210 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



would have enough mouey to pnv foi' operating expenses and a little to 

 the good, they would be onlj> PrpTi,u "'lO make the single fare good to our 

 grounds. I am in liopes it Avill not be long before this can be worked 

 out. I am getting up a petition now Avhich will be signed by all the 

 property owners north, south and east, and in the vicinity of the Fair 

 grounds, complaining of the unjust discrimination in street car service 

 and fares. This petition will be signed by about 1,000 property owners, 

 and should be of some assistance to us in securing the single fare rate. 



PERMANENT IMTROVEMENTS DURING THE YEAR. 



4,200 square feet of new sidewalk was constructed during the year 

 at a cost of |S52.00. 



New eave troughs were installed on the inner roofs of the Poultry 

 Building, also drainage to same. 



We purchased a one-horse lawn mower at a cost of 1300.00 which 

 will do tlie work of six men ; also a new Ford truck at a cost of fSOO.OO." 



On account of the lack of water on our grounds because of the inade- 

 quate supply on Woodward Avenue, which has only an 8-inch pipe line, 

 we connected up with the 18-inch water main coming in from the east 

 from Jolm P. Street, coupling our two mains together at the intersec- 

 tion of Fifiehl Street and Ransom Boulevard, at a cost of |3,101.90. For 

 the handling of our centrifugal pump, as a booster to the water on our 

 grounds we ijurchased a new 25-]iorsej)ower motor at a cost of $779.89. 

 Witli tliis new addition to our mains we liad no difificulty whatever this 

 year so far as our water supply Avas concerned. 



REPAIRS TO BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT. 



Each year our wooden buildings, which are many, require a great 

 aiiiount of repairs. Many of them now need repainting. We are con- 

 tinually going over the roofs to mal^e them last as long as possible. 



It will be necessary to rebuild a number of the stalls in the horse 

 barns before another jear, and in doing so we will change a large num- 

 ber of the single stalls over into box stalls. We find that the box stall 

 is in greater demand than the open single stall, and the cost of a single 

 stall to the exhibitor is fl.OO, Vvhile the box stall is $3.00. It requires two 

 single stalls to make one box stall ; therefore it is to the advantage of 

 the Fair to have more box stalls. 



Considerable repairing will be necessary on the Administration Build- 

 ing next year, as the foundation under the porches is decaying. Some 

 of the upper porches are also badly in neecl of repair. Take it all in 

 all, the rei)airs for next year will in my judgment exceed the repairs of 

 any other year. 



I desire to call your attention to (he i)resent needs of the Society in 

 the pro])er equipment of our plant, that the Fair may obtain the maxi- 

 mum results in the fulfillment of the purpose for which it was-created. 



We need a fireproof live stock barn with enclosed show ring. This 

 building could be constructed to care for the cattle, sheep and swine 

 exhibits, and the judging ring could be sufficiently large to take care of 

 the horses as well. 



We also need to enlarge our Grand Stand. This, in my judgment, 

 can be done most economically by narrowing up our race track twenty 



