FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART III 245 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Reeves: The Anamosa fair is very good, Init T want to ask 

 each one of 3'ou if 3'ou think success is well earned if it is earned 

 in that way. Don't you appeal to a characteristic in people that 

 is not the best? Hadn't you better do it in some way that will 

 elevate rather than appeal to the gambling instincts in a person? 

 It strikes me that way. I may be entirely wrong on that, but we 

 try to make our fair just as educational as possible. The educa- 

 tional features predominate in our fair. Now our secretary did 

 not have the time to touch on those features, but those are the 

 predominating features in our fair, and we give our premiums 

 for some worthy purpose, and have some good in mind rather than 

 to induce a person to try to get something for nothing. AVe want 

 a person to show that he has some possession worthy of reward. 

 Now isn't that what our fairs are for primarily, and shouldn't 

 they be for that purpose ? The Anamosa fair has succeeded in 

 a certain line, and in a certain way they have secured the attend- 

 ance, but I regret that the fair works on that line. I would rather 

 see them work on these other and different lines. 



Now gentlemen, there is one remark I want to make while T am 

 on my feet. I was asked about the compensation of our secretary 

 of the Bremer County Fair. He stated that he received $100 per 

 month during the year. That is his salary for the coming year. 

 We can well afford to pay for that. He spends all his time. We 

 did not send to Sears-Roebuck for our seeretarj'. He is a whole 

 quantity and worth what he is getting. 



The Secretary : In the remarks I have just made I possibly have 

 conveyed a wrong impression. I have had a somewhat extended 

 correspondence with quite a number of fair secretaries in Iowa, and 

 any fair secretary in Iowa who has had correspondence with me 

 knoAvs that fundamentally ] believe that no fair can thrive and be 

 permanently successful that is not built on the broad basis of educa- 

 tion. I believe that is the foundation that should be laid. I am 

 going to tell you frankly that the Anamosa fair is not my ideal 

 fair. I simply mention this as one feature. I like a fair like the 

 Waverly fair, the Marshalltown fair, the ]\Iason City fair, or the 

 one at Sioux City, and many others that I could name that are 

 well rounded out like up at Rock Rapids, and down at Mt. Pleasant, 

 Harlan, and different places where I know something about their 

 work. It should be strong in all departments. No department 



