Indiana Industrial Meetir
LARGER
ATTENDANCE THAN
SOME YEARS.
FOR
State    Board   of    Agriculture.
The fifty-fourth annual meeting of the
Indiana State and Delegate Boards of Ag-
ririilture met in room 12, State House,
this city, Tuesday morning, January 2d,
mid was called to order by President
Mason J. Niblack, of Vincennes. As
there are so many meetings during the
week, the State Board concluded early in
the fall, to hold only a one day's session,
so as to give members and delegates a
. ha nee to attend tlie other meetings. As
usual much interest centered in the election
i»f members of the State Board. In the
first district, John C. Haines, Rockport,
had no opposition, and was re-elected. In
the second district Mason J. Niblack, Vin-
tennes, was re-elected. Ed. S. Tuell,
< diydon, who has represented the third
district for four years, having no opposi-
tion waa rA-pWtoi. The eight district
which has been represented by David Wallace, city, presented his name, and he received the entire vote of the delegate
board. The fourth district, which was
represented by the late John Tilson,
Franklin, presented the name of I. N.
Brown, of Franklin, who was elected. In
the fourteenth district, a contest was expected between Joe Cunningham, Peru, the
present member, and Clem Graves, Bunker Hill, but Clem Graves was elected.
The fifteenth district presented candidates,
C. B. Benjamin, of Leroy, the present
member; B. W. Parks, Bourbon, secretary
of the Bourbon Fair and D. S. Fitch, of
I^aporte. The election resulted in favor
of C. B. Benjamin, of Leroy. James B.
McDonald, Ligonier, who has represented
the sixteenth district for the past 12
years, having no opposition, was elected.
— The Mayor's Address. —
Mayor C. A. Bookwalter, in his welcome
address: "As this is my first address since
the important event which took place yesterday, (meaning his -advent as mayor), I
most gladly welcome you to this city. I
acknowledge my unfitness to make an agricultural speech, although I was born
on the farm, yet the interests of the farmer
are the same as the interests of the manufacturers. They both assist tlie building
up of the cities. The many employees
in the factories of our cities, depend upon
the farmers for what they consume. I
predict for the fair of 1906 a greater success than that of 1005. Conditions warrant this assertion."
President Niblack. appointed the following committees:
Credential Committee.—M. A. McDonald, West Lebanon; Oscar Hadley, Plain-
| field; Ed. S. Tuell, Corydon.
Auditing Comittee.—H. L. Nowlin,
Lawrencehurg; Knode Porter, Hagerstown; L. B. Clore, Franklin.
Resolutions on death of Jno. Tilson.—
Jno. C. Haines, Rockport; Ed. S. Tuell,
Corydon; J. E. McDonald,  Ligonier.
To wait upon the Governor.—David
Wallace, city: Joe Cunningham, Peru;
Robt Mitchell, Princeton.
Tho committee appointed on president's
address was as follows: Robt. Mitchell,
Princeton; Jno. L. Thompson, Gas City;
C\ C. Carlin, Angola.
President Mason J. Niblack delivered his
' annual address as follows:
Gentlemen of the Indiana Delegate State
Hoard of Agriculture:
One day's session gives me a very agreeable opportunity to te brief. In giving you an account
of tbe work of the Indiana State Board of Agriculture for tbe past year, you are respectfully refer-
ed to tbe Secretary and the Treasurer for tbe Financial and Statistical reports. Tbe first matter of
importance tbat took place during the past year
was tbe passage by the Legislature of two Laws,
which may, and probably will, be of great benefit
to the Board. One of these laws provides that the
Board may create a debt in any form It may see fit
to the amount of eighty-thousand dollars, and no
more. It provides, also, that the Board may mortgage, or otherwise Incumber tbe State Fair
Grounds for tbe payment of whatever debt shall be
Board on this occasion will result in great g~od.
It is only expressing the feeling of the Board
members to say tbat tbey feel inspired to renewed
efforts to make Purdue tbe best Agricultural College ln the United States.
The resident member of tbe Board showed all
bis fellow members every courtesy possible for
which be received a vote of  thanks.
The investigation iuto the claim of tbe Indiana
State Board of Agriculture against the Federal
Government for compensation for damages by
soldiers to the buildings and grounds after tbe
cbll to arms aud during the Spanish-American
War waa had in March before a Regular Army
Officer,   appointed   for  that   purpose.
Tbe patriotism of this army officer to his Government made him noticeably hostile to the claim;
but, In spite of his manifest hostility, the evidence was bo strung that be had to allow a sum
for damages. He found in favor of the Board
the sum of .f 4,250.   A review of tbe evideuce in the
created, not In any case, however, exceeding eighty-thousand dollars.
The Act as It now stands on the Statute Books
seems and probably Is broad enough to permit the
Board, whenever It can do so or see fit to do so, to
refund at any time in the future any debt it nTay
owe. The other of the two Acts referred to exempts from taxation any debt, no matter what its
form—notes, bonds, accounts, etc.,—which the
Board may create. It was not deemed wise to attempt to secure an appropriation by the Legislature for the payment of the indebtedness of the
State Board of Agriculture as it was easy to see
In advance that such an attempt would not be
successful. The best thing to do therefore was to
secure the passage of the two laws that are now
in force.
Tnese laws will more than likely relieve the
Board from applying for help from the Legislature
until tbe Board and the Legislature both get
ready—and ready at the same time—for an appropriation to pay off indebtedness or to make improvements.
According to law, this Bonrd nominates to the
Governor two persons for appointment to the
Trusteeship of Purdue University, and it is then
the duty of the Governor to make the appointment
of the nominees as thus made. There being »
vacancy tbat had to be filled by this Board In January, by a unanimous vote of the Board, Hon.
Addison C. Harris, of Indianapolis, was nominated
to the Governor for such appointment. At the
time he was notified of his nomination, he Invited the entire Board to be his guests at a banquet, which he fixed to be held at Lafayette during commencement week in the following June.
Accordingly, in June, all the members of the
Board, save one, were present at the banquet,
which was In all respects an elegant and enjoyable affair. Some of the members of the Board
remained one day and others two days after the
banquet and every facility was offered to them to
visit every department of the Agricultural College,
the farm experimental land.1, etc. This opportunity was taken advantage of, and certainly
greatly   enjoyed.
The Agricultural Department, of Purdue University is certainly doing a great and creditable
work. It is making the most possible out of
tbe appropriations made for it by the State.
It  is  to be  hoped  that   the  visit of the  State
case was bad before his superior officers in the
War Department wbo were not army officers and an
increase In the finding in our favor was made to
$4,570.
Tbis claim now stands as an adjudicated claim,
and is pending before Congress for an appropriation to satisfy It, or before some Federal officer
for payment Ln case it shall be determined tbat
tbe Act authorizing the investigation of the
claim carries the necessary appropriation for
such payment. This claim should not be lost
sight of. Speaking of the damages to the Fair
Gtounds, and especially to the buildings by tbe
soldiers of the war with Spain, I am prompted to
say that these damages are, to this day, seriously
felt.
— The  Fair. —
The Indiana State Fair of 1905 was, In nearly
every respect, equal or superior to any that had
preceded it. The exhibitions were unusually
numerous, and of high order in every department,
live stock as well as all others. There were no
objectionable features whatever. The special attractions iutorested the people, and these with
everything on the grounds conspired in every way
to make the entertainment worth much more than
the trifling price of admission. In other words,
whoever paid his admission into the grounds received the full worth of his money. If he did
not, it must surely have been bis fault. Tbe
weather during the Fair week was flne until 4
o'clock on Friday afternoon, when It rained.
— Coliseum. —
A Coliseum, at least four hundred feet long and
three hundred feet wide ought to be built upon
tlie State Fair grounds. Such a building is up-
to-date and never likely to go out of date for exhibiting live stock, and it could be used at other
tbiiii fair times for a Convention Hall for Horse
Shows and for various other purposes, greatly to
the benefit of the people of Indianapolis, and of
the entire State. Such a building has been built
on the State Fair grounds of many of our iieigblior-
lug. and sister. States, by a direct appropriation
of   tbe   various   State   Legislatures. Until   this
State B aid gets out from under the debt that is
now upon it for the purchase of real estate, it is
almost useless to agitate tbe building of a Coliseum, such as I here refer to, out of the funds
of tbe Board. But the State debt Is being rap
idly paid off, and we may, at least, cherish the
hope   tbat   sum*;   Legislature,   in   tbe   near   future.
may see the great advantage of having a building
of the proportions I have mentioned at or very
near the Capital City, and make a liberal appropriation to erect the same. Notwithstanding,
what I have here said about a Coliseum, it might
yet be that this Board could raise a sum which,
if duplicated by tbe citizens of Indianapolis,
would be sufficient to Insure tbe building of thia
Coliseum without much delay.
■ - Passes. —
The Issuing of free complimentary passes by tbe
Indiana State Board of Agriculture has certainly
reached its limit, and become a burden greater
than lt should ever again permit Itself to bear.
Tbe Fair lasts but four days in each year. During those four days, the Board must take ln money
enough to pay Its entire expenses during tbe year
—its insurance, its out-standing indebtedness,
and tbe Interest on same. Its repair, and current
running account, its premiums, Its purses ln the
speed department, its special attractions, and other
expenses too numerous to mention. Tbe Board
pays, and is willing to pay for everything It gets.
Nothing very material Is donated. I could talk
!- r an hour—and may be for several hours—against
ibis pernicious system of issuing passes to our
State Fair that has fastened itself fur so long a
time upon Fair management. I only ask to
point very briefly a few palpable objections to
the use of passes from the State Fair standpoint:
Deserving people seldom get them.
Designing people get more than tbey need.
People, wbo are accustomed to using passes,
would often rather spend ten dollars after getting
Into the grounds than to pay tbe price of admission  to get ln.
Pusses are banded back through tho fences, thus,
often  letting one   pass  admit  several  persona.
Most complimentary passes admit tbe holder to
the Grand Stand, which is often so crowded with
pass holders that thousands of people willing to
pay for a seat or a place ln tbe Grand Stand cannot be permitted to do tbls, alone, has lost the
Stat*.  Board very many thousands of dollars.
Too many pass holders consider themselves special privileged guests, exempt from all rules aud
regulations tbat apply to people who pay * for
tickets. Too much of the time of tbe Members
of the Board, and especially tbe President ami
Secretary, Is taken up fn giving out and ln refusing to give out passea.
Jt often happens that tbe Members of the Board,
nnd especially the President and Secretary, dislike
to meet even their best friends for fear that tbey
will be held up for passes.
If passes were not issued, all the Members of
the Board including the President and Secretary
would go more bravely to tbe discharge of their
duties, aud havo more time to do so.
Well, wbat is the use of going farther? 1
can see no good reason for continuing the system
of   issuing   free   complimentary   passes. Other
State Fair Boards—several of them adjoining Indiana—have cut them out, and I say emphatically
this Board should cut tbem out, also.
I sincerely hope I bave sounded the death knell
of the free complimentary pass, at the Indiana
State fair. I wish I were sure I could bid lt
farewell forever.
— Bonds. —
Prior to the last Fair, it was the Intention of
the Board to issue bonds and sell enough to take
up all the out-Blandlng indebtedness of the Board,
all of which was money due for the purchase of
real estate. After the Fair was held, it was
found to be unnecessary to issue or sell these
bonds and none have as yet been issued or sold.
Personally, I dislike very much to Issue bonds
and incumber the Fair Grounds, for any considerable period of time. So much might happen in
tbe near future to make an incumbrance on the
Grounds a stumbling block to progress and development as to make lt a pity to run such great
risks. I hope, and believe, that what floating
debt remains out-standing can be taken care of until after the next Fair. Ample time can then be
had to determine whether it shall be necessary to
issue bonds, or not.
Should it then be found necessary, or expedient,
to Issue bonds, I here—and now—advise that a
higher rate of interest be paid with a shorter term
of incumbrance, rather than a lower rate of interest with longer term of incumbrance, on tbe
Fair Grounds.
— Secretary's Report. —
Secretary Chas.  Downing then read his
annual report as follows:
Receipts:—
Balance on hand Jan. 3, 1905. .$   4,407.90
Received on loans     19,976.65
Received from admissions State
Pair     53,127.75
Received from Secretary     25,480.87
$102,993.2:*
Disbursements:—
Paid nut on warrants of 1904. ..$ 1,2(55.90
Paid out "ii warrants of 1905. . 96,121.77
Balance in Treasury  5,605.56
$102,90343
The profits Of tho Fair for 1905    were
(15^65.43.
Concluded on page 6*.