NINETEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART III 173 



I think this is showing a little partiality, for here is Tom Fairweather of 

 the eleventh district, here is Governor Harding of the eleventh district, 

 and here is myself of the eleventh district. The eleventh district must 

 be all right. 



I know from experience what Tom Fairweather thinks about fairs, 

 for Tom always was interested in fairs, and he has brought his interest 

 down here to Des Moines. I want to say to you that so far as Des Moines 

 is concerned, in connection with the fairs and especially the Iowa state 

 fair, we are in happy accord with not only Tom Fairweather, Mr. Faxon 

 and Mr. Hamilton, but with every citizen of Des Moines, for they are all 

 intensely interested in the state fair of Iowa. It is you gentlemen repre- 

 senting the county fairs of the state of Iowa, as I said this afternoon, who 

 are the feeders of this great fair of Iowa. If it weren't for the county 

 fairs that first started the exhibits coming in, we would not today be on 

 the map as the greatest state fair in the United States, and we are recog- 

 nized as such, as the greatest agricultural fair in the country. 



I haven't much to say, — this has taken me by surprise and I don't know 

 anything further to say, except that I accept the welcome in behalf of the 

 Iowa Association of County and District Fair Managers that the mayor 

 has offered to us. 



The Toastmaster: Gentlemen, we have with us tonight the man who 

 didn't invent the American language, Teddy Roosevelt beat him to it, 

 but he does know how to use the American language and he does know 

 how to compel some who are not good Americans how to use it. He is 

 not a fellow that I have always agreed with politically, but it was a good 

 democratic vote that I gave him this fall because he was loyal to that 

 language. I take pleasure in introducing to you Gov. W. L. Harding — if 

 he needs introducing. 



Hon. W. L. Harding: iMr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Conven- 

 tion: 



Whenever I meet the manager of a fair, I would like to call you 

 "professor" for, in ray judgment, the county fair, the district fair and the 

 state fair are educational institutions and should be so recognized. I 

 know something of the difficulties you have had in the past two years ifi 

 your work in putting on the fairs thruout the state, it has not been an 

 easy task, but I admire your courage and stick-to-it-iveness, that you 

 didn't give up, for it would not have been propper to have not had the 

 fairs during the war-time, — we needed the inspiration and the education 

 which they furnished, and we needed the entertainment for the people. 

 So you are to be congratulated that you had the courage to keep on. 



Now, I am not going to take very much of your time. One of the best, 

 if not the best, orators in Iowa is here on the program just before the 

 "Free Attractions", so I know none of you will leave. I have had the ex- 

 perience of being placed last on the program and then have some local 

 politician occupy the entire evening, and I don't intend to do that. 



1 have a few figures that I would like to leave with you tonight about 

 Iowa. Primarily you are dealing with the farm. The tendency is, for 

 those who live in town and city, to think that they are not vitally inter- 



