I FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART II 69 



rural credits. This report is also published in Greater Iowa and is 

 worthy of your consideration. Governor Clarke also appointed a com- 

 mittee composed of John Cownie, Eugene Secor and F. D. Steen to 

 report on the needs of agriculture in the State of Iowa. I don't know 

 where you would find three more representative men or men who know 

 more about the needs of the farmers of Iowa. You will also find their re- 

 port in the last issue of Greater Iowa. 



Hog cholera this year was the most fatal in the history of the state. 

 Science has not fully demonstrated the ability to handle this dreaded 

 disease, but I am satisfied a good start has been made and in due time 

 it will be handled with very little loss. Notwithstanding the great loss 

 Iowa has suffered from this disease, she will still be the leading swine 

 producing state of the Union. I sometimes think if it were not for the hog 

 cholera we would have an over-production. While it falls heavy upon those 

 who lose their hogs, those who do not are the gainers; just like our other 

 farm crops — a smaller output but increased prices. 



The legislature at the commencement of the session last winter seemed 

 to have gained a wrong impression in regard to the working and manner 

 of conducting the State Fair, presumably from misinformed persons who 

 had not taken the time or pains to look into its affairs, and a resolution 

 that the State Fair be investigated was offered and passed. The manage- 

 ment of the fair certainly had no objections, and really courted the in- 

 vestigation. The only thing the management objected to and thought 

 unfair was the accusations made at the time the resolution was pre- 

 sented. But after a thorough investigation by the efficiency engineers 

 hired by the state to go over the books (and I am sure they made a rigid 

 examination for they spent almost two months on it) they made a re- 

 port to the Committee on Retrenchment and Reform, who in turn made 

 their report to the legislature, and in this report they found everything 

 in good shape, the receipts and expenditures fully accounted for, and the 

 committee was pleased to report that in their opinion Iowa had the best 

 managed fair and the greatest fair in the United States. I am sure the 

 members of the legislature coincided with this report for they made an 

 appropriation of seventy-five thousand dollars for a women and chil- 

 dren's building to be erected on the fair grounds; and I am sure when 

 you see this building in full working order next year you will be proud 

 of it. The Iowa State Fair, as I have said before, is looked upon as a 

 model state fair. 



The President appointed the following committees: 



COMMITTEE ON CREDENTIALS. 



J. P. ]\Iiillen. Pocahontas county; W. W. Morrow, Union 

 county ; James Xowak, Poweshiek county. 



COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS.' 



John AV. Palm, Henry county ; L. H. Pickard, Shelby county ; 

 J. Q. Lauer, Bremer county. 



