Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-10-17
STATE FAIR FOUND
BE UNDER CONTROL
PRIVATE INTERESTS
Attorney General Black Hands
Down Interesting Opinion
Idaho Only Assists-Raise
Salary Of Secretary.

Management Of the state fair OF
Idaho has passed into the hands OF
private parties.
The provision Of the state law relat
irs to the duties Of the commissioner
of agriculture to the effect that he
shall cooperate with others in hold
ing a state fair at Boise" prevents the
state from holding a fair and limits
merely to assist others in doing so, At
torney General Roy L. Black holds In
an opinion issued today in response
to a request by Miles Cannon, COM
missioner Of agriculture, as to the
status of the fair.
After quoting the statutes relating
to the commissioners duties in respect
to state fairs, the attorney general
says:
Little can be added to make the
statute any clearer than the express
words, but you will note that while
the department has number Of sub
ordinate dr<ies with respect to fairs,
such as beibg custodian Of and polio
ing grounds and making certain rules
and regulations, that 1t Is not author
lied to hold or run a fair, but by the
express provision Of subdivision 40, in
lieu of the provision Of the old law that
the state board Of agriculture should
hold the fair, We have an instruction
with others in holding annually at
Boise, Idaho, a state fair and by sub
division Al, to cooperate with others
In holding the livestock show at Lewis
ton.
This to our minds, prevents the de-
partment from proceeding with the
holding of fair, and limits its &C
tivities in such respect to assisting
others in doing So"
The attorney generals office has
been looking into the status of the fair
and the Lewiston livestock show for
several days, and today issued opin-
ions covering the relation of the fair
to the state the disposition of the gate
receipts, and so forth, and from the
basis of the findings of the aattorney
general, a comprehensive fair law will
probably be worked out for presenta-
ton to the next legislature.
EAGLEsoN TREASURER,
It is provided that this money must
be checked out the same as other
claims against the state. Two years
ago $4,000 was transferred from the
state treasury to the fair treasury on
a blanket warrant, making the money
Iavaila BILE TO the treasury Of the fair to
Idisburse 1t as he saw fit.
The attorney generals office holds
the view that this was improper pro-
cedure, but If state officials in power
should so interpret the law as to allow
such blanket transfer. the treasurer
of the state fair would have at his
command for disbursement as he saw
fit thousands of dollars every year and
the only check the state would have on
II would be the blanket warrant, trans
ferring in a lump sum the amount OF
the appropriation to the fair, 1t is
claimed.
State Treasurer John w. Eagleson
has been elected treasurer of the pri-
vate fair association. He signs the
checks issued by the fair to pay it's
bills.
BIG SALARY FOR SECRETARY
o. p. Henderson,, as secretary of
the state fair, the private corporation,
was given an increase In salary at a
recent meeting of the fair directors, of
from $4,000 per year to $4,000, with a
recommendation by the fair board to
the Lewiston livestock show, of which
he is also secretary, that that organiza
tion raise him to $500 per year If
this is done his salary will be $1,000
per year,