FIFTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART III 189 



it but what can, with a charge of twenty-five cents or thirty-five 

 cents admission, have all kinds of money, and have as good a fair 

 as anybody would want. 



Delegate: Did you ever have rains duf-ing your fair? 



Mr. Bradley : Yes, sir. The first year we had rain every single 

 day. The water was so deep that it ran over their shoe tops, and 

 yet the people said we had a good fair notwithstanding. 



We sell advance tickets about ten days before the fair and get 

 in about $2,000 in that way. The people buy those tickets and 

 they come in from as far as 100 miles to our fair, and it is be- 

 cause we give them what is right, and the result is we have money 

 to loan to you poor fellows. 



I think every fair should be self-sustaining. The more you get 

 in the way of donation the more you get to depending on that and 

 you don't use your energy to get out and earn it. We will get 

 over $2,000 in privileges every year and the men come back be- 

 cause we furnish the crowd, and instead of raising our price, if 

 anything, we lower it. Thirty -five cents is all we charge ; fifteen 

 cents for admission to the grandstand, reserved seats twenty-five 

 cents and twenty-five cents for automobiles. 



Mr. J. Morton, Sioux City : Mr. President and Gentlemen : I 

 think the truth of the statements made by our friend Mr. Bradley 

 is contradicted by the action of nearly every state legislature in 

 the United States- as, they all provide state aid for their county 

 fairs. Now, Mr. Bradley says that they do not want anything, 

 but I notice that he takes that little $300 just the same. The fact 

 is, I think those fellows at Rock Rapids take everything that is 

 not redhot or fastened down. I don't know how they do up there. 

 Don't they sell stock, Mr. Bradley? 



Mr. Bradley: No, sir. 



Mr. Morton : Anyway, every state in the Union helps the county 

 fairs — Illinois and Minnesota give each fair, if they have a fair, 

 an amount not to exceed $1,500. Ohio gives Ic for every $100 

 upon the taxable property of the county where the fair is held; 

 and so on down; and we in this state that is richer than 90 per 

 cent of the states that aid their fairs 100 per cent or 200 per cent 

 more, put up with $300. Now, these fairs are educational insti- 

 tutions, and if they are they ought to have the help of the state, 

 and if we are going to have help, we ought to have help that is 

 worth something. If I were Bradley I don't believe I would take 

 the $300. This matter is not a matter to joke about, it is a matter 



