The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-15
DUE MUCH PRAISE
Free Fair Officers Have Made 1t
Paying Proposition.
Annual Meeting of StOckhOld-
erS Gets Report.
$4,000 IN THE TREASURY
Many improvements Made on
Grounds Last Year.
S. E. Cobb Only New Member
Board of Directors.

The annual meeting of the stock
holders of the Kansas Free Fair, held
Friday night at the offices of L. NJ.
Penwell president, brought to light a
truly pitiable state of affairs regard
ing free fairs. Never in the history
of the Kansas state fairs in Topeka
has the closing balance of the year
shown anything on the profit side of
the ledger. That is it never did till
1916 when under the direction of Phil
Eastman as secretary, the free" idea
was injected into the conduct of the
fair, and at the end of the year the
association found itself in possession
of the unspent sum of $3.50. And this
year the stockholders have remain
ing in the treasury balance of
$4,000, even after the most expensive
fair in the history of the Topeka asso-
citation.
The detailed report of Phil East
man, secretary of the Big Free fair,
shows cash receipts for the 1917 fair
amounted to S64,2S7.3S. this amount
including the $4,000 state appropri-
alton and the $1S,4S6.59 obtained
premiums. The total expenses of the
1917 Free fair were $40,SO0.14. Most
of the disbursements were in big
amounts-about $4,000 for advertis-
ing both at home and in other terri
tories, general repairs to grounds and
buildings, $2.750, and coating the
Agricultural building with surface
of stucco concrete, $6,6O2-
Paid Battery A 1880.
Battery A, Topeka's crack military
organization, received over $3.50 for
| their services as guards and ticket
takers. This amount went into the
company mess fund and will purchase
many a toothsome goodie for the bat
terry boys while they are at the wars.
In closing his report Eastman said
that plans were already under way to
| secure government exhibits for the
1918 free fair. This year small exhib-
| its were sent by the departments of
war and navy and by the department
of agriculture. Other departments of
the government are expected to come
/ in next year.
Another interesting feature of the
annual report of the president was the
| announcement of a payment of 331s
per cent of the outstanding indebted
ness of former unsuccessful fairs He
also spoke of the recent cooperation
between the officials of the Hutchin-
son fair and the officials of the free
fair. The relations of the two bodies
have been most cordial in the last two
years and President Penwell seemed
to think that Kansas was big enough
to support two state fairs and he
spoke feelingly of the size of the state
/ and the impossibility of trying to CON
fIne the state appropriations to one To-
cality.
Should Work Together
Penwell said that it was much bet
ter for Topeka and Hutchinson tc
work together on the question of fairs
than it was to have the Representatives
of the two sections continually cutting
each others Threats in the legislature
The directors last night gave rous
ing vote of thanks to President Pen
we'll and Secretary Eastman for theil
excellent services of the last year.
At the meeting the annual election
of directors resulted in the reelection
of all the old directors except Scot
Hopkins. who has died in the las
few weeks S. E. Cobb was elected t.
fill the vacant place. The list of di
rectors elected for the coming year is
Albert NJ. Patten, J. R. Burrow, C. L
Mitchell, S. ]. Hodgins. L. NJ Pen
well, H. w. McAfee, H. S. Putney, Ar
thur Capper. H A. Auerbach, II. H
Pugh, Frank P. MacLennan, Pau
Huycke, F. A Anton, E. L. Copeland
S. E. Lux, T. F. Doran, E. H. Crosby
F. M. Bonebrake, Geo. c. Pritchard