SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART III 139 



1 believe that is all I have to say. I would like to have the assistants 

 who follow me bring up the matter of early spring or summer meetings, 

 for I think it is of value to horsemen where they can get their entries. 



The Chairman: The next speaker on this subject is Mr. H. C. Leach 

 of Bloonifield. 



Mr. H. C. Leach: When I first got the letter from the secretary last 

 fall or winter sometime, with regard to changing the meeting from fall 

 to spring, I thought I was heartily in favor of it, but the more I have 

 thought of it in different ways the less I know whether I am in favor of it 

 or opposed to it. I can readily see some advantages in Mr. Mullen's hope 

 with regard to a spring meeting, but I am speaking directly of this meet- 

 ing. If we had a spring meeting, it is true, in getting attractions and 

 different things, it might be all right, but it is my observation that in a 

 good live fair they must be working pretty nearly all the year; and if 

 we had this meeting in the spring some time and then the state fair 

 meeting in the fall, I am of the opinion that we would lose interest in 

 both of them, because some of our small fairs depend upon sending a rep- 

 resentative up here for both meetings, and if we had a double dose I am 

 afraid some of our fairs would be misrepresented at both meetings. I 

 believe if we want to make the thing a success we must have the co- 

 operation of all of the state. 



We have a circuit of some Iowa and some Missouri territory and I know 

 that it has been of great benefit to us in getting horses and dates and 

 moving from one to the other, and also in arranging our purses so that 

 there will be no misunderstanding or confusion about purses or classes, 

 and horses can go from one to another and know what to expect. There- 

 fore we have had no trouble in getting our races filled. 



As to the meeting, I would like to hear from the secretaries from the 

 different parts of the state. I know this is not on the program, but 

 we have a lot of fairs that are weak and while it would be nice to have 

 two meetings, if we had the meeting in the spring we would have to come 

 back again in the fall and it might tend to lose the interest of the small 

 fairs. 



The Chairman: Mr. Clark of Marshalltown will be the next speaker. 



Mr. W. M. Clark: Mr. President and Gentlemen: This has been a day 

 of surprises to me. One surprise is^ that I was put on this program. I 

 think I remember receiving a letter from Mr. Lauer containing a pro- 

 gram, but just about that time a newspaper man happened to be in my 

 office and he picked it up and took it away before I had time to look it 

 over, consequently I didn't know I was on the program until today. 



The subject assigned to me is "The Advantage of Securing Free Acts." 

 I don't believe there is a person present who will question for a moment 

 the benefit of a good run of free acts to the county fair. Mr. Cameron 

 said here this morning that we have to cater to a large number of people, 

 and with an attendance of from eight to twelve thousand a day you have 

 to have a varied program in order to amuse all of the people. A ceriaiu 

 per cent of the people want to go into the grandstand to see the races; 

 others to see the free shows, and, between the two, our experience has 



