Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-12-30
Dixon ADVISES
0M|TT|NC FAIR
IN COMING YEAR
Governor UrgesSuspen-
sion as Step in Bring
ing Expenses Down.
Revenues Threaten to
Be $I,5OO,OO0 Short;
Will Solve OwnDeficit
Special to The Tribune.

Special to The Irlbune
Helena, Dec. 29-Acting upon the sug-
gestion made by Chester G. Davis, com
missioner of agriculture. in his report
on the condition of the state fair. Coy
ernor Dixon on Thursday issued a
statement which virtually means the
suspension Of the fair for the coming
year.
The matter is now up to the state
board of examiners. consisting of the
governor, the attorney general and the
secretary of state. In his statemert,
the governor has made it clear that for
purposes Of economy, the fair should
be discontinued for year al least.
Secretary of State G. L. Stewart is un-
derstood to be favorable to suspension,
while Attorney General Rankin prob
ably will take similar stand. He
states that the fair must be kept with
in the appropriation and if this cam
not be done, he favors its discontinu-
ance. However. he desires first to
examine the laws relating to the fair,
to ascertain If the holding Of fair
each year is mandatory.
Would Defeat Its Purpose
Commissioner of Agriculture Davis
believes that, In view 1.f the condition
Of the treasury, along with the condi
ton of the farmers and stockmen of
the state, it probably will be good pol
icy to do without a fair in 1929. He
feels that it will be considerable of a
waste of money to hold fair at a time
when the people of the state, in whose
interests it is given, cannot afford to
take advantage of the educationa! ia
cilities which it presents.
In his statement issued to the press
In 70 trta rJino
missioner Davis communication rela-
tive to the $4,000 deficit of the last
fair, Governor Dixon said:
AS much as l dislike to see any ac-
ton taken looking to suspension of
the state fair for the year 1929, at the
present time / believe the condition of
the state treasury is such that the fair
will have to be suspended for the COM
ing year.
Cut on Schools an Example
Last week, in order to meet the
crisis that confronts us in trying to
make expenditures and receipts bal
ance, the state board of education ar
bitrarily cut off $4,000 from the uni
versity appropriation for the year 1922
and in addition ordered 100000 cut
for the succeeding year. OF course. this
has brought protests from the people
at Mlssoula, BOzeman, Dillon and Butte,
where the four major educational in
stitutions are located, but, under the
circumstances, ] do not see how the
board of education could have taken
any other action
The legislature did appropriate $5O,-
S12 for the state fair for 1922 and
$45,S33 for the year 1923. The total
appropriations made by the last legis-
lature amount to over So, 3,5OO,0OO. The
income this wear from tax receipts.
after all of the taxes are paid. will
amount to about $1,200,OOO. The extra
revenue derived from the gasoline, coal
corporation license, insurance and other
incidental revenues, will bring in about
SSOO,O0O additional, making the total
revenue about $2,00O,O00 to meet So
5OO,OOO of appropriation. Everyone is |
III favor Of economy in public expendi- |
lures except where it interferes in a |
personal way.
Il find that the state of Arizona /
suspended its state fair this past wear
and Will also suspend it for the wear /
1872. AS much as | dislike to see it
done, | believe there is no alternative I
but to take this action at this time.
This matter must necessarily come be- /
fore the board of examiners at its NEXT
melting, at which i will make the fore
going recommendation.