REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS 



OF 



Indiana State Association of Fair Managers, 



Held at State House January 3, 1905. 



The first session of the annual meeting of the Indiana State Asso- 

 ciation of Fair Managers was called to order by President J. J. Insley at 

 2 o'clock p. m. Tuesdaj', January 3, 1905. 



The chair announced that the Secretary had not prepared minutes 

 of the previous meeting, as printed copies of the proceedings had been 

 furnished to each member of the association. 



Mr. Robert Mitchell of Princeton presided while President Insley 

 read his annual address, as follows: 



ROAD CONSTRUCTIONS AND MAINTENANCE. 



Much has been said and written upon this topic, and those who desire 

 to inform themselves thereupon may do so without much difficulty. A 

 few years since a committee of the citizens of Philadelphia offered a 

 prize for tlie best essays on this subject, the State University sitting in 

 award, but save Coxey's celebrated march of hoboes upon the national 

 capital, this seems to be all that has been actuallj- done to realize the 

 hopes of many. 



It is not with the view of adding to the literature upon this subject, 

 for it is already abundant, nor of assuming the attitude of a pioneer in 

 a great movement, which must of necessity commence a few years hence, 

 that I take up my present task; but it is for the purpose of urging upon 

 this body the duty of using to the utmost the great influence which you 

 possess, promptly and with due energy, to place our State in the van 

 of a special economic advance of vast importance, that I stand before 

 you at this time. 



The great pulpit orator, Henry Ward Beecher, once said that a vio- 

 lent thunderstorm was more productive of pious reflections and prayer in 

 some than a dozen sermons. If this be true, the night of the 6th of July, 

 1904, with its frequent loud explosions of thunder that rolled and rever- 

 berated for many seconds after the initial crash, the steady, torrential 



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