74 TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART III. 



tions and others have unquestionably rendered valuable service, but I 

 have in mind the greater good that they may yet accomplish. 



It is very noticeable, more than ever before, that there is a greater 

 willingness to help the farmer with his burdens. This is as it should 

 be and is a good augury for the future. For on the prosperity of the 

 farmer depends, in large measure, the prosperity of the nation. Tnere 

 will be no permanent national prosperity until the farmer is enabled 

 to come back again into the nation's markets as a buyer, with cash to 

 spend. Then and not until then will the wheels of industry hum for 

 the comfort and prosperity of the whole country. Evidence is accumulat- 

 ing every day that the farmer is coming back; that he will realize more 

 on this year's crop than on any of the two previous ones. He is by no 

 means out of the woods but he is on the way and his prospects appear 

 much brighter than a year ago. With bounteous crops, and a rising 

 market, obligations will be more easily met, the buying power of the 

 farmer will increase, and a new turn in the road is just ahead. With 

 better prospects and a brighter future the financial disturbances of the 

 last few years will untimately disappear and be forgotten. 



For such a day we ought be thankful and to welcome its coming. The 

 citizenship of our state, patient, but alert, will readily respond to the 

 touch of a better outlook, and the old commonwealth of Iowa, asking 

 only for an even start and a fair chance, will again shine with added 

 lustre and blossom with abundance for the comfort and happiness of all 

 our people. 



President Cameron: The next order of business is the appoint- 

 ment of the following committees: Committee on Credentials: H. 

 L. Pike, Monona; R. S. Johnson, Louisa; H. M. Stafford, Fayette. 



The Committee on Resolutions: R. R. Clark, Grundy; C. A. 

 Wenstrand, Page; C. F. Curtiss, Story. 



We will now have the report of our Secretary A. R. Corey. 



Secretary A. R. Corey: As usual, I have submitted my report in 

 printed form to this convention. There are just a few things I would 

 like to say, however, that I learned while at the National Convention last 

 week. I don't know whether we all appreciate it or not, but the attend- 

 ance at the Iowa State Fair this year increased about twenty-three per 

 cent, and on the figures given by the statistical committee of the Inter- 

 national Association of Fairs no other fair showed an increase like this. 

 In fact, the attendance at the Iowa State Fair equalled the attendance 

 of the Michigan State Fair, which is held in a city of over a million 

 population. Our attendance came within 20,000 of the great Minnesota 

 fair which has a million people within street car riding distance of their 

 grounds. Financially, I think there was only one other fair in the 

 United States that came out better than Iowa did this year. That was 

 Minnesota. Minnesota still maintained this seventy-five cent admission 

 at the outside gate and all of the other war-time admissions at the grand 

 stand and their horse show. 



In regard to the exhibit at the State Fair this year, which is the 

 basis for judging all agricultural fairs, or should be, of course it makes 



