The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-02
THE STATE FAIR.

The necessities of Kansas are not so
very many in these days of grace.
Paramount among them, however, is
state fair, an agricultural exposition
developed and supported by the whole
commonwealth, which will be COM
mensurate with its agricultural su-
premacy. That such a fair is not al
ready in existence does not speak very
well for the intelligence and discern
ment of the various legislatures of the
past. Still. it is always better late than
never, and the present legislature
should take advantage of its oppor-
tunities in this particular.
And in this connection the essential
thing is for legislative determination
that such an adjunct to state develop
ment should be established. The
question of locating the state fair is
of secondary Importance, except that
the most desirable place for locating
should be selected. So far as the mat
ter has proceeded in the present leg
islative session it merely concerns the
introduction of bills to appropriate
certain sums of money to locate the
state fair at either one of two places,
Hutchinson or Topeka. There is
something of a counter proposition in
bill to give state aid to- as many as
twenty-five county fairs. And in a
general consideration of creating
state fair, this latter suggestion might
not be amiss, for a number of county
fairs of the right sort would be the
best kind of feeders for a state fair,
and make it more worth while as be-
ing representative of the agricultural
possibilities of the state. But to cast
aside the creation of real state fair
for the establishment of several coun-
ty fairs would destroy the. purposes of
the whole endeavor.
As between Topeka and Hutchinson
for the location of the fair, the capital
city of the state would appear to have
many advantages. They are not to be
found alone sin the fact that the To-
peka fair grounds are superior in
every detail to those of Hutchinson,
nor in the further fact that the peo-
pie of Shawnee county have voted
$4,000 in bonds to help make the
Topeka fair worthy Of being
nucleus for a state fair. More impor-
tant is the other fact that Topeka is
much larger center of population
than is Hutchinson, and this should
be a controlling factor in the location
of a state fair. Mr.. Sponsler, the sec
rotary of the Hutchinson fair, made
this point clear in an address he de-
livered on the subject before the an
nual convention of the STOCK breeders
of Kansas which was held a couple
of weeks ago He made light of the
compromise suggestion that the state
fair should be located at Manhattan
He insisted that the more successful
the various state fairs throughout the
nation, the nearer was their location
to the larger cities in their respective
And on this score Hutchinson's pop
ulation of 5000 does not compare
very favorably with Topeka's popula-
ton of $4,000 But the matter of To-
cation is not so important as is the
decision for the state to have an ade-
quate agricultural exposition. That is
the first thing for the legislature to
decide If it is deemed wise, the loca-
ton of the fair might well be left to
the state board of agriculture, which
should have charge of it, or to spe-
ciaI commission to be selected by the
legislature or the governor, or in any
way that might be thought best. A
state fair is the main thing, and it is
to be hoped that the present 1egisla-
ture will provide the means to develop
one.