SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART I. 97 



that "All education and no amusement makes the fair a dull place," 

 A good entertainment will insure a greater attendance and more 

 revenue' without which the educational features must be sustained in 

 a beggarly manner. 



In the minds of a large number of farm people, the State Fair ranks 

 with other state educational institutions, and they believe it should 

 have the same hearty, earnest and liberal financial support for the con- 

 struction of permanent buildings. It is true the fair continues for 

 only one week, but in that lengtn of time it is visited by over 1-50,000 

 people. It furnishes an object lesson for all classes and ages. It gives 

 them an opportunity to learn what they cannot learn elsewhere, and 

 at the same time a pleasant outing at a nominal expense after the 

 sea.son of hard work. Our schools and colleges are for the young; 

 the fair is for the young as well as for those who have passed the 

 school age. Therefore, we say, whatever can be done to make our fair 

 more instructive, more educational and more comfortable, should be 

 done. 



« Permanent location and permanency of improvements is the suc- 

 cess of any state fair. The Iowa State Fair in former years was held 

 in the different cities throughout the state, and until its permanent 

 location in this city was rarely a financial success. This was true of 

 the state fairs of Wiscon.sin, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and 

 in fact, all that have come within our observation. When the present 

 grounds were purchased and the fair permanently located in this city, 

 Des Moines business men raised and donated to the state the sum of 

 $50,000 It ^^s been customary for the different towns and cities' 

 throughout the state, when a state institution was located in their 

 city, to either donate the grounds or a sum of money equal to their 

 purchase price. But it was never the intention of our state that the city 

 or town should provide the means for future buildings and maintain 

 the institution after once being located. Do you expect the people or 

 Iowa City to erect all the university buildings and maintain that insti- 

 tution because of its location in that place? Did you expect the peo- 

 ple of Council Bluffs to rebuild the deaf and dumb school in their 

 city? Would you expect a town to build a new court house and pay the 

 expense of its county officers because of the location of the county seat? 

 Is it not just as unreasonable to ask the people of Des Monies to build 

 the buildings and make the improvements on the State Fair grounds 

 because the State Fair is located in their city? The fact that such 

 states as Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and 

 other states are making provision for the permanency of their state 

 fair is a precedent which I believe can be safely followed. The people 

 of Iowa are back of the state fair, if it was otherwise it would not, and 

 could not, be a success. 



Within the next few years provision should be made for a number 

 of buildings and improvements on the State Fair grounds, if the Iowa 

 State Fair is to continue in the front rank with like instinitjons of other 



