96 BOAKD OF AGRICULTURE. 



the privilege department more than any other one thing depends 

 the success or failure of the fair. 



Secretary Blackstock: The second annual meeting of tile In- 

 diana State Association of Fair Managers was held in these rooms 

 on January 9, 1901, and a stenographic report of the proceedings 

 published with the report of the annual meeting of the State Board . 

 of Agriculture. You will find the report on pages 66 to 68, in- 

 clusive. 



SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



To the Members of Indiana Fair Managers' Association: 



On January 9, 1901. tlie second annual meeting of this Association was 

 held in the rooms of the State Board of Agriculture. A stenographic re- 

 port of the proceedings of said meeting is published in the State Board's 

 Annual Report for 1900 on pages GO to 68, inclusive, hence as the business 

 of that meeting is already made public it is only necessary for your Sec- 

 retary to refer to these minutes by way of suggestions that may chance to 

 interest the Pair workers present at this, our third annual session. 



The special rule that was recommended one year ago compelling speed 

 horsemen to come up to the Secretary's office and pay their 5 per cent, 

 entrance on or before 12 o'clock, instead of in the judge's stand, in the old 

 way, after the race is called, was heartily approved by nearly all our 

 Associations, and this item was inserted in their published conditions. 

 The five-heat race system, which means that no race shall have more 

 than five heats, was adopted witli satisfactory results last year by severa' 

 of the best meetings in Indiana. This is the rule of the Illinois and In- 

 diana State Fairs, and should be imiformly observed upon all race tracks. 

 It is the humane idea of testing speed within the reasonable limit of best 

 3 in 5, but no more than 5 heats, instead of the old horse-killing idea of a 

 fight to the finish in possibly 6, 7 or 8 heats. In speed classes it is usual 

 to allow a horse to enter in more than one race with the privilege of 

 paying entrance only in the race in which he starts. This privilege is 

 now often abused. Green horses are often entered in each and every class 

 at the same meeting from the "slow" class to the "free for aU" for the 

 pm-pose of fraudulently filling the fast classes and to prevent the Secre- 

 tary from reopening and getting his races properly filled except as the 

 horsemen themselves may dictate, therefore every Secretary should pro- 

 tect his Association by reserving the right to declare which races are 

 filled and which are not filled. This resolution should be in the published 

 conditions of every racing circuit. 



