SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART III 149 



Voice: Last year a tent show came into our town just previous to 

 our fair and we lost a lot of money. Our mayor endorsed it and we 

 went into the hole on account of it. 



The Chairman: Gentlemen, in this matter of legislation, it would 

 be well for us to provide for a legislative committee, for the subject is 

 one that should be taken before the next legislature. They recognized the 

 utility of the agricultural societies in the mulct law by prohibiting saloons 

 operated within a certain distance of an agricultural fair. I think it 

 would be impossible for a state to pass a law giving a board of directors 

 authority to say whether a circus could come in, because that would 

 be clothing them with too much power, something the law cannot do — 

 to delegate power to a body not recognized under our police system; 

 but they could pass a law that no traveling circus could come where 

 there was a fair in operation because the legislature is a higher body 

 than a city council. We ought to have a legislative committee so that 

 if matters of this kind are referred to them they can go ahead and 

 get things through the legislature. 



Voice: There are many important matters touching fairs that should 

 be brought before our legislature. Among them is the law that we have 

 on our statute books that county fairs may receive |1000 aid through 

 their board of supervisors. This law was so drawn that it permits the 

 supervisors to give excuses. As I recall the reading of the law, it is 

 this: That the board of supervisors may appropriate $1000 to a fair 

 association providing the fair association owns their grounds free from 

 all debt. Now, gentlemen, it is the very fellows who have the debt who 

 need the money. There are not over three or four fairs in the state 

 of Iowa that get that thousand dollars, because of that interpretation 

 of the law. A legislative committee could get that amended in such 

 a way that we could get it. We are entitled to it and should have it. 

 Further than that, we should have legislation on our insurance. You 

 will pardon me if I make reference to my case in Black Hawk county at 

 Cedar Falls. A year ago last November we had our buildings rated 

 by a man from the rating bureau. He went to the fair grounds, took a 

 general view of the plant and said the rating on the buildings would be 

 around four per cent, made out his report and sent it in. I got in com- 

 munication with our insurance commissioner at Des Moines and had it 

 reduced to two per cent. I think there are few fairs in Iowa that are 

 not paying an exorbitant rate. Through co-operation of a legislative 

 body we can get an adequate rate on our fair property if we go at it 

 right, and therefore I move that the chair be authorized to appoint 

 a committee of three as a legislative committee. 



Voice: ' Second the motion. 



Mr. Barber: If we elect a legislative committee and they do get 

 this law passed, you cannot force the insurance companies to insure fair 

 grounds for any price. They can refuse to take your risk, and I question 

 whether it is wise for any association to rush into lobbying to obtain 

 this thing. As Mr. Schofield has suggested, it can be carried out, but 

 I don't think it would be well to go over the heads of the new officers 



