138 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Mr. Rigby: I don't think there is anything that can be added to wliat 

 has already been said. There is no question but what it is a detriment 

 to the fair to have these counter attractions on tlie streets in competition 

 with the night shows, and the only way in the world to keep them out is 

 to stand in with the mayor. I know that so far as our town is concerned, 

 while we have not made a special effort at all to have anything go on at 

 the opera house or have dancesi downtown, as a rule our night fairs 

 have been strong enough that it has not been profitable for those counter- 

 attractions to stop in town at that time. I know that has been the effect, 

 because this year the company that was there last year, when they found 

 that we were going to have a night fair, refused to rent the opera house. 



I don't know how to prevent this competition downtown if you want to 

 pull it off, and 1 think the best policy for the fair association is to make 

 night shows strong enough to override this kind of competition. I think 

 to quite a large degree this will be true where the ticket privileges are 

 as liberal as were outlined here today, where a man is entitled to see 

 everything on the ground until he leaves, and then make the night ad- 

 mission liberal enough to draw the crowd. I don't doubt that a great 

 many fairs would find it advisable to give everybody on the ground a 

 night-show ticket, a free ticket to the night show and then charge, say, 

 ten or fifteen cents, or whatever the regular charge is, at the grand stand. 

 I think that will catch the people who have remained on the ground. I 

 believe that is a good proposition, because if a man buys a ticket at the 

 outside gate and gets a free ticket to the night show, it will be a comeon 

 and he will use that ticket. 



Mr. H. C. Leach: We don't put on a night show at our fair. We 

 have talked .a little about it at different times, but our merchants are 

 very loyal toward the fair and we want to give them a chance too. While 

 we don't bother them, as has been talked about here, our merchants are 

 being hounded to death with one thing and another and I don't believe 

 they should be asked to contribute to the maintenance of the fair. 



I happened to be mayor of the city a few years ago when a circus man 

 wanted to know what we thought of putting on a street fair during our 

 fair, and I said, "According to our ordinance we can't refuse you, but I'll 

 say this much; we can make it so objectionable that you won't enjoy the 

 occasion," and I found from experience that they can't come to town 

 unless they are wanted. 



I believe this law we are talking about would be a good thing, but this 

 is a big country and it is a loyal country. I believe we are hearing too 

 much about passing a law to help this man oi' to help that man. I am 

 not personally in favor of legislating too much for one class of people. 

 V/e must make our laws so that each thing that you put on can stand un- 

 der its own weight. Our merchants close at eleven o'clock in the morning 

 and come to the fair. They work for it and boost for it, and then in the 

 evening they open up and we let them have the crowd. 



There is one theatrical troupe that has come to our town year after 

 year and the boys come to me two or three months ahead and want to 

 know if a certain troupe is going to come back to the fair, and it draws 

 people from ten to fifteen miles. 



I believe that each locality can control those things themselves better 

 than if they take it up under a state law. 



