328 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



The Cliairman : Gentlemeu, this is your leader on this subject. 

 We would like to have some more talks along this line. Draw out 

 the subject of what you think about this idea of drifting to amuse- 

 ments. Who shall we hear from first? Let's hear from Mr. Mullen. 



J. P. Mullen: Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention: I 

 have not given this subject much consideration because I have not had 

 time for preparation, nor can I give you much from practical experience 

 in the conduct of fairs, for even that is limited. If I was a singer I might 

 sing something, but I can't even qualify in that direction. 



Now, I think that the gentleman here made one very pertinent state- 

 ment, one that I think can be emphasized, and that is give the people 

 what they want. In analyzing that proposition, you run into this con- 

 dition; one community will want one particular kind of attraction and 

 another will want another; one community is in for sports, light amuse- 

 ments and laughing features, and another community is more serious and 

 takes more kindly to the development of animal husbandry or the agri- 

 cultural exhibits, or possibly the educational exhibits. So it is quite a 

 problem after all for the secretary and the management of a fair to 

 satisfactorily determine the ratio of amusements with relation to other 

 features. 



I realize that in the community where I live, the demand has hereto- 

 fore been largely for free attractions and lighter features of a fair; 

 also horse races, to a large extent. During my tenure as secretary I 

 made a strong effort, partially successful too, to bring out the exhibit 

 of cattle, horses, hogs, grains, etc., and I especially was quite successful 

 in inducing the county" superintendents' to take charge of and put on good 

 educational exhibits, which we have retained since that time. I did that 

 because of the incentive it was to the school children and the parents in 

 the town and country, and while it was an educational feature it still 

 attracted so many people that it was noticeable at the box office, and that 

 is something to be looked after. 



It is also true that our fair is a good horse-race association, and in 

 the horse-race meets we have been very successful, and of course that 

 attracts. So, as I said in the beginning, it is quite a problem for the 

 secretary to determine what ratio the light amusements should bear to 

 the proposition to entertain the public. Different communities want dif- 

 ferent attractions, and it seems to me that the secretary in the com- 

 munity should judge what that community wants. 



The Chairman : This looks to me like too good a subject to pass. 

 Let's hear some more discussion along this line. I dislike to call 

 on any one. I would like to have you all feel free to discuss the 

 matter like in a good old-fashioned Methodist camp meeting and 

 tell what you tliink about it. I would like to Icnow if any one here 

 is of the opinion that one can run a strictly agricultural fair. 

 That means cutting out everything except exhibition features. We 



