EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART HI 137 



Mr. Schofield: I regret that I have not looked that matter up at all, 

 and I will take just a minute. 



Take it from our own experience, you remember that before the night 

 show went into effect, we used to do a great deal of advertising for the 

 opera house. Since the night shows have come into being these people 

 who have followed these fairs still like to follow and reap part of the 

 benefit of our advertising. Up in Hardin county we have had one company 

 in there for some ten years. The last three or four years we have had 

 night shows and they still come, and of course hurt our night shows to a 

 certain extent. We have tried every way possible to keep them out, but 

 owing to one of our leading citizens being interested in the opera house 

 and the opera house controlled this tent show, we had some trouble until 

 last year. We got together with the tent people and they showed on our 

 free stage at night. That is, their tent show gave our free attraction on 

 the fair grounds and it proved a big success, but in regard to the show 

 for the fair ground I think that last year Mr. Barber went into it as far 

 as the legislative end of it was concerned and if I am not mistaken I 

 believe he found Illinois had some law with regard to that. We took it 

 up at that time and tried to see if a law couldn't be made in this state to 

 cover shows coming into the community during the week of the fair, and I 

 don't think the matter ever went very far, but I believe that if a law 

 could be passed in this state the same as Illinois it would be a great benefit 

 to the towns or cities that are bothered with that sort of thing. As I 

 understand it, the city ordinances cannot keep them out, according to law, 

 on account of the claim that you cannot keep one out without keeping 

 them all out. We had it looked up pretty thoroughly and as I understand 

 it they couldn't do it. The only way it could be done was by state law, 

 and if the legislative committee of this body could take that matter up 

 I believe it would be a benefit to all fairs that were bothered that way. 



The Chairman : Now, gentlemen, I believe rhis topic is one that 

 appeals to all, and I would like to hear more discussion along- that 

 line. i 



Mr. S. D. Quarton: In North Carolina there is a law to the effect 

 that no circus or carnival company can come within a certain distance — 

 I don't know how many miles it is — of the exhibit of the fair association. 

 It has been on the books of North Carolina for a long time. I happened 

 to be over there two or three years ago when Miller Brothers' 101-Ranch 

 were going to play eight or nine miles from there, and this law prevented 

 their showing it, and the fair association compelled them to come inside 

 the fair grounds and got their percentage for it. Several southern states 

 have such a law that no attraction of that sort can be held within three 

 or four weeks of the time for the holding of the fair without the consent 

 of the fair association. 



Mr. Schofield: I believe that every fair in time to come is coming to 

 the night show. It is a success and I believe it could be made at the dis- 

 cretion of the fair association, and those that don't have a night show at 

 this time before very long will be coming to it. After you have advertised 

 for this show for a number of years they are going to stick by you 

 whether you have a night show or not. 



