The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-03-10

G. A. Swope, of Pingree, was In
town, Monday, and said that every
body he heard speaking about what
to do with the fair was opposed to
the county buying 1t. He said he
believed 1t could be made greater
success IL the country people took
hold of it and operated 1t, but that
they are at disadvantage in hand
ling the business because they are
go scattered, and whenever it was
necessary to hold a meeting Of the
directors it would take too. much OF
their time to get together. Now that
a good many of them have cars 1t
might be practical, but he did not
know whether the farmers are In the
notion of taking hold of 1t or not.
Another Man Has a Thought
J. /. Stewart was in from his farm
at Riverton, Monday, and offered
some ideas about the fair. Mr..
Stewart came here from Ainsworth,
Iowa. and he measures things by the
way they did it in Washington county
Iowa q good while %. He said that
when the farmers took hold Of the
fair it became great success, and
they cut out the horse races and
lot of the expensive amusements, and
doubled up the premiums for exhib-
its. Mr.. Stewart thinks the same
things can be done here, and he
wants to see the farmers take hold
and show what and how to do 1t.
When asked IL he would be willing
to serve on the board of directors,
he fiinched somewhat and then said
he would like to. When asked IL he
would positively serve for the whole
year If given place he said he
didn't think they would want him,
but that IL he was on the board he
would cut out the races and the flying
machines and the complimentary
tickets, and he would be in favor Of
paying the farmers about three times
as much in premiums. He thought
there had been too much expense and
too much graft. He didn't think the
directors had been working for
nothing as stated. He thought that
If the books were audited it would
be found that they had been drawing
money all right; he didn't know. He
knew that the money had gone some
where. He didn't think men would
go and work all fair week for
nothing, and then another thing that
he didn't like was that the directors
didn't hire any of the fellows from
the country when they hired people
to work. It was always some town
fellows. When asked IL he would be
willing to leave his farm work in
September and go and stand guard
or tend gates or stock all week for
two dollars or two and half day,
he said he didn't know as he would,
but still he wanted to see the country
fellows have a chance. He said the
country women were not appointed
to any of the positions; that the town
women run the whole thing in the
women's departments, and he didn't
like that. Nearly all the premiums
were given to the town women, and
a lot of them went in on passes he
had been told. He said he had been
hoping the directors would sell out
the property SO each man could get
his money. He had some stock in
it himself and he wanted to get his
money back. He had never received
a cent in return for his investment
and he held preferred stock. On be-
ing asked how much stock he held
he said it wasn't much; only five dol
lars. On being asked If he had gone
into the grounds last year on a COM
plimentary ticket he said he had not
but that his son had; his son was
writing for the Salt Lake Tribune,
and he gave it good write-up which
was published, and il that was any