture will vote against the bill, and
then there is the university and state
board of agriculture to fight. A large
amount of money has been invested
in the state fair grounds in Milwau-
kee and this viii be taken into con-
sideration, as we'll as the cost of buy
ing new grounds and erecting new
buildings. Located near the bulk of
Wisconsin's population it was only in
recent yearssthat the state fair was
success financially.
But while the chance of getting
the fair here is remote, let us all
hurrah for Mr.. Mahon and his efforts
just the same. There is nothing like
trying. That's how Cyrus Field laid
tbp tlapfic Pahlp