MICHIGAN [ST ATEIAGRICULTURAL; SOCIETY. 617 



connection with his other duties in a satisfactory manner. There was no con- 

 fusion, and everyone entitled to a ticket or pass obtained same without any 

 trouble. I think it wise to handle this work in the same manner next year, 

 as the Finance Committee is sometimes engaged elsewhere and cannot attend to 

 the details of handling the tickets and badges. Furthermore, concise reports con- 

 taining all information relative to tickets and badges were made daily and handed 

 to the proper officials. 



I wish to call your attention to another matter in connection with this de- 

 partment. We have no freight sheds and all L. C. L. shipments must lay in the 

 cars or remain on the platform between the side tracks until such time as they 

 can be moved, and the Grand Trunk should be compelled to build suitable sheds 

 for housing these shipments, as they have a monopoly on all freight shipments 

 to and from the State Fair Grounds. 



To follow the same line of reasoning, we compel the D. U. R. to build shelter 

 stations, establishing up-to-date exits and walks for the convenience of our pas- 

 senger traffic, but the Grand Trunk Railway is given sufficient space for their 

 tracks and possess the same rights and privileges in the freight traffic that the 

 D. U. R. does with the passenger traffic and they should be compelled to provide 

 for the convenience of their patrons in the above manner. 



In my opinion, a resolution should be passed after consultation with Rail- 

 road Commissioner Dickinson, making it mandatory on the part of the Grand 

 Trunk Railway to erect a suitable building about 40 by 80 feet on their siding for 

 the purpose of housing all L. C. L. shipments during the Fair. 



GATE RECEIPTS. 



We will first take up the matter of outside gate receipts and I herewith submit 

 a tabulation showing the amount of gate receipts for the last four years, be- 

 ginning with 1908 and ending with 1911: 



Total gate receipts as per annual report 1908 $59,348 26 



Total gate receipts as per annual report 1909 53,820 83 



Total gate receipts as per annual report 1910." 60,004 95 



Total gate receipts as per annual report 1911. 60,989 50 



These figures represent a total of all gate admissions from all sources and in- 

 clude the revenue derived from advance sale of tickets during 1908 and 1909. 

 This comparison is made for the purpose of showing that more actual money was 

 collected from a smaller attendance during 1910 and 1911 because it is fair to 

 assume that more people will attend the State Fair during good weather, as was 

 the case in 1908 and 1909, than when we had from two to three days rain and a 

 street car strike to contend with this year. 



This proves that the pay-as-you-enter system is superior to the old ticket 

 system as far as the outside gates are concerned. 



In my opinion, the same conditions exist relative to equipping the grand stand 

 entrances with the Bright Turnstile, as I can see no reason why the patrons of 

 the grand stand are entitled to leave and return the same day without paying an 

 additional fifty cents any more than they should expect to go down town after 

 paying their fifty cents admission at the outside gate and expect to be re- 

 admitted to the grounds again because they have previously paid one admission 

 on that day. 



We provide free toilet service in the enclosure around the grandstand, beside 

 first class facilities for eating and drinking inside the stand. Confections and 

 cigars are sold and peddled all through the grand stand, so no excuse or com- 

 plaint can be offered by the patrons for leaving the grand stand and expecting 

 to return free. If this plan is carried out we will eliminate all chance of forged 

 tickets, switching badges and the usual irregularities that accompany the ticket 

 system; also the expense of printing tickets except the few reserved and box 

 tickets which can be sold in the usual way without interfering with the cash 

 turnstile system because the reserve tickets are issued simply to designate a 

 certain box or seat after the purchaser has paid his general admission to the 

 grand stand. 



