150 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



four years. We made it a rule to have our books audited annually, and 

 Mr. Billings has done it very efficiently and satisfactorily. In fact, w^e 

 feel up there that we couldn't get along without his services. 



Are there any questions you desire to ask him? If not, we will pro-, 

 ceed with the next topic, "Should County Fairs Be Represented at the 

 State Agricultural Convention in December in Order to Get State Aid?" 

 This subject was assigned to Mr. E. J. Curtin, but we have received 

 word from him that he is sick and unable to be here, and I am therefore 

 going to call on Mr. W. R. Schofield of Hardin county to take up this topic 

 and lead out in the discussion, if he will, iMr. Schofield. 



The Secretary: He is out on a telephone call. 



The Chairman: Then we will throw this topic open for discussion 

 and make it an open debate. That is a very important question. We 

 are all getting state aid, and some of the fairs are getting state aid with- 

 out ever coming to the State Agricultural meeting at all, or taking any 

 part in it whatsoever. Who will be the first? Mr. Cameron? 



C. E. Cameron: It is not a proper question for the Department of 

 Agriculture to father. We would like to hear from you gentlemen here, 

 and of course we are always glad to have you come to the annual meet- 

 ing of the State Board of Agriculture, but this association is the agency 

 that should take that matter up with the legislature. 



E. T. Austin (Marshall) : In order to start something, I will say Yes, 

 and then that will open it up and if anybody wants to say No, we will talk 

 it over. 



The Secretary: I cannot for my part of it understand why fairs 

 should not be represented here each year. I have been very much inter- 

 ested in the feature of the suggestion whereby we would compel fairs re- 

 ceiving state aid, through the agricultural board and not through this 

 organization, to have a representative at the meeting of the agricultural 

 society. 



The success of this meeting and that of the agricultural society, de- 

 pends upon the attendance. We have some ninety-odd fairs in the state, 

 and if they were all here, with such a program as we are having here 

 today, they would be enthused and get real good out of it. Mr. Curtin 

 was familiar with the situation and realized the importance of insisting 

 upon the attendance of all fairs at the agricultural society meeting, and 

 that was the reason we took exceptional efforts to get him on the pro- 

 gram. I am sorry that he found it impossible to be with us today. 



I hardly think you will have any trouble — I am quite sure you won't — • 

 getting a bill passed by the legislature requiring each county fair receiv- 

 ing state aid to have a representative at the meeting of the state board. I 

 think we ought to work with that in view and take some definite action, 

 taking it up thru the agricultural board, providing that unless they were 

 represented at the meeting of the state board of agriculture they would 

 not receive state aid, which is an essential part of their livelihood. The 

 agricultural board is the motor from which they receive their energy 

 and enthusiasm for the coming year's work, and unless they do attend 

 they should be prohibited from receiving the state aid. 



