MICHIGAN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 375 



benefit of these, I would state that so long as I am president of this 

 society, my first efforts will be to improve our fair as an agricultural 

 exhibit, of which neither the ])atronage nor the influence shall be local 

 or confined to any section of the State. I wish to see the Michigan 

 state fair reach out to every corner of the State of Michigan and 

 beyond; from our neighboring states and from Canada we should be 

 able to draw exhibitors and spectators in substantial numbers with- 

 out departing from our policy of making the fair primarily an agri- 

 cultural exhibit. 



In considering the new duties devolved upon the president of this 

 society, I have been led to believe that the details of the management 

 of the society require your serious consideration, and I desire to pre- 

 sent a few suggestions that have occurred to me. 



I would recommend a radical change in handling the finances of the 

 society. I am credibly informed that for the year 1904 no written re- 

 ports have been made to your business committee or your executive 

 committee concerning the receipts from concessions and privileges; 

 and for the year 1905 no detailed reports of the superintendent of con- 

 cessions has been furnished the business committee and said committee 

 has no knov.iedge as to receipts from concessions, privileges and con- 

 tracts pertaining to his dei)artment. It has also been stated by those 

 who assume to know the facts, that it has been the custom of the 

 superintendent of concessions and privileges to deposit all his receipts 

 in his own name in anv bank of his own choosing. If mv information 

 in regard to either or both of these conditions is true, I would urge 

 upon you to adopt regailations which will prevent such loose business 

 methods. Therefore, I believe that the office of superintendent of con- 

 cessions and privileges should be abolished. The duties of the super- 

 intendent are so multifarious and his authority so far-reaching and 

 important that they should be placed in the hands of the business com- 

 mittee and the president of the society, to whom all persons connected 

 with this work should be responsible or directly report. 



In looking over the different officers and superintendents to be ap- 

 pointed by your president, I find a chief marshal and a superintendent 

 of police, and it occurs to me that the duties of these officers could be 

 combined under one head and prove more efficient and economical than 

 by having two officers. Therefore, I recommend that the office of 

 superintendent of police be abolished and the duties heretofore per- 

 formed by the superintendent of police be performed by the marshal, 

 and that we have no such officer as superintendent of police. 



I am also informed that the treasurer of the society has in the past 

 deposited the moneys of the society in his own name and that he has 

 been given the right to draw the interest on such funds for his own 

 use and benefit. The simple statement of this condition, I am sure, 

 will be sufficient to have such an improper and unbusinesslike practice 

 stopped at once. The money of the society should be placed to the 

 credit of the society and the treasurer should be required to file a 

 proper bond guaranteeing the society against loss. If the salary of the 

 treasurer is not sufficient, it should be made so. And in this connec- 

 tion, I would say that the society has been very lucky and is to be 

 congratulated upon its good fortune in having had for many years 



