_ — ZOO - FAIRS ANQ FAIR MAKERS
i legislature of l906 changed the title of the commissioner of agriculture, labor, A
. and statistics to that of commissioner of agriculture, forestry, and im igration
( (hereafter referred to simply as "the commissioner"). It recognized the value of
1 the existent advisory board by continuing it in principle and general form,
creating it legally as a board consisting of nine members, two of whom, the com-
missioner and the director of the State Agricultural Experiment Station (here-
after mentioned simply as "the director"), served by reason of their official
capacities, while the remaining seven were made elective for four-year terms, so
staggered as to constitute a revolving board, no more than three members of which
should, at any given time, be new to the problems confronting it. The law pro—
V vided that the seven elective members be chosen by ballot from among their num-
bers at a State-wide convention of delegates selected at county meetings of the
· farmers' institutes held annually throughout the Commonwealth.
U The act of l9OS provided further that the law was to become operative
immediately, that the governor was to appoint, pending elections, seven members
to complete the full board; that this ad interim board should forthwith take over
V the State Fair management; finally, that one of its first duties should be the
, selection of a permanent home for the fair.
ti On such lines the first State Fair Board, under direct control of the State
p itself, was set up before the fair of 1906 (see belgw) and continued to function
Q without further basic change until 1912. The effect of the law of l906 was to
{ place responsibility for the State Fair directly in the hands of the farmers.
f Toward the end of the first decade they began to lose interest in the Farmers'
E Institutes-- the medium through which they could control the policy of the State ‘
E Fair. As a means of remedying this situation the legislature of l9l2 abandoned
Q the elective system and placed `appointment of the seven members heretofore
Q elected wholl in the hands of the overnor. At the same time the "revolvin
Ԥ board' principle was dropped, giving to the governor a free hand to appoint mem-
Q bers at will, subject only to the four—year limitation and the approval of the
E State Senate. Under the new set—up the commissioner of agriculture and the
Q, director of the Agricultural Experiment Station remained ex—officio members, the
p commissioner of agriculture, by virtue of his position, serving as chairman of
in the board.
E V No further material change in the structure of the law governing the State
{ Fair took place until l958. The legislature of that year divided the functions
f of the State Board of Agriculture that had been° created in l9l2, singled out
E those that pertained in any way to the management of the State Bair, and put
S these functions under a newly-created State Fair Board having identically the
Q same membership as that of the Board of Agriculture. Both boards are divisions
§ of the State Department of Agriculture, Labor, and Statistics. The State Fair
ii Board, however, was empowered to choose its own president and vice-president,
§ and to function in all respects concerning the `management of the State Fair as a
& wholly independent corporate body with broad and exclusive powers, especially
§ with regard to the conduct of the State Fair in its every aspect.
§ At the same session of the legislature power was given the State Board of
a Agriculture to co—operate with and aid county and community fairs
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h "... by supplementary premiums offered at such fairs for exhibits of
Q cattle, hogs, sheer, mules, jacks, jennets and other live stock of any
E age; and for any and all classes of fruits, vegetables, seeds or other
S crops for which exhibits are had at such_fairs to the extent of from