NINETEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART II 33 



Iowa has been abundantly blessed and prospered the last year. 

 Nature has contributed of her bounties with lavish hand. Iowa's 

 Horn of Plenty has been filled to overflowing and the ^'ast sur- 

 plus has gone out and across the Atlantic to feed the armies and 

 the hungry thousands who are the immediate victims of war. 



We harvested an unusual acreage of wheat. The oats crop was 

 another record breaker. With the exception of a small portion 

 of the state the corn crop was of the bumper sort. Not in years 

 has there been so little hog cholera in the state, and one feels 

 that Providence has worked side by side with the farmer to bring- 

 about the everlasting downfall of the blasphemer of Berlin with 

 his ridiculous claims of partnership with "Gott". 



Last week the annual meeting of the American Association of 

 Fairs and Expositions was held in Chicago. The program was 

 one of the best ever presented in the history of the association. 

 The interest taken in the meeting by representatives of the 

 government was significant and has an important bearing on the 

 future. Three representatives from Washington w^ere present 

 and took an active part in the proceedings. They were, Mr. F. 

 Lamson Scribner, Expert on Exhibits and Chairman of the Joint 

 Committee on Government War Exhibits; Mr. Chester I. Camp- 

 bell, Director of the Allied War Exposition, and Mr. R. H. Aish- 

 ton, Regional Director of the United States Railroad Administra- 

 tion. 



It is a satisfaction to know that at last the Government heads 

 at Washington are becoming interested in the great work the ag- 

 ricultural fairs of the country are doing, and that they recognize 

 the possibilities for reaching the people in this way. The govern- 

 ment men assured us that they are in hearty accord with the work 

 of the fairs and that we may count on them in the future. I 

 know you understand what this means and that you appreciate it. 

 The government exhibits at the fairs this year were universally 

 satisfactory. They proved a strong drawing card, and now that 

 the war is over the government will be in a position to give much 

 more attention to this newly-created department. 



Now I want to talk to you a little about our own great state 

 fair and the fair work in Iowa. When w^e consider the unusual 

 conditions with which fair workers had tc contend this past 

 season we realize that we have grounds for congratulation on 

 the success achieved. Some fairs lost money this year, it is true ; 



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