Bisbee daily review., 1916-12-03
FAIR NEEDS NEW INTEREST IN
 MINES
Mineral Exhibit at Phoenix During State Fair Largely Ignored and Forgotten Ribbons Given to Poodles.
(By Lawrence D. Clark)


 even to the south, the men and wom- en he may meet ask him one big ques- tion:
 How long are you people in ArizO- na going to keep up your wonderful pace in the production of copper?"
 Their questions do not revolve around either the production of dairy stock or around the wonderful attrac- tions the growing of long staple cot ton may have for the farmer.
 Yet the Arizona state fair, support votes 95 percent of it's attention and its support to the displays it may have of agriculture, stock and it's kindred shows. The minerals of the state, the real backbone of Arizona, Cthat department of the common wealth's activities which is the real big excuse for a state and a great one) is nearly forgotten in the miX-up.
 There are two industries in the state of Arizona which could thrive without any aid from another within the state, the first and greatest is the mining industry, the other is the rais- ing of livestock. Both of these indus tries could very well exist without the farmer. without the poultryman, with out the raiser of sugar beets or even the canine fancier: yet the state fair offers excellent prizes for the best pet poodle exhibited and not even blue ribbon for as wonderful and as com plete an exhibit as was offered by Yavapai county two weeks ago in Phoenix.
 There is no complaint to be made against the farmer by the resident of poultrymen and even the breeder of cultured and effete Chinese dogs is more than welcome. Their efforts make the state more livable in many respects. But it would appear that some attenion might be paid, especial ly by the state fair, which is support ed to the extent of nearly 5 percent in taxes, by the mines, to the greatest industry in the state.
 Annual appropriations are made by the state legislature for state fair pur- poses. A part of each appropriation is supposed to go into permanent i'm provements. Yet the mining building is the same that has graced very small spot in the fair grounds for years past. The interior of the build ing is crowded by some of the most excellent mineral displays in the country and in fair times, when mon- ey and effort is expended by various people and organizations in the min ing counties making up good exhibits. are put under temporary shelter, made of some kind of native shrub bery and left to itself
 Yayapai, Mohave, Pinal. Gila, Pima, Cochise and Greenlee have a lesiti- mate complaint. An exhibit was gathered from the various parts of Mohave county for the recent state fair. The commissioner went to an enormous amount of work and ex- pended a considerable sum of money The same was true of Yavapai County and of other counties in the state of Arizona.
 In the Yavapai county exhibit there were specimens of metallic tungsten which were very valuable. They were offered space under the exterior shel- ter and but for the ignorance of the many dips who worked Phoenix dur ing the fair. would have been the easy prey for this class of easv-living gen try.
 It is not altogether apparent why the mining industry should be forgot ten by the fair. It would seem, on the surface, that the state fair people be lieve that they could in no wise aid the mining industry, taking the posi- tion that the big mining companies do not wish the publicity, nor the blue ribbons which might attach to beau tiful and successfully organized coun- ty or even sectional exhibit
 New-fangled, septic cream separa- tors attract many eyes. They arc placed in the most advantageous of places. Every scheme which will aid the farmer or the builder or the Indi- an, Poor To, is given first place and a blue ribbon. But never a mention of the exhibit of the Notation process which has come to mean so much to the copper mining industry in the state of Arizona. The mining depart ment of the University of Arizona went to a considerable expense and . kept several students in the mines building at the fair all during the week. explaining the process, it's prin- ciples and its results. It would not take long to figure out what the diff . ference in dollars and cents, even to . the farmers, was between new | cream separator or any and all of such devices compared with the ho- . latiOu process machines.
 Mining exhibitors are not out for l cash prizes. They are. however. I proud of their accomplishments in | .g,.,,, ;,,,.. .....t