Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-01-23
LEAVES STATE FAIR AoeoclA.
TON WITH ENvlAeLE RECORD
OF ACCOMPLISHMENT.
POSSESSED THE CONFIDENCE
OF HIS ASSOCIATES
As Secretary Worked For Larger and
Well Balanced Exposition The OBJ.
jects of Which Were Educational
Fair Has Grown immensely Under
Simpsons Management.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. Jan. ?3-At meeting
Of the state board OF agriculture Sec
rotary John c. Simpson resigned IN or
Ger that he might go at once TO Min
nesota TO accept q similar place there
The story of The rise OF Mr.. Simpson
and his remarkable success is an in
spring one He is q Marion county
boy and one OF his ventures away from
the farm was 20 go - Charlton and take
a position as an apprentice in print
Ing office. But he was not cut out 10
be a newspaper man and having learned
shorthand and incidentally become in
,erested IN fairs and racing he came
20 Des MONIES about ten years ago TO
be a clerk i! the office Of the state de-
partnene OF agriculture.
In this position. he devoted himself
absolutely 10 the duties OF the Office
and learned every detail. II soon came
about thar .he board was looking for
d competent man 10 take the place OF
secretary. and as Mr.. Simpson had i'm
pressed the members by his good quail
tiles re was selected. Il was great
surprise 10 many that one who had
so little experience in fair mana cement
should lie entrusted with this great
work. 5lr The hoard had confidence in
him and the executive committee was
ready 20 work with him in perfect har-
rnony
Held Confidence Of Associates.
As president after president came
along each one found that Secretary
Simpson was made OF The right stuff,
First there was Fra zier. OF Bloomfield,
then Bob Johnson. they. " ". Nor
row and later Charles Cameron. Pres
ider- Morrow made one Of the great
presidents OF rila fair association and
under his administration a great ad-
vance vas made But Charles E. Cam
eron IS really the veteran Of the board
and one OF the most capable fair man
ayers n The country and under him the
far has gone On in wonderful develop
nlen-. Secretary Sirps has had the
fall confidence of each of these men as
well as the confidence Of such capable
men on the board as Professor Cur
tiss Governor Packard, W. c. Brown.
John Ledgerwood, p. T. ST. John.
Thomas Legoe J. P. Manatray. Elmer
Reeves. Michael Mcdonald. E. j Cur
tin. r. NJ. Wentworth. and others. They
have all worked with Secretary Sirlp-
son in perfect harmony
Ten years ago the state fair was al
ternately paying expenses and then
losing out with deficit. There was
lack Of business ability in its manage
ment It seldom had any surplus. 1t
lacked the confidence of the people SO
! that il was i'm possible to get anything
from the state No Improvements
worth mention ing had been made for
years. 1t was drifting along in the
Old ruts. With the coming Of Score
tary Simpson the fair was pug on
business basis. Money is necessary to
make a fair, ard plans we're laid for
increasing the revenue. Success at
tended every effort.
Well Balanced Exposition.
The thought which has been back Of
Secretary Simpson all these years IS
that the fair is an educational institu-
ton. that II must be conducted for the
entire state, that It is capable Of in
finite good to the whole state. that it
should te developed along all lines and
not few and thus become we'll bal
arced exposition. yet al the same time
there must be enough Of the show
about it TO attract numbers Of people
The first thing is TO give the people an
then to do that which is necessary to
ge. them to attend.
Under the management of Secretary
Simpson the Iowa state fair has grown
| immensely, first in real merit, by rea-
son of the better exhibits Of livestock
and machinery: second. in permanent
buildings and improvements: and
third, il. the attendance and good repu-
tation which the fair bears in the
state.
Secretary Simpson has insisted at
all times that the organization should
be strictly under the control of the
| legisla rure and be in fact state or.
ganization. Under this policy the board
has been, as it were. lsgsiized and
maze a state institution, and every
cent Of the receipts and expenditures
| is accounted for. and report made and
published each year. The state audits
ard approves the accounts in detail
! every year as is well known, and as
result OF this policy there mas been the
utmost economy in expenditures and
total absence Of any suggestion of
! leakages
! II has long been recognized that one
/ of the grea test dangers of the fair is
to have a return to the old system of
political control with its attendant
evils Members Of the board have
sought 10 avoid this at all times, and
IN fact on the board have been men Of
different political beliefs and all poll
itics have been eliminated