SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART III 125 



other fifty per cent and pay up before the big day comes. I would rather 

 have one-half less concessions, with as much money as I could get from 

 allowing them space on the fair grounds, than to have a great line of fel- 

 lows with worthless, questionable joints that aren't a success and who 

 will later knock the fair. 



I will be glad to listen to suggestions by anybody or will try to answer 

 any questions that you gentlemen wish to ask me. 



"Question: How can you give away an automobile under the present 

 law. 



Mr. Cameron : I took that matter up with the attorney general. I 

 thought* that was a very favorable proposition for fairs and would get a 

 big crowd. I took it up with Mr. Cosson and labored with him for hours 

 on the proposition, but without success. When I went to him I said, 

 "Now, General, what is the matter with advertising that we are going to 

 give away an automobile; that a ticket will be given to everybody that 

 goes into the grounds on a paid admission ticket, and that the ticket 

 will allow the holder a chance on the automobile?" I thought that was 

 an innocent proposition and it looked good to me, but he replied, "That 

 won't work; that is gambling and you cannot get around it." Then I 

 said, "General, how can we go to work and do that?" and he said, "One 

 way you can give an automobile away is simply give tickets and let them 

 vote for the most popular young lady or the most popular young man. 

 There will be no drawing about it. It must be a vote and that is the 

 only way it can be permitted." That was the sum and substance of it 

 and it is the only possible way you can give away an automobile. 



Mr. Morton: In the event that some one would contest the right of 

 the fair to draw their state aid, and in order to enable them to draw 

 this state aid there must be an adjudication of some kind, I would like 

 to knov/ — because I don't, and perhaps some of the other men here don't 

 know — who is the tribunal that decides who is guilty and who is innocent? 



Mr. Cameron: We decided that, but it didn't go. 



Mr. Morton: "U'Tio overruled you? 



Mr. Cameron: The auditor of state. I will tell you a little experience 

 we had last year. We had two fairs in Iowa whose appropriation from 

 the state was held up and in both cases, absolutely, the motive for the 

 protest appeared to be spite w^ork that was started against the individual 

 members of the association. We had a hearing. The big question has 

 always been where to draw the dividing line — ^where games of skill end 

 and gambling commences. That was a question with us and we have 

 had opinions from every attorney general that has been in here for the 

 last ten or fifteen years, and of course they have differed. Last year we 

 had these two cases. We took the matter up and had a two day's hearing. 

 There were present the representatives of the fairs concerned and those 

 opposing the state aid. We also had the state auditor present — the man 

 who issues the warrants. We went over the situation very carefully. In 

 one case there were some fellows that had slipped in and started soiiuj 

 gambling devices, and as soon as the management found it out they fired 

 them out. These parties brought us evidence from the best class of 



