NINETEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART III 149 



First: That the financial condition of the association should be clearly 

 set' forth in your records. Proper accounts should be provided that 

 would reflect a true statement of resources and liabilities at all times. 

 These statements should show a statement of both position and progress 

 either forward or backward. 



Second: That a complete check may be had on all items of incomes 

 and expense. This check should be made annually as soon after the 

 close of the fair as possible before any of the records become mislaid 

 or destroyed. In the checking of incomes the records should be ar- 

 ranged so as to show the income from each source in detail. Income 

 from concessions and rental of exhibit space should be supported by 

 proper contracts and agreements. This should also be true of entrance 

 fees, advertising and other sources of miscellaneous income. Daily 

 admissions should be by tickets through turnstiles that register each 

 person. This register should check against the tickets and they in turn 

 should be checked against the cashier's sales both on the ground and 

 down town sales places, if any. 



Holders of passes should enter through a separate gate and proper 

 provision be made to guard against the abuse of the pass privilege which 

 may become a source of loss to the association. 



The same careful check should be had upon the auto entrance as well 

 as the grand stand, and if season tickets are used they should be so de- 

 vised that they cannot be slipped through the fence and several parties 

 enter upon the same ticket. The entire income from admissions should 

 be finally checked against the cashier's receipts. 



All expenditures should be supported by proper invoices, contracts or 

 vouchers, and they should be made by check. They should be entered 

 and distributed under proper captions as it is from these that the budget 

 for next year's expenditures will be made. A classified arrangement of 

 both income and expenses should be provided and the value of this uni- 

 formity for comparison is obvious. 



Since the success of each fair is largely dependent upon weather con- 

 ditions and the public mind, complete records should be kept of the 

 weather in connection with the attractions and the attendance. This will 

 be of value in determining the class of attractions that appeal to the 

 local public, and the proper weather conditions to bring the crowds. 



Third: The system should be elastic, so designed that it can be used 

 with equal satisfaction during the rush of the fair as well as in the in- 

 active season. It should be so arranged that special days or attractions 

 may be added and accurately accounted for without confusion. 



Fourth: The system must be simple, easy to operate, yet complete 

 enough to furnish accurate and reliable data at all times. 



In conclusion the ideal uniform system of accounts for county fairs 

 must be to all interested as complete and reliable a record as a chart 

 showing the ship's course across the sea. 



The Chairman: There may be some questions that you desire to ask 

 Mr. Billings. I might say this, if Mr. Billings will permit me, and won't 

 blush, that he has audited the books of the Cedar Valley Fair for the last 



