Missouri County and District Fair Association. 323 



at our county fairs of suitable prizes. In the last four years 

 since the organization of our association the prizes offered for 

 saddle horses have been greatly increased, and that results have 

 been obtained, not only from the standpoint of the saddle horse 

 interests, but from the standpoint of the fair management, is be- 

 yond question. The saddle horse stakes, including the champion- 

 ship stakes at our county fairs, have been the features of these 

 fairs. The association is deserving of all that can be done for it. 

 We put a measure before the Legislature providing a license fee 

 for all male animals that stand at public service. This fee was 

 to go in a fund to be proportioned out in the counties of the State 

 in proportion to the amount put in, and then in proportion to the 

 fairs held in that county, and to be offered back to the stockmen 

 as prizes in the different classes in which it originated. We 

 didn't get very far with this measure, because several members 

 of the committee on agriculture offered objection on account of 

 the fair south of the river. Nevertheless, a bill was passed which 

 had been introduced by President Wilson of the Senate, provid- 

 ing for an appropriation of some $30,000, and which money has 

 been appropriated to the fairs according to the law. 



In this connection, Mr. W. L. Nelson of the Board of Agri- 

 culture has worked out a plan that I am very deeply interested 

 in, speaking from my position as secretary of the Saddle Horse 

 Breeders' Association. This plan would include a definite re- 

 port to be made of each of the fairs, such report to be filed with 

 the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture. The report would 

 embody statistical information that is absolutely necessary in 

 compiling the records of the achievements of our live stock. I 

 sincerely trust that Mr. Nelson will go into detail in that regard. 

 I have cause to know that the compilation of the records of our 

 saddle horses, in so far as accuracy is concerned, is hard to 

 determine. There is no report made now, and if one is made it 

 is almost worthless, for no information worth while is given. 

 The report simply reads, for instance, "Saddle mare, any age. 

 Hook & Woods, first." Nobody can make anything definite 

 out of that kind of a report for compiling records such as we are 

 interested in. I sincerely trust that Mr. Nelson will arrange a 

 record that will be of convenience, not only to the secretaries of 

 the various fair associations of the State, but to the interests that 

 these fairs represent. 



