84 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



highest accomplishment in prodnets, from the farm and from the 

 factory, accepted!}- staged, at nominal adinission cost, thus bringing 

 it within the range, not of the few who can attend schools and col- 

 leges, but of the great masses who are performing the world's work, 

 and surrounds it all with good music, high class entertainment, art 

 and science, in suck happy equipoise, as to make it not alone a peo- 

 ple's school of practical liberal arts and sciences, but of fine arts 

 and entertainment as well. 



SHOULD THE STATE FAIR BE SELF-SUPPORTING? 



Often we are asked, "Why is not the state fair self-support- 

 ing?" Or, "Why does the fair board ask the legislature to ap- 

 propriate money for the fair?" We might answer by asking num- 

 erous questions just as apt. For instance: why is the legislature 

 asked to appropriate money for the governor's office? Why is a 

 county asked to appropriate money to build bridges? Or, why is a 

 city government asked to appropriate money for fire protection? 

 Such questions sound foolish. I agree with you that no intelligent 

 man Avould think of asking them ; but this same man, thoughtlessly 

 will come into your office, Mr. Corey, and in all seriousness, ask 

 you Avhy the state fair is not self-supporting. He does it because 

 of his ignorance of the purposes and fundamentals for which the 

 State of Iowa has, by legislative enactment, decreed that an annual 

 state fair shall be held. Yes, they have gone farther, by purchas- 

 ing land upon which a permanent state exposition was to be built. 



The fair is an educational institution for all of the people, and 

 not for the few. If it is not, then its continuance canot be justified 

 upon any ground, because it is not a proper function of government 

 to conduct enterprises which have for their primary purpose the 

 making of money. 



There is not one among you, or for that matter, in the State of 

 Iowa, who believes your public school or colleges should be self-sus- 

 taining, or that the burden of taxation for their support should 

 fall wholly upon those whose children are enrolled. This does not, 

 never did, and never will apply in any form of public education, 

 for the reason that this form of education reaches all classes directly 

 or indirectly, and the burden for such support must, in our form of 

 government, fall upon the shoulders of all, in accordance wath their . 

 property holdings. All educational units have for their purpose 

 the one great object in view, to wit : The training of the mind and 

 body to fit the student to better cope with life's great problems in 



