\Purdue University $
LIBRARY.
ND
VOL. LXH
INDIANAPOLIS, JANUARY 19, 1907.
NO. 3
INDIANA INDUSTRIAL MEETINGS
Indiana State Board of Agriculture.
The fifty-fifth animal meeting of the
Indiana State Board of Agriculture convened in room 12 State House, Tuesday
morning, January 8th and was called to
order by President II. L. Nowlin, Law-
reneeburg. Eighty-nine delegates    reg
istered. Mayor Book waiter welcomed
the members in an- appropriate address.
The president appointed the following
committees:
Credential—Ed. S. Tuell, Corydon; F.
1.1. Miller, Laugery; Fred Wheeler, Crown
Point.
Auditing Committee—Clem Graves,
Blinker Hill; C. B. Benjamin, Crown
Point; I. N. Brown, Franklin.
Sid   Conger,   Vice-President,   then   took
the  chair,     and  President  H.  L.  Nowlin
road his annual report as follows:
Gentlemen of the  Delegate  Stnte  Board of  Agriculture of Indiana:
We meet today under unusually favorable circumstances. The year just closed has been especially prosperous. The farmer, ou whom all
others depend, has had very superior crops and
with a good market for all products ^nd a very
high prioe for some he certainly has no cause for
complaint  but  much   for which  to  be thankful.
With the farmer prosperous every industry has
flourished and tbe fairs of the state have been no
exception. Tbe 1906 fair that was not an extraordinary one in exhibits and attendance was an
exception and its failure was due to some local
cause or the weather.
Many classes in our premium list need revising
thoroughly and some radical changes need to be
made in order that our list sball be up to date
and be one that will attract exhibitors notwithstanding the strong  competition of other fairs.
People come to the State Fair, many of them
only one day, for the purpose of seeing some special performance. If the program is given suf-
licient publicity they all know when this performance is to take place and they have a right
to demand that It does come off at tbat time. N.
event should be postponed any considerable length
of time and certainly never from day to day when
it  Is  possible  to  avoid such  postponement.
Twenty-five years ago Indiana State Fair had a
reputation for its machinery exhibit and that reputation hns been sustained all through the quarter
century and now stands at the head of the list.
Let all exhibitors be treated with consideration
and carry out the program as advertised, for the
U-nefit of the patrons and our State Fair will
maintain its reputation with all classes and continue to prosper In the future as it has in the
past   few   yenrs.
Notwithstanding the fact that there were eight
other large fairs (practically State Fairs) in the
I'nited States nnd five County Fairs in Indiana
the same dates as our fair In 1906. the exhibits
in all departments were up to the average and In
many classes far superior. Tbis shows conclusively what our reputation Is at tbe present time.
VM*. will not see so much competition In the line
«f Stnte Fair- and it Is to be hoped that no
County Fairs will be held the same week as the
State Fnir. The attendance at the fair last fall
was truly gratifying. No dny fell below expectations, and Thursday was the banner day for attendance of any day nn record as there were about
ten thousand more paid admissions that dny than
any   other  record   shows. This   no   doubt   was
due to the general prosperity but we must also
tjike into consideration the fact thnt v.o had the
co-operation of the City of Indianapolis to a mnch
greater extent than usual and at all times had
the hearty co-operation of the press of the entire
state. We are certainly thankful for thla a
sistance nnd should see to it that nothing occurs
to prevent  this  co-operation  in  the  future.
Monday was made the opening day last year as
an experiment. A good program wns provided
and ■pedal attention WM given to advertising
tbat day. I think there is no qiK-tloa fn the
mind of any peroon that the fnir should open
Monday and I believe It would be even better
were the fair to open on Saturday with provisions
that exhibits from other fairs would be given a
reasonable time to get on tbe grounds. I doubt
if It would be of much benefit financially bnt it
would surely pay expenses and would be a great
benefit to exhibitors by allowing tbem to put up
tbeir exhibits without so much Interference and
would Insure tbat nil exhibits were in place before
many   patrons   were   in   attendance.
The reports of the Secretary and Treasurer will
sbow our present financial  condition,    but  I  can
not refrain from saying that counting our improvements aud the debts wc have paid shows
it to have been one of the most prosperous years,
if not the most prosperous, in the history of the
State Board of  Agriculture.
Another question broached and looked upon with
favor at tbe time was that of making State Fair
week a Hoosler Home Coming week. A committee
wns appointed to investigate this subject and thej
soon learned that tiie time was too short to make
anything like a success of the undertaking and it
was dropped. Frcm my investigations I seriously doubt the propriety of combining a Home
Coming with the State Fair, as I believe too many
people would come home to their former neighborhoods and not only would not go to the State Fair
but their friends would stay at home to entertain
tbem.        This would not be the effect near Indl-
Boord of Agriculture on the Stnte Fair Orounds at
I Inmline,   M innesota,   this   year.
— Necessity of the Building. —
The necessity of a building such as has been
described and shown is apparent to every person
wbo visits the fair either as a spectator or as an
exhibitor of cattle or borses. And especially
is it sj witb regard to persons who visit other
State Fairs. The need Is pressing. Horses have
always l-een shown wholly without shelter. A
small amphitheatre, distressingly inadequate to
the demands upon it, is provided on one side of
tho arena, while the thousands who desire to
witness the judicial examination of the horses
mnst stand in all kinds of weather, or be de-
piived of one of the most Interesting and bene-
ficnal exhibits of the fair. For many years cattle were shown in the open,   before an even small-
Farm home of R. J. Williamson, Tippecanoe Co.
anapolis but would be the case in more remote
parts of  the  state.
Among the attractions that deserve special mention Is the Experimental Plat of the Indiana
Farmer. While many  people  were not  interest
ed in it we hear It spoken of among the farmers
as being of special interest to them, and It cer-
tuinly should be encouraged. These people are
contemplating many improvements for this year,
and let us help them all we can.
Many Improvements were made to the grounds
Jast year and the newly painted buildings brought
forth numerous compliments and I believe was a
good Investment from an economical standpoint.
We have been trying for years to secure trainers
of race horses for the entire season and our serious drawback was the absence of accommadltons
for boarding on the grounds. Last winter It was
decided to Remodel the resilience on the grounds
and by building an addition make a hotel of It.
This was done with the result that there are ample accommodations for all tbe horsemen we cnn
secure and if rightly managed these accommodations are first class. The using of the
residence for tbls purpose necessltaaed the build-
lug of a cottage for a custodian, and such a building was erected that it Is a credit to the grounds.
The -enter tower of the Art Hall had been in a
dangerous condition for some time and it was lowered several feet and built much more substantially. While these Improvements with the
minor ones necessary each year, cost near $22,000
It was certainly money well invested and the
buildings generally are In better condition than
for a number of years.
One other thing thnt hns been agitated for years
Is a show pavilion for horses and cattle.- Many
u'ber state* have such buildings and there Is a
movement M Ifl t mm nsklnsonr Legislature to appropriate money to erect such a building. Part
Of wi nt has been done in tbat line follows:
— Request. —
The Indiana State Board of Agriculture requests
that a specific appropriation of $100,000 be made
to it by the c.niinir legislature, to become available in £807. for the construction of a brick and
st,-el structure on the Indiana State Fair Grounds.
BffQ feet long and 200 feet wide, to be used as a
live stock show pavilion or Coliseum. Tbe bulld-
lug is to be of the same general character as that
which   was   constructed   by   the   Minnesota   State
er amphitheatre, but some time ago It was torn
down and the exhibition carried in front of the
grand   stand. The   practical  objections   to   this
method were plainly apparent and return was made
to the oval marked out hy tbe radiating cattle
b.-uns. am! a small tent was raised, with a few
■Hits In tbe center. With three breeds of cattle under judgment, and about 100 people perched
upon the board seats, the spectacle falls quite
b.'I."v the standard of a State Fair, in the utter
inadequacy  of  the  accommodations.
"These are the conditions which require amendment. The Coliseum idea as applied to State
Fair Grounds has long passed beyond the argu-
i.u illative stage. Its value bas been settled by
the logic of events. Indiana need not to be
' shown" but there Is abundant demonstration
available. Three State Fairs dedicated live
stock pavilions this year. Neither quibble nor
sophistry c*a fl it list and this argument of fact.
Illinois proved It first, and now Iowa, Minnesota.
W.m-ori-dn and .Missouri have accepted tbe demonstration and reinforced lt. Indiana must not
taf longer behind. It lies merely ln the farmers
of the state whether Its fair shall continue on Its
way (".t.iiw.tiI toward the equipment of a county
exhibition, or determinedly reassert its claim with
Im pie veil t-unipnient to place among the most modern and representative Institutions of the kind ln
America. At the request of the farmers of the
state, delivered personally to their representative
In the Legislature, the needed appropriation will
be fctthcoming, and progress will once again l»e
resumed. It is not among the possibilties that the
farmers of Indiana will fall to support the Board
o:' A^ifcviltnre In Its request for this jipprnpriat ion
for a live stock Coliseum on the state fair
grounds."
This Is the estimate placed upon our equip-
n* nt by :i man whose buwiiie-ss it is year after
y.-.-ir tO vi-it alt tin- treat State Fairs ami Expositions and .vho has a better opportunity of know-
in;; What well equipped fair gronnds should hnve
to satisfy the demands and requirements of visitors anil exhibitors than any person connected with
our Board.
are    sp   eutgmnhzmhL7S0O$    vbgkqj    gwky    yppup
— Reasons for Request of Appropriation. —
The reason for the condition oi tbe equipment of
the ludlana State Fair as described by the writer
lies In the fact that the State Board of Agricul
ture has not the means to keep up with the progress made by otber fairs. And for the further
reason that no le^m-atlve appropriations have been
iiia-lo for iii_t.ruvcn.ents to said Board.
For years the Board has been struggling to pay
off an Indebtedness created on account of the purchase of part of the land comprising the state
fair grounds aud to make tbe necessary repairs
occasioned by the decay of the frame structures
wbich were built at a time when the Board's
linaiM <>:: precluded the idea of building more sub-
stanlal  ones.
The present indebtedness of the Board ls about
$25,000, and the only means It has of paying off
this Indebtedness is out of the profits of State
Fairs, nnd this in a measure ls uncertain. Although for the past four or five years, being favored with good weather, the Board has reduced
its indebtedness from $40,000 to about $25,000, besides paying all other expenses and making necessary  improvements and  repairs.
While the Legislature has assisted the Board
materially during the past ten years by making
appropriations for the payment of premiums
awarded at the fairs, no appropriations of any
kind or character have ever been made to the
Board for lands, permanent Improvements or
equipment to the stnte fair grounds.
It would seem tint the Indiaua State Board of
Agriculture should fare as well at the bands of
the Legislature as the State Boards of our sister
states of Illinois and Ohio.
Since the fair was permanently located in
Springfleld in 1884 the Legislature of Illinois has
appropriated to the Slate Board of Agriculture of
that Btate $050,000 for permanent improvements.
The Ohio Legislature bas appropriated to the
State Board of Agriculture for permanent improvements for the state fair grounds since 1SWJ
$326,000.
The conditions in these states are similar in
many  respects  to our own state.
The plans of organization are almost identical.
The work of conducting the State Fair 1b a Ions
tbe same lines. Indiana is as great an agricultural and live stock state as either. Tbe interest in fair matters in Indiana is as Intense as ln
these slates. We  have as  many  and  as  promi
nent breeders and exhibitors of live stock. Onr
state Is as rich. Tbe fact is our sister statea
are in no respect superior to our own state. Tet
they have fared bountifully at the bands of the
Legislatures, while the Indiana Legislature has
Lot appropriated a dollar to this Board for permanent improvement to our stnte fair grounds.
Why it is cannot he accounted for, unless It Is
the fact that the fanners and breeders bave not
made tbe proper effort and brought to bear on our
legislatures the proper influences to Induce them
to aid an enterprise that means so much to them
and to the state.
Information from the states of Iowa, Missouri,
Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, all tell the
same story, but It was thought that Information
from tbe states of Ohio and Illinois, they being
contiguous to our own state, would furnish a
stronger nnd better argument to support our request  and  would  be more effective.
I cannot close without expressing my appreciation of the considerate treatment I have received from the officers and members of the State
Board  of  Agriculture.
Without exception I believe each man has tried
to perform his duties and I thank each and every
one for the part they have taken In holding tbe
most Hiiccest-tful fair ever held in Indiana.
Vice-President Conger appointed the
following on President's address: Mas-Oil
J. Niblack, Vincennes; Robt. Mitchell,
Princeton;  Walter  Unlet, Crawfordsville.
The president appointed Sid Conger.
Cal Stunlivant and C. B. Benjamin to call
on the Governor and invite him to address
the convention, but press of husiness prevented him from coming.
President Conger, made the following
appointments of Department Superintendent*-'.
Admission—.T.  C  Haines,  Rockport.
Qrand    Stand—Knode   Porter, Hagers-
tnwn.
Speed—Chas.  AV.  Travis,  Lafayette.
Heavy   Horses—David   Wallace,   Indianapolis.
Light Harness Horses—Chas. Anthony,
Muneie.
Beef Cattle—F. A. Nave, Attica.
Dairy Cnttle ami Dairy Pro.—Clem
Graves, Bunker Hill.
Swine—Mason J.  Xihlaek. Vincennes.
Sheep—John L. Thompson, Gas City.
Poultry—T.   Newt.   Brown,   Franklin.
Art—Jas. E. McDonald. Ligonier.
Horticulture—Oscar  Hadley,   Plainfield.