The Oskaloosa herald., 1912-09-05
FAIR IS HOLD-UP
UNION MEN SAY
THEIR CRITICISM is SEVERE
Land and Buildings Belong to the
State, But Fair Association is
Not State Institution Though
Though They Get Benefit.


duct of the Iowa state fair, the labor
unions of Des Moines are up in arms.
Members of the Trades and Labor as
sembly accuse the management of
charging excessive prices and using
unfair methods toward union labor
and claim that the fair which closed
its gates Friday evening was one of
the greatest outrages perpetrated on
the people of the state of Iowa
Prominent members of the labor or
CARNATIONS say they are going before
the state legislature this winter to at
tempt to secure a change in the law
by which the state shall take over the
state fair and do away with the state
board of agriculture.
During the past week conferences
of indignant men were held at the la
Dor headquarters. In consulting the
law they found that the state fair is
in direct charge of the state board of
agriculture, and that this board of az
riculture is made up of members chos-
en- by the county fair associations, the
boards of supervisors and other Or
CARNATIONS.
The union men say the board does
not represent the state at all Ac-
cording to the law the land and build
ings belong to the state, but the fair
association is not state institution
and the state does not reap any of the
benefits from the fair.
Grievances To Be Aired.
The main issue with the Des Moines
labor unions is the fact that non-union
carpenters were employed in the con-
struction of the bleachers at the fair
grounds. They say that every year
some action of this kind against union
labor has taken place and that it
now must stop.
The matter of settling the union is
sue will be taken up this week J. r.
Gray, business agent for the carpen-
ters' union has been appointed chair
man of a committee from the trades
assembly and will request a confer
ence with the state board during the
week. The other members of the
committee are Seamans, Scott, Dona-
hue and Hardy.
vi thC iCSutt vi IhiS
will depend the future action of the
union men. A few say that no mat
ter how the affair is adjusted they
will take the fight into the legislature
and demand that the law be changed
so that the state fair association in
the future will represent the people.
Reports of alleged exorbitants
charges at the fair grounds this year
have been made at the union meet
ings.
Union Men Stay Away.
There were more than 5000 union
men of Des Moines who stayed away
from the state fair this year on &C
count of the attitude of the associa-
ton said J. F. Gray III was offered
complimentary ticket and | refused
TO go.
The matters have gotten so that
the association charges such high
rates for concessions that local men
who run stands at the fair grounds
have to rob the people to come out
even. 1t is a holdup game. If we
are going to have a state fair, let's
have it fair and decent"
Other union men are just as en-
phatic. They say that the associa-
ton has overstepped the mark this
year and added the last straw Men
report that the charges have increas-
ed everywhere along the line. They
point to the alleged excessive charges
for seats in the grand stand. charges
of % cents for bleacher seats, which
should be free, they say: charges for
the horse show and assessments right
and left
What we want to know is, who
owns this state fair" said J. C. Walk
Every Charge Too High.
1T has gotten so that a poor man
cannot go to the fair. The charges
have become so excessive that our
own people here in Des Moines have
to stay away. A charge of so cents
is made at the gate. so and rs cents
and 81 for grandstand for the after
noon, and IL you want to see the ev-
ening performance, another charge
II udut. Tie dSSDCldJlOu pldCtS q
tax for the show in the pavilion. The
stands are charged such excessive
rates that the persons running them
have to hold up the people.
The state board is TO blame for
this condition. II this is toNcontinue,
the state fair must be taken over by
the state and run in the interest of
the people and not in the interests of
a few persons. Think of the farmers
all over the state who come to Des
Moines and think they are attending
a show put on by the state. II they
bring their families with them it costs
them in the neighborhood of SO
day at the grounds alone"
Outrage, Says Walker.
TITS an outrage" continued Walker.
The association does not pretend to
accommodate the people. The poor
man who goes to the fair with his
family cannot afford to pay for grand
stand seats and he is deprived entire
A.. A.