Pessimism Prevails T f I (Continued from Page 1| minds about whether or not we want to start one again.” Three men with ex perience in other fairs also addressed the group. They were: Wayne Kelley, Penn State farm management specialist; Lee, Henney, administer of the Penn sylvania State Fair Fund; and Stanley Musselman, agricultural loan officer for Lancaster’s National Cen tral Bank. All three speakers described the job of starting a fair as a tong, hard job. Kelley said it would take at least five years for a fair to go from an idea to a finished reality. Henney, whose office distributes funds to most fairs in the state, said any new fair would get no financial aid until the fourth year of its existence. The state has a three-year probationary period before a fair becomes eligible for reimbursement of premium money. “Fairs are big business,” Henney told the group. “But I’m interested in agriculture and agri-business. I’m not interested in midways or big name entertainment. They may bring in money, but I don’t care if you’have them or not. , In response to questions from the audience, Henney said that the state would not pay more than $33,600 to any one fair in premium money. The state-reimburses fairs for half the total premiums, but otherwise makes no contributions except to the state-subsidized Penn sylvania Farm Show held each January in Harrisburg. Henney also said that all premium money comes from a percentage of bets placed at harness racing tracks throughout the Com monwealth. ' r o° e< oOo uses .n George Washington Carver found over 100 new commercial uses for the sweet potato. Last year, Henney’s office g®f because you’re not ac disbursed some $1.5 million tually asking for a to 105 Pennsylvania fairs. Of ) donation.” that money, $45,600 came to' Representatives of four of Lancaster County. The fbe community fairs Ephrata Fair led with some represented expressed the $10,500 in state ’premium feeling that they wouldn’t money, followed by Solanco oppose a county fair as long with-$9600, West Lampeter as it didn’t interfere with the with $9OOO, Manheim with existence of their own $B7OO and New Holland with organizations. £7BOO. The exception was the In response to another Manheim Community Fair, question, Henney told the represented at the meeting group that community fair by Mark Nestleroth, .who funds would not be at all heads up the group. “We’re a endangered if a county fair county of unique interest,” were started. “We have a Nestleroth told the group, limit on the amount of money “We’re the garden .spot of that can go to one fair, ihe world. With the right $33,600, but no limit on the kind of advertising and amount that can go to a publicity, we could put on a particujar county. You could show for our agriculture that have aU five fairs you have would draw'tlie people who plus a county fair and none of peed to know more about the the community fairs would importance of farming.” suffer.” Kcnnßutt, president of the Wayne Kelley told the Solanco fair board, group that there weren’t responded by saying that the nearly enough people at the community fairs have been* meeting to even begin getting excellent newspaper working on a county fair. “It coverage, and addedthat he takes a minimum of 250 fdt a lot of the participants dedicated people to get a fair i* l iocai fairs wouldn’t bother off the ground,” he said. going to a county fair. The banker in the group, Oae °f fbe most vocal Stanley Musselman, painted detractors of a county fair a grim picture of the was Dr. Louis Williams, a financial outlook. “I don’t New Holland dentist who know what it would cost to heads up that town’s fair get a fair started,” he said, committee. “I’m not op “l’ve heard a million dollars, posed to a county fair,” he I’ve heard two million and said, “but I hate to see us even three million. To get work five years for that kind of money you’d something, only to see it need a definite plan, solid break down after the first income projections and some year °f operation.” pretty hefty backers.” Williams also said that he One method Musselman feared a county fair would suggested for raising funds have less participation than was to sell $lO,OOO bonds is now the case with the five which would be non-interest community fairs. bearing, non-negotiable and non-transferable. “In ef fect,” he said, “you'd be giving the people who bought tiie bonds a piece of paper to frame.' It’s like a donation, but maybe a little easier to / ——TT^^WT—TT Nestleroth disagreed, saying that with a county fair there would be more exhibits to show more farm products. He added that he felt a county fair would be in the best interests of the county’s farm community. While there were many at the meeting who doubted the need and the workability of a county fair, there seemed to be little outright opposition. There was general agreement, though, that a county fair, if it comes about, should consist ot Could a county agricultural fair be held here? William McCoy, president of the Lancaster Livestock Exchange, thinks there's a good possibility it educational agriculture and home economics exhibits and contests. Midways, gambling, horse racing, alcohol and side-shows all were to be kept out of the show, the group felt. At the meeting’s close, Max Smith told everybody to think about a county fair over the summer. In Sep tember, he said, he’d send a ballot to all the farm organizations and fair groups. The ballot would seek opinions of the various land, capital and management requirements for a fair. Smith said he’d also be looking for a yes or no vote in the balloting. “If we get a 31 percent yes vote, I’m going to drop the project,’’ he said. “For something like this, we need at least a 75 percent favorable vote, or there’s no use in going ahead.” After the. results of the survey are tabulated, Smith said, he’d call another meeting sometime in Oc tober. Luicutn Tannlnr could. It remains to be seen whether or not His idea will meet with the approval of other exchange members and backers of a county fair.
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