The Detroit times., 1915-08-16
Efforts Made Promise
Big Increase in
Attendance
TALE OF SALE OF
GROUNDS FALSE
Officials Peeved BY Re-
port of Disposal of
Property

"The Michigan fair Of 1914 broke
all previous records, and that of
1915 tids fair to eclipse the high
mark set last year." said G. W.
Dickinson, general manager Of the
state fair. Saturday.
Last year we had an attendance
Of 1880. and our receipts were
s179.96o. or $4,000 more than they
were the year before. II would not
surprise me much n We increased
the receipts this year by $4,000. in
view Of the efforts being put for.
ward to make the fair OF 1915 a
great Improvement over that OF last
year."
Mr.. Dickinson produced q short
history OF the Michigan State fair.
which has been held every year
since lS49. with the exception OF the
draw $4,000 from the state treas
ury to help Its premium list. How
much the list will total Is not
known. because OF the fact that 20
per cent will be added 10 the prizes
won by Michigan competitors over
those from other states. Last year,
S39, 200 was distributed.
In 1850. the fair was held In Ann
Arbor. Since then 1t has been held
In Detroit, Kalamazoo, Adrian, Jack
son. Grand Rapids. Saginaw and
Lansing. In 1901, 1t was transferred
from Grand Rapids to Pontiac. and
In 1905 II came to its present per.
manent location In Detroit. The re-
ceipts for the first year. ls49. were
S3.92321. Last year they were As
times that amount. The land owned
by the Michigan Agricultural society
is valued at over 3550,ooo; the build.
ings at 3425.000. The bonded debt 10
only $245.000
Nearly every state fair In the
country receives more support from
the state than does the Michigan
exposition. according TO Mr.. Dickin
sons figures. obtained from the sec.
retaries OF the various fairs. Arizona
grants $4,000 in comparison to
Michigan's $4,000; Minnesota, &+2.-
0c0; Montana, 352.500; New York.
1880; oregon. $93,5oo; South Da-
kota, $6s,500; Utah, $ss.2o0; Wash
ington. $4,000. These were the
figures for 1914 except those Of
Michigan. Michigan gave $4,000 in
that year.
Ours Is one OF the few fairs that
are out Of politics. and on that fact
hangs much Of our success" said
Mrs. Dickinson. There IL no graft
In the Michigan fair. There Is moth.
ing to be gained by private inter
ests."
Mr., Dickinson was much wrought
up over q report that the fair
grounds were to be sold. and that
the 1915 exposition had been aban-
doned.
II was called out Of bed last
night" he'said. by Detroit friends
who insisted that real estate men
lad told them that the fair grounds
had been sold to tho Cadillac Motor
Car Co. There Is only one word that
describes the circulation Of such a
rumor. II was a dastardly thing to
do-dastardly. The grafters who
originated II ought TO be put In jail.
They evidently figured that the price
OF real estate in the vicinity OF the
fair grounds would be made 10 soar
by such a r~~o~t ND that they
would be able to unload at
price.
"Thc reports are absolutely un-
true. The fair grounds have not
been sold. nor will they be. The
fair will he held on the dates an
nounced. Sept. 6-15. The directors
have never considered the sale OF
the grounds. and have never discuss.
ed moving the exposition from De
troit. Those grounds are the per.
nanent location of the fair. We
could not obtain q better site"
wilfred c. Leland, vice-president
and general manager Of the Cadillac
Motor Car Co.. also denied the re-
port that the company was trying
to buy the fair grounds.
Chicago worlds fair year Of 1898.
The first fair was held on witherell-
St, and the state appropriated $500
sor nrizea This wear. the fair will