Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-09-25
WISCONSIN STATE
FAIR 4 SUCCESS
Attendance 1874 Lower Than
Last Year.
WANTS 100000 FOR SHOW
President o. c. Rewey viii Ask Leg
sIatUre for Half Million Dollars
for Improvement of the
Park.


Wisconsin's state fair for 1912
closed with a record for success
surprising all previous efforts so far
as the greatness of the exhibits was
concerned, and that in spite of beset-
ting difficulties that lay in dilapidared
buildings and inadequate show rooms.
III attendance it was 1874 lower than
last year, this years total reaching
los ,974.
These difficulties bring the state
face to face with an earnest PROPOSE
Jion for betterment
MIR. Mackenzie and are going to
ask the legislature to appropriate
$500, coo for Improvements of the state
fair park" said President o. G. Rewey
in point of educational features, in
point of horse racing and in point of
special educational and entertaining
features. the 1912 fair has surpassed
anything and all in the states history
When the state fair closed its gates
the thousands on the grounds re-
joiced at the announcement of the
management that the fair was the
greatest success in the history of the
sta.e This announcement came
coupled with an announcement Of
plans fer greater strides in an Off
cial statement issued by President
%. G. Rewey. who said:
81 am well satisfied with the 1912
fair. Considering it from every point
OF view, particularly as a showing Of
the resources and possibilities OF Wis
cousin, this exposition never has been
equaled. We cannot give any figures
as to the financial situation
MANY conditions which have come
to my attention suggest the necessity
of improvement, both Of State Fair
park and details of the methods of
conducting the fair AS TO the i'm
pIOvement of the grounds and build
jugs, I do not believe in a piecemeal
method. The cost is fifty per cent
greater. I do not believe it is best
10 build a grandstand in small por-
tiOns at time. favor finishing the
graEdstand next year, and l would fol-
low the same method IS closely as
possible in the construction OF other
buildings.
Mr. Mackenzie and I are going to
AK the legislature TO appropriate
100000 for improvements at State
Fair park We need q new horse
barn, similar to the cattle bara. We
also need a new paultry building, It
would be well to have a merchants
and manufacturers building. There is
Ouly one building Oh the grounds that
can E2 described as adequate; that is
the Dairy building It is a shCrt-sight-
ed rolicy that prompts the use Of a
large amount of money each year in
repairing cid buildings that never can
be made adequate.
Area should be added to the state
fair park Forty acres more could be
utilized to excellent advantage, al
though it would be possible to get
along with twenty or thirty acres
more
Why should Wisconsin, the best
dairy and cattle state in the Union,
stand fifth or sixth in state fair
standing? For several years Wiscon-
sin has been going down in the state
fair list. and for the single reason
that the accommodations at State
Fair park are not adequate. Nobody
doubts that Wisconsin can have a good
fair It is necessary only to take a
look at the cattle and horse barns and
go through the other buildings to note
exhibits of equally high standard TO
become assured of the possibilities of
a worlds standard fair in Wiscon-
sin"
The exhibit of the state highway
commission Of Wisconsin at the state
fair last week attracted great atten-
ton. Photographs were shown of
roads constructed under the new
state aid law in nearly every county
in the state and the interest OF the
taxpayers in the campaign for good
roads was evident from the number
and character of those who studied
the exhibit.