SEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK-PART IV. 155 



Third. — That the amount to be paid for the land south of the 

 Fair Grounds was greatly in excess of its value. 



These objections were met by the members of the committee in 

 the following statement : 



First. — That as managers of the Iowa State Fair it was their 

 duty to first look after the interests of the Iowa State Fair. Look- 

 ing at it from this point of view the thirty-nine acres were abso- 

 lutely Avorthless so far as being of any use for fair purposes, and 

 that the land which it was proposed the State should buy was an 

 absolute necessity to give sufficient room for the greatly increasetl 

 live stock show and to in any way relieve the congested condition 

 of that part of the grounds. Further that the Department of Ag- 

 riculture, or the Executive Council of the State of Iowa, have no 

 funds available for the purchase of the tract without the sale of 

 a part of that already owned by the State, as per authority granted 

 by the Twenty-sixth General Assembly. Therefore, under the con- 

 ditions the State Board of Agriculture felt that in justice to the 

 future welfare and continued success of the Iowa State Fair the 

 sale and transfer should be made. 



Second. — The objection to the selling price is easily met and 

 those w^ho think the price offered is too low w^ere given an oppor- 

 tunity to place a larger offer or find some one who would, the Ex- 

 ecutive Council deciding to advertise for and receive bids on the 

 thirty-nine acres up to and including September 29, 1906. 



Third. — While the amount asked for the adjoining land might 

 seem a little high the Board maintained that the value of a piece 

 of land depended largelyl upon the purposes for which it is needed. 

 Further, that the Department was compelled to expend large sums 

 annually in providing temporary quarters for the overflow stock 

 exhibits, and that sufficient room upon which to erect permanent 

 buildings was not available without this additional land. Also that 

 the amount expended annually for temporary quarters was greatly 

 in excess of the amount demanded for the land over what might be 

 its legitimate value for other purposes. It was further argued by 

 the members of the State Board of Agriculture that now was the 

 time to secure the land before any improvements were put upon it 

 in which case the State would be compelled to pay in addition to 

 the value of the land, if it was secured, an amount equal to if not 

 greatly in excess of improvements. Also that it was the unani- 

 mous opinion of the Board that the receipts of the fair could be 

 greatly increased with adequate facilities to properly exhibit the 

 stock. 



