The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-02-04
COMMENTS OF THE
FAIR PROBLEM

A gentleman was in from the
country Tuesday, who said he read
his copy of the paper to half dozen
people, concerning the disposition Of
the fairgrounds, and they all seemed
to think the county ought to buy the
grounds and keep up the fair. None
of them gave any particular reasons
why.
In discussing the matter in our
office he said he thought the county
should buy it, as they could not lose
anything by it. If it did not pay they
could sell it off in city lots and easily
get their money out Of it. He was
a man of considerable more than or
binary intelligence and discretion,
and yet he regarded the matter SO
lightly that he would have the county
commissioners go ahead and blindly
acquire a white elephant without
knowing how they were going to
manage it. The mere fact that they
were getting it cheap on condition
that they operate it as fair, would
be his reason for buying it. Then
if they changed their plans they
could sell it off in city lots and per-
haps pocket profit.
That is not the purpose of the
stockholders in Offering the property
to the county. If it is not going
to be used for a fair, it is not for
sale at the low price named. 1t is
not the privilege of the county to buy
it at the low price and then go into
the city lot business. If anybody is
to sell it off in lots, the stockholders
claim that privilege. If they are go
ing to sacrifice their interest on the
investment, they want to know that
it is to be conducted permanently as
a fair for public benefit. A super
fetal reading of the proposition made
by the board of directors last week
may not have impressed that thought
upon many people, and it is in order
for all citizens to get that matter
we'll in mind at the outset.
If the commissioners buy the
grounds without first having assur-
ance that the people want fair and
want it enough to get under the load
and make a good fair, then the
county will be in line for big loss.
The county government cannot OPP
crate fair as cheaply as the private
management did. The way to pull
it thru is for the people to bring
in vastly more exhibits than we have
ever had of every kind, and for the
people of the county at large to at
tend the fair and study the exhibits
for the purpose of finding out how
to raise better products of every kind
than they did before; for the purpose
of securing better seeds and better
stock than they had before. In that
action lies the benefit of fair. 1t is
not merely question of going there
to be amused or entertained, nor is
it a question of making an exhibit to
show the prospective homeseeker or
settlers or investor. If the people,
who are already here cannot find the
way to make comfortable living, if
they cannot more than make mere
living, then the more settlers we have
the worse off we shall be. What
Bingham county needs is methods
put into operation that will make
good homes, good profitable crops
and the means of improvement. II
the study of things at the fair will
bring this about more rapidly than
good homes, good profitable crops
it will come to pass without such
a comparison and such interchange
and the means of improvement. If
Of information as to methods, then
the fair is the thing to have. If
else will better promote
such thrift, then that something is
the thing to get.
Only small percentage of the
people of the county have helped
make the fair what it has been. The
greater part Of the population have
felt no concern about it, A large
part of the crowd that goes to the
fair never pay any attention to the
exhibits Of stock or produce except
In the light of passing show, to
be viewed and forgotten. The attend
ance should be doubled or trebled to
make it worth while, and SO long
as only a few thousand people at
tend it must necessarily be failure
or a compromise such as we have
been having, with the board of direc-
tors borrowing money after it. is
over, to pay up the debts. The peo-
pie do not generally know that the
fair has not paid it's way. The news
papers have told them so, but that
Is not enough. 1t has to be repeated
and proven and the fact that the
board refuse to try it again ought to
be proof enough that the fair will
vanish from this county unless the
farmers take it in hand.
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