208 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



PREMIUM LIST AND OFFICIAL PROGRAM. 



The advertising in our 1919 Premium List amounted to |3,895.00 and 

 in our Official Program, |4,020.00, a total increase over last year of 

 11,390.00. 



GLEANER TEMPLE. 



The Gleaner Temple, constnicted on our grounds last year by the 

 Ancient Order of Gleaners, proved to be a very attractive place. They 

 had representatives on hand every day of the Fair and provided a splendid 

 daily program for the entertainment of their members as well as patrons 

 of the Fair. It was a wise move on our part in allowing the Gleaners 

 to construct this building, as they are much interested and give us more 

 cooperation than ever before. 



HORSE RACES. 



We had six days' horse racing this year, both the harness and saddle 

 classes. Our harness races were conducted under the Michigan Short 

 Ship Circuit on the half-mile track. The amount paid in prizes for all 

 horse races was |7,690.00. No pools were permitted to be sold at our 

 1919 Fair by order of the Mayor, which was a loss to our Association of 

 about |G,000.00 over last year for the sale of the privilege. 



AUTO RACES. 



We held automobile races three days, including Decoration Day. Be- 

 cause of the baseball team being at home in Detroit at that time, we 

 were not very well patronized. However, the automobile races on Sat- 

 urday and Sunday, the opening of the Fair, were a grand success, and I 

 am satisfied they drew many thousands of people, as the grand stand 

 was full to overflowing both days. 



FREE RETURN OF EXHIBITS AND REDUCED PASSENGER RATES TO FAIRS. 



The free return of exhibits in 1918 was unsatisfactoiy, as it did not 

 provided for an exhibitor making a circuit of fairs ; therefore it became 

 necessary for me to go to Washington, being appointed chairman of the 

 committee from the National Association to take up this matter with the 

 United States Railroad Administration; also that of reduced passenger 

 rates. We finally secured a very satisfactory arrangement providing that 

 when an exhibitor attended a single fair and returned home he was 

 charged only on the going trip; and when he attended a circuit of fairs 

 he was charged one-half rate between all points, returning from the last 

 place of exhibit home at one-half rate. This freight rate applied to all 

 fairs and to any ])oint in the United States, while in 1918 it was confined 

 to intra-state shipments only. 



A one and one-half rate on passenger fares was made for the 1910 

 fairs throughout the United States, making the going movement the day 

 before the fair opened and good returning until the next day after the 

 fair closed, which was a very satisfactoiy arrangement. The United 

 States Railroad Administration must have been convinced that the fairs 

 are of great benefit, to make su^h a reduced rate in these times. 



