FIFTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART II 109 



Clinton County Agricultural Society, De Witt 1,655.50 



Shenandoah Fair Association, Shenandoah 1,629.15 



Warren County Agricultural Society, Indianola 1,613.25 



Cass County Fair Association, Atlantic 1,570.14 



West Point District Agricultural Society, West Point. 1,501.75 



The matter of state or county aid for Iowa county and district fairs 

 should have the attention of the legislature at the next session. We 

 find on examining the financial statement of the ninety fairs reporting 

 to the department this year that a great many of them had a hard 

 struggle to pay their operating expenses to asy nothing about making 

 needed improvementments and maintenance of the plant. In fact thirty- 

 six out of the ninety met with a loss on their 1914 fairs. 



Under our present Iowa law county and district fairs may receive 

 state aid to the extent of $300.00; this is paid on the basis of 40 per 

 cent of the first $500.00 and 10 per cent of the next $1000.00 paid out 

 in premiums in all departments except speed. Under this law the state 

 paid to the fairs in 1914, $21,131.27; in 1913, $20,205.17; in 1912, $20,860.32. 

 The average amount received by each fair in 1914 was $235. 



We find by referring to the laws and reports of our neighboring 

 states upon this subject that they are much more liberal with their 

 aid to agricultural fairs. 



In the State of Illinois the county and district fairs receive from 

 the state 60 per cent of the first $1000.00 paid in premiums; 50 per cent 

 of the second $1000.00; 40 per cent of the next $2000.00 and 30 per 

 cent of all premiums paid in excess of $4000.00. 



Under this law the State of Illinois reimbursed the county and district 

 fairs for premiums paid to the extent of $82,022.75 in 1914; $62,670.00 in 

 1913 and $61,600.00 in 1912. 



During the year 1913 there were 69 county fairs held in the state of 

 Illinois that received from the state an average of $908.00 each. The 

 average for 1914 will be much larger but we have been unable to get 

 a detailed report of the 1914 fairs. The state aid paid Illinois fairs 

 in 1913 ranged from $222.26 to $2,219.53. Twenty-two drew over $1000.00 

 and three of these over $2000.00 each. 



The State of Minnesota reimburses the county and district fairs for 

 all premiums paid to exhibitors up to $1,500.00. During the year 1913 

 there were ninety fairs held in Minnesota and the State reimbursed 

 them in the sum of $91,666.00, or an average of $1,918.00 each. 



The State of Wisconsin pays 80 per cent of all premiums actually paid 

 by the county and district fairs, except for speed contests. There is, 

 however, a provision in their law which provides that no county agri- 

 cultural society shall receive to exceed $2500.00 state aid in any one 

 year. During the year 1912 Wisconsin held 76 county and district fairs 

 and they received $109,900.00 state aid, or an average of $1,446.00 each. 



New York appropriates $250,000 annually for the support of her county 

 and district fairs. There is a provision in their law which provides 

 that no fair shall receive state aid to exceed $4000.00 in any one year. 

 The Department of Agriculture receives the reports of the fairs and pays 

 the state aid to each society in proportion to the amount paid in premiums. 



