FIFTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART III 217 



I will say this: It was largely tlie fault of the association. We 

 have not had any accident, and I think if we all took the proper 

 precaution we could confine the damage to the men that partici- 

 pate in the races. I understand, Joe McLaughlin, this fall when 

 you had motorcycle races you walked up to one of your men and 

 warned him to be careful and said to him: "We don't care a 

 damn for you, hut don't kill anybody that knows anything." I 

 think if we are properly guarded on automobile races that we 

 could eliminate the danger connected with it. We had automo- 

 bile races the last day at Cedar Falls this last year and they were 

 very successful. In fact the last day was the largest day we 

 had in point of attendance. I don't know whether it was on ac- 

 count of the automobile races or whether it was the horse racing. 

 You knoM" I am speaking here to horse racing men but if we took 

 proper precaution to guard our fences and prepare for automo- 

 bile races exclusively I think we could confine the danger to the 

 parties participating therein and as Joe McLaughlin says: "We 

 don't care for that; that is what people pay their money for to 

 see them get killed." If they should kill themselves that is what 

 they go there for anyway. 



Chairman: Gentlemen, if there is no further business, we will 

 stand adjourned until the banquet tonight at 6 :30. 



The business session held in the evening was preceded by a 

 banquet at which President H. C. Leach of Bloomfield presided. 

 Addresses were made by Governor George W. Clarke, Mayor 

 James R. Hanna of Des Moines, and Hon. T. E. Taylor of Inde- 

 pendence. Following the banquet the business session was held, 

 the proceedings of which are given in the following. 



REPORT OF SECRETARY AND TREASURER. 



BY A. G. RIGBY, INDEPEJ^DENCE, IOWA. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Association: Before reading my 

 report, there is a remark or two that I wish to make. 



I have acted in the capacity of secretary of this association for a num- 

 ber of years, and we have tried to carry on the work of the association 

 the best we could with the funds at our command. It has not been the 

 purpose of the association to accumulate money, and it has not done so. 

 However, we have kept within our means, and the way the matter stands 

 tonight we are not overdrawn. Last year it was suggested that we in- 

 crease the membership dues this season from $4 to $5. We did so. And 

 I have this to say, that if the work that is possible to be done in an 



