362 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



No. 



379 A. E. & E. G. Stevenson, Port Huron, Mich $5 00 



380 P. M. Benham, Milford, Mich 98 50 



381 C. E. Lockwood. Washington, Mich 9 00 



382 Chas. Bogula, 294 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich 12 00 



383 Upper Peninsula Agrl. Assoc. Iron Mountain, Mich 200 00 



The committee on transportation reported as follows: 



To Eugene Fifield, President, and members of the Executive Com- 

 mittee of the Michigan State Agricultural Society: 



Gentlemen — According to custom and the by-laws of this society, I 

 hereby make my report as superintendent of transportation. 



First, will say that the arrangements with the railroads in the pass- 

 enger department has not been as satisfactory as I think it should 

 be for the reason that the railroads haye gotten into a certain manner 

 in doing business in connection with the state fair, and they do not 

 realize and appreciate the difference with the state fair located at 

 Detroit and being located in 'the smaller cities as it has been in the 

 past. I was unable to persuade them to run a number of cheap rate 

 excursions, the railroads seeming to think that with carrying facilities 

 in the usual manner it would be sufficient and I belieye now that they 

 have seen what can be done towards securing an attendance to the 

 state fair from outside cities that with this matter taken up early 

 with the roads we can secure the running of several cheap rate ex- 

 cursions and in this way very materially increase the attendance from 

 the rural districts. 



In connection with the handling of freight, I would recommend that 

 the business committee be requested to have the Grand Trunk place 

 and put in a separate switch at the north end of the grounds running 

 into the stock stables for the purpose of handling stock, the present 

 switch is too far away from the stock barns and it is very unhandy 

 and causes exhibitors considerable trouble, and if a separate switch 

 was put in so that the stock could be handled more quickly and re- 

 moved from the grounds without any delay and at the same time the 

 machinery and other goods could be handled from the other switches 

 as now placed, which would make it much better for the railroad com- 

 pany and much more expeditious for the shipper, and believing that 

 we should make it as handy as possible for the shippers, not only for 

 getting into the grounds, but for getting out, I make this recommenda- 

 tion. 



As to handling the city traffic, I desire to express my appreciation 

 for the manner in which the D. U. R. transacted their business, the 

 facilities under the conditions were most excellent, and they did every- 

 thing they could to assist us in getting ready to handle the people 

 at our grounds after they had delivered them there. I would further 

 recommend that the office of superintendent of transportation be abol- 

 ished and that the duties pertaining to that office be transacted by 

 the business committee. 



Respectfully submitted, 



A. E. STEVENSON, 

 Superintendent of Transportation, Michigan 

 State Agricultural Society. 



Report accepted and referred to the committee on rules. 



