The Ely miner., 1914-12-11
MINNESOTA STATE FAIR DECLARED
MOST SUCCESSFUL IN THE WORLD

der the delusion that a state fair Is pri,,
marily a farmers fair. This should
not be- for no fair that Is conducted ex-
clusively, for one. class is entitled TO
noticed an announcement in one of our
papers of a Lumber Exposition" that
is to be held In Minneapolis next month.
The purpose of the exposition Is to eX-
hibit all the various kinds of lumber,
each in its different grades. Inspectors
will be on hand to explain how lumber
industry has long recognized system
of standard grades and lumber Is
marked up to this standard, but the
idea of grades is but little known to
why not this exposition? Is not
practically ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, bank
ers-interested in the purchase of lum-
Der sometime or another? l submit
to the necessity of this exposition, but
believe more people would be reached
the state fair.
There are other commodities. such as
ucts, wearing apparel and what not
that have never been. part of the
exhibits at our state fairs.
in many of of our cities. they are local
In scope and do not reach much beyond
the limits where the show Is held.
and Um PRACTICAL ai H these Shows Shows would @ be If
put on at our state fairs, which draw
their attendance from every locality
in the state?
Exhibits showing the equipment and
arrangement in small stores. with q
view to economy in conducting busf-
ness by, use Of equipment and systems
that will facilitate the carrying on Of
trade with less eXertion, less expense
and proper sanitation. should inter-
est thousands of storekeepers as well
as patrons
A comprehensive electrical exhibit.
electrical housekeeping utensils, gas
axbbts wed e59 Is 6se Tine tn
city and village patrons Of the state
After dwelling on the failure Of
most fairs to awaken the proper
amount of interest among city folks,
except by entertainment, and, third,
inability of a large number of fairs
to accomplish their purpose without
such support as is given colleges and
other educational institutions, he said:
itself.
The past season has been full Of
trials and tribulations for most fair
the The tbe fore feeling
of the season grew less noticeable as
the season advanced with a bountiful
harvest to be gathered: and then, when
everybody began to take more hope.
full view OF the future, the quarrel
among the crowned heads of Europe
broke out into the greatest war of all
time.
At the beginning our busy and in
dustrlous American populace paid but
little heed to the quarrels of our
brothers across the water. especially
throughout agricultural sections, but
about the time the fair season opened
just at a time when the fairs needed
the most publicity-fair managers were
confronted With a publicity situation
never before encountered: they found
that the first page. second page, third
page, sometimes the fourth page, and
even the editorial page of the great
metropolitan daily papers were filled
with war news. 1 doubt if there has
American fairs when it was as difficult
to get news matter pertaining to a
coming exposition as the past season.
We are not criticising the press for
this situation, for they were giving
their readers the news they wanted
This was true in our state, where the
in the Twin Cities and Duluth came
forward and showed a generosity in
opening their news columns to state
fair publicity as of old The country
were even more generous in the
space. devoted to the state fair than
In order that the peoples minds
might not be entirely absorbed in read
ing daily reports from the seat of war
our publicity, department inaugurated
showed the farmer as the soldier OF
peace on our farmers day. We showed
his farm implements as machine guns
OF prosperity. On Minneapolis Day
we showed the slogan: Flour Barrels
are Better Than Gun Barrels In fire.
works. So successful were we in our
peace and plenty" campaign of pub
lfcfty that / took the liberty Of wiring
many of you to join us in our humble
ea6ac,ty cap CITY a.: as fair manager in peace
Your responses showed that the Ameri-
can Association of Fairs and Exposi-
tions Is live body of boosters"
:, Our peace: prosperity and plenty
movement, or war on war movement
should be followed up by all Of our
fairs next year and each succeeding
year until there shall be an unanimous
and united sentiment of our people
against war. with all it's horrors. with
all its suffering, and it's every tendency
to stagnation and ruin of prosperity
Unanimous decision to publish this
address at once for universal distribu-
tion in this country and Canada among
all interested in state and county fairs
and enthusiastic faith that united ac-
tion is to follow in many matters of
vital interest to the counry is voiced
by those who attend the convention.
1t is generally agreed the the Amer
lean Association of Fairs is perhaps
the one body that can unite all sec
tions and all parties in campaign
for the public good of the entire coun-
try and that federal cooperation, prob.
ably in the shape of exhibits. is among
the possibilities Of the near future.