322 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



On December 1, 1909, as you will have noticed, our liabilities exceeded 

 our credits to the amount of $3,314.83 ; or in other words, we had outstand- 

 ing obligations, Dec. 1, 1909, in the favor of unpaid balances due on con- 

 tracts and bills to the amount of $8,300.08, with cash on hand of only 

 $4,985.25. On December 1, 1910, our outstanding obligations amounted to 

 only $2,157.47, with a cash balance of $7,482.09, thus leaving us a balance 

 to the profit and loss account of $5,126.07, a gain for the year to this ac- 

 count of $8,440.80, notwithstanding the large amount expended for im- 

 provements and the greatly increased cost of the fair. 



PERMANENT PLAN OP THE STATE FAIR GROUNDS. 



We have in the office the completed drawings for the proposed perma- 

 nent plan for the state fair grounds as prepared by the landscape archi- 

 tect Mr. O. C. Simonds, who was employed to do this work by the exec- 

 utive committee last March. The drawings as completed are specified in 

 the contract with Mr. Simond's, viz.: Flat drawings, in colors, of the 

 completed plans; drawings showing the contour of the grounds, bird's-eye 

 view, etc. We have not as yet received the report dealing with the draw- 

 ings, which was to accompany them, unless the report made by Mr. Si- 

 monds and presented to the board on September 30, 1910, is understood 

 and accepted as this report. 



It will be the duty of the board at this or a subsequent meeting to 

 pass upon and determine what policy they will adopt with reference to 

 the erection of exhibition buildings by any person, persons, firms or cor- 

 porations who may desire to build such buildings, and if the building of 

 same is permitted, to determine the locations, how the applications shall 

 be handled, and character of lease or contract that should be executed in 

 the event permission is granted to build. 



We presume it will be advisable to leave any consideration of the 

 question of making a beginning on the work for the building of drives as 

 indicated on the ground plans until the spring meeting of the board. 



Following the suggestions made by the board at their meeting last 

 September we secured as nearly as possible the names of the owners of 

 the lots lying south of the street car tracks and Walnut street and south 

 of the grounds to Dean avenue, together with their assessed value. We 

 find there are eighty-eight lots in the tract desired, the approximate size 

 of each being about 25x150 ft., except those south of the street car tracks, 

 which are approximately 25x98 ft. The total assessed value of the eighty- 

 eight lots, which includes some twelve or thirteen dwelling houses and 

 one frame store building, as taken from the assessor's books is $15,- 

 060.00. The matter of securing options on a portion of them for the pur- 

 pose of ascertaining the amount necessary for their purchase was turned 

 over to our treasurer, G. S. Gilbertson, he being in closer touch with the 

 real estate men than I, and therefore would be in a better position to 

 handle the matter. From what some of them are asking for their prop- 

 erty, especially those having houses upon them, it would seem that the 

 amount estimated, $20,000.00, would be insufficient. 



