FIFTY-SECOND ANNUAL CONVENTION 85 



but from a standpoint of exhibits or a standpoint of at- 

 tendance I should say, there are several fairs that excel 

 Illinois from the standpoint of building fine structures, etc. 

 There are several fairs that are better than Illinois. 



That one condition is being corrected. We hope to 

 have some new buildings, a new racetrack, a new grand- 

 stand, a place to house our exhibits better, within a few 

 months. But now I want to talk to you about the attend- 

 ance side of it. 



A state fair is primarily an educational institution. It 

 is also a place of amusement, entertainment, etc., but with- 

 out the educational feature it is my contention the state 

 fair or the county fair has no real reason for running; but 

 with the greatest exhibits, the greatest fair for exhibits in 

 the United States at your door, I believe that you can afford 

 to attend the Illinois State Fair. The dates of it have been 

 changed. It has been moved up to August twenty-first in- 

 stead of being later in September, and I think that if you 

 will come to the state fair this year you will agree that we 

 will give you a nice program. I think you will enjoy see- 

 ing the exhibits of farm products, the livestock exhibits, 

 the educational exhibits, and all those things, and then 

 when it comes to the amusement side I just want to men- 

 tion this, that in past years when you went there to see 

 an automobile race you saw a hippodrome event but now 

 when you go to see an automobile race at the Illinois State 

 Fair I believe you will be convinced without my telling 

 you, that it is not a hippodrome. We are playing abso- 

 lutely square with the public and giving them what we 

 pretend to give them, an honest race. I am sorry that the 

 accident which you all heard of, happened last year on our 

 race track, I am sorry that human life was lost, but that 

 incident proved to the public that the Illinois Department 

 of Agriculture in the State Fair was playing square; and 

 when you come to Springfield this year, load that car full 

 of your neighbors and bring them along, because if you are 

 not satisfied with the program come around to my office 

 and I will return the price of admission. 



Voices: We are all coming to see you! (Laughter.) 



