The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1912-08-08
FAIRS SHOULD BE FREE?

support for county fairs so that there
would be no admission. He says:
All AGRICULTURAL fairs should be
strictly educational in character. We
use the term educational here in the
broader sense. There must be some
amusements offered at every fair to
make it a success. But such as are
offered should be of the higher, clean
er class-each of which points to ex-
cellency or skill. To watch a class
OF good horses race inspires one as
much with the advantages of good
breeding and skillful handling, as does
a pulling contest between draft teams.
Trick riding, balancing, trained
dogs and ponies-ycs even good UNI
bling acts. all broaden our vision OF
ourselves, our possibilities, oar power
to accomplish what cen impossible
until We have seen such feats.
Even the merry-go-round with its
music CD arOuses in the young (and
in the weaker grown-ups) on ANNA
ton they never realized before.
The agricultural fair should be n
school for all-grown-ups and young
alike. And L make it most effective
all should participate.
The person who does not enter into
the competition-bring something
from his or her home, and place it
alongside other articles of the same
kind, from neighbors' homes-does not
get out of the fair nearly as much as
he should. We learn more by com
parison than in any other way, and
the lesson learned in that way is
never forgotten. The fair should be
a school, SO conducted that the great
est possible number would participate.
Such an institution, free and open to
all, and generally p%atronized, would
exert a wonderful influence in any
community for the general improve
ment of rural conditions, and raising
the standard Of citizenship.
In such a fair all would derive a
benefit. Anything that raises the
standard of an industry, benefits all
persons, and enhances the value of all
property in the community. With a
county fair such as could be made,
generally participated in by the PEG
pie. the Improvement in farming meth
DDS, of the live stock buildings and
general conditions in such counties
resulting from the influence Of such
a fair-the education acquired and in
spiration gathered there-will very
soon result in a marked increase in
the value of all property in the county,
simply because it has become a more
desirable place to live.
And if a good county fair is a real
educational institution, why should it
not be free to all who wish to attend,
and be supported as any other school
is, by a tax?
Now don't get scared, for VIC are not
going TO hit you hard.
Griggs county, North Dakota, is one
of the smallest counties in these three
states (Montana and the Dakotas)
Their secretary told me they took in
from all sources from $1,000 to $500 a
year for the support of their fair.
They should have to make it what it
should be on the plan We have out
lined $1,000 a year. BY a little compu-
tation with the county auditor, we
found that to raise $4,000 on the as
sessed valuation of that small county
would require a tax of five-SiXths Of a
mill on the dollar, which would amount
to 81 cents a quarter section Of land.
That is, by paying such a tax the
fair would belong to the public and
everybody would be admitted TO the
grounds free Of charge. And if there
We're no charge, how many more peo.
pie would attend and how many more
bring articles to compete for the prem
iums offered?
Some of the advantages to be gain
ed by supporting the fair in this way
would, we believe, be:
/. Three or four times as many
articles would be entered in the com
petition.
2. The attendance would be severa.
times as great.
3. The poorer people, and more in
different armers-the one who mos
need it-would attend.
f.. We would have more liberal pre-
MUM lists, and better fairs.
8. The expenses would be borne as
they should be by the spectators, the
nonresident land owners, the railway
elevator, telegraph, telephone ant
other corporations as they should be
Anything that leads to better farming
methods and better living increases
their business and the value of theil