20» IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



back home. I don't believe there is a county in the state of Iowa 

 that if they got the right kind of people back of the fair they will 

 be ahead at the end enough to pay all the premiums and satisfy 

 all the people that would go to the show. 



Mr. Rigby : I would like to say a word in connection with some 

 letters I have received from secretaries in various parts of the state 

 suggesting topics for discussion. One of the topics suggested was 

 that of conditional entries. I did not dignify the subject with a 

 place on the program for the reason that it is contrary to the rules. 

 It is along the same line as declaring all bets off at a fair where 

 there is no betting. I think it is a safe thing for any secretary 

 here to get up to discuss that topic. I don't believe he would get 

 into trouble by doing so; but I believe there is something to be 

 said on both sides of the question. It is a thing that can be abol- 

 ished only by a majority of the fair secretaries. I am not going 

 to discuss the subject myself because there are those here who have 

 grievance along that line. I have none myself, and suggest it be- 

 cause it has been suggested to me. 



And there is another topic, too, that there can be something said 

 on and that is in regard to the — well, we might say "Best Speed" 

 program for the average fair. I remember last year in my work 

 in getting up the program Joe McLaughlin wrote me a long letter 

 and he said, ' ' Even though you have the best program in the world, 

 the horseman would not agree unless it would be the best because 

 the particular stable for which they were training would find the 

 most entries. I think the contention between the horsemen and 

 secretaries in regard to speed program is due to not having a multi- 

 plicity of classes, with $300 or $-100 purses. Now, these are simply 

 remarks by the Avay of suggestions, and they are topics worth while 

 for us to discuss. We have a little time for that purpose and this 

 is a free-for-all and we want to get into the game. We don't get 

 together often, and when we do we want to do the best we can. I 

 think any fair secretary that has had the amusement side or the 

 entertainment side in discussing this matter would agree with me 

 that the racing side is the main part of the entertainment program. 

 It must be so ; and the question before us now is how to make the 

 speed program a success; how to get the horses, and this question 

 of conditional entries can well be discussed at this point. 



Mr. Shipman, West Liberty: There is no such thing as con- 

 ditional entry. An entry that will allow a man to start if he wants 

 l3 and not pay if he don't, can't do it. An entry that will allow 



