EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART HI 143 



ing or an Iowa State Fair meeting for over twenty-five years, and I never 

 have attended an annual meeting that I did not learn something of im- 

 portance to the fair interests. However, much as I regret it, I am 

 obliged to miss the annual meeting this year on account of my wife's 

 health. We are obliged to spend the winter in California. 



I am sure if the secretaries who do not attend the annual meetings 

 knew of the benefit they would receive they would never miss a single 

 meeting. 



I believe that I am willing to ^o on record favoring a law that would 

 not allow a fair to draw the state appropriation who did not send a 

 representative to the annual meetings. The state has a perfect right to 

 demand this in return for their money. The prime object in the state's 

 donation to the county and district fairs is for the purpose of improving 

 not only the fairs of our state but also branches of industry as well. 



I often compare fairs of our state to a graded school. Some you will 

 find in the high school, while others are still in the kindergarten. "We 

 have compulsory education in our schools so why not in all that which 

 is promoted by a well-balanced fair? A fair, to the animal kingdom, is 

 the same as our colleges are to our boys and girls (possibly barring foot- 

 ball). Did you ever realize that the breeders of registered stock would 

 never get anywhere if it was not for the fairs and stock shows of our 

 country? "We have in Shelby county a greater number of breeders of 

 registered stock than any other county in the United States. 



Mr. Chas. A. Saunders of Shelby county had in Cumberland Type the 

 greatest Shorthorn bull in the world. "Why do I say this? Simply be- 

 cause he has been shown in the show ring thirty-six times, and won 

 thirty-six grand championshps (was never defeated), and had it not been 

 for the publicity he got at the fairs the world would have never known 

 cf this bull or his breeder, Mr. Saunders. 



Charles Escher, Jr., also of Shelby county, is the largest breeder and 

 importer of Angus cattle in the world. His publicity and success came 

 largely through the fairs and stock shows of our country. Mr. Escher is 

 president of the National Angus Association of America, and is also a 

 member of the Iowa State Board of Agriculture. He is conceded to be 

 one of the best judges of Angus cattle in the United States and his serv- 

 ices as a judge take him to all parts of the world. 



I simply mention these facts not for the purpose of advertising Shelby 

 county, but to show you the great work and importance of the fairs of 

 the county which has done so much for the great state of Iowa. 



One can readily see the importance of a fair secretary and the duties 

 he is called upon to perform, and he owes it to the state of Iowa to make 

 himself as efficient as possible, consequently he should not only attend 

 the annual meetings but take an active part as well. There should be no 

 slackers among the fair secretaries of Iowa. 



In closing I wish to say that Shelby county contributed to the Red 

 Cross $635 in cash and also took a $1,000 Liberty Bond, and still has a 

 good bank account. Gentlemen, I thank you. 



The Secretary: Tlie next topic is "How to Prevent Fairs From 

 Being- the Same Old Thing- From Year to Year, and My Best 

 Feature for 1917", hv Mr.- H. H. Eosebrook of Oskaloosa. 



