The Billboard 1911-06-24: Vol 23 Iss 25 (1911-06-24)

The Billboard JUNE 2, 1911. Scientific Management of Fairs The lazy man who went out to the pasture | fleld and sat down on a stool and waited for the cow to back up to him and be milked, Is sitting there yet-—-with an empty bucket. That lazy «hap wouldn't be worth a cuss as secretary of any fair in the world. It takes a live wire to be a successful fair manager, Any man who can swim up arrives at this stage it is very much like the poet sald of the lightning bug: “The lightning bug is a brilliant thing, But the insect has no mind, So it goes on stumbling through the world, With its headlight on behind.’’ Every secretary ought to have a typewriter. ‘Then he ought to beg or borrow enough money to get out first-class letter heads and envelapes Fine stationery is the best trademark any business can have, It puts a good dress on your fair, and makes it look like the pretty maid on her way to Sunday-school, Sabbath morning. The air of prosperity is a good asset for any fair. The secretary who uses good stationery will get more for his privileges than the fellow who uses the other kind. The rapid growth and development of county and state fairs and their importance to the peopile generally is a subject now commanding earnest thonght in practically every section of the Union, and, that they be not allowed to retro grade in their onward march of progress, it is very essential that sound, conservative business methods be employed in their management, From the small acorn springs the mighty eak, and so, from the earlier exhibitions of our forefathers—necessarily limited in their scope sud influence-—have developed the modern coun ty fair and the stupendous state exposition. each now universally recognized as a factor of the greatest importance in the development of vur arts and industries, Education is the cardinal principle of all moderi expositions—great or small—and that the lessons to be learned may be properly presented it is necessary that each department be systematically organized, both as to management and arrangement of exhibits and displays. We will not attempt to here treat this subject from the exhibit viewpoint, but will briefly present a few hints regarding systematic department management,’in reference to the duties and responsibilities of the superintendent. Years ago there was but one official of a fair—the secretary; but the day has long since passed when the success or failure of an exhibition is dependent upon the efforts of one man, and today at each successful fair will you find a loyal band of energetic, progressive men composing the board of managers, each eharged with important departmental duties. They act in unison with the secretary, and the fru'te of their united effort are shown in the success that now attends these exhibitions They have thus been lifted from the plane of | a frolic to institutions of real worth and merit. | Each department of a fair should be inde@endently organized, with proper officials in charge, and rules neither too stringent nor too lax should be established for its government. The enforcement of these rules should be placed in the hands of the head of each | particular department, he to reign supreme in all questions or disputes that may arise, except those of such moment as in his judgment require action of the full board of managers. By so investing the superintendent with absolute control of his department you will eliminate many, if not all, of the minor complaints that now reach the ears of the busy secretary. Trivial complaints. such as the issuance of the proper number of passes, disagreements regarding space, etc., should never en <roach upon the secretary’s time unless brought | to his attention by the superintendent. Errors in entries properly belong to the secretary, and by him will be promptly adjusted, but aside from these there should be naught from the various departments to vex and worry him. His time and attention are fully occupied in the executive department of the exhibition, and tuls troubles are many, without added burdens. In selecting your superintendent do so with a view as to his especial adaptability for the department assigned; impress upon him strongly the responsibilities of his: position; insure him that the full strength of the board of managers | will sanction his every act when in accord| ance with the governing rules; make him a superintendent in fact as well as name, with full authority over his department, and many of the rough spots that now serve to clog the wheels of smoothness will disappear. Rules are established to be observed, therefore rigidly enforce By J. W. FLEMING. (Assistant Secretary Ohio State Fair.) all those that appear in your catalog, and play | to await his turn with perhaps a domen or niere no favorites, gentlemen until that officer is at leisure to Each department should be equipped with a hear his request or complaint. full corps of helpers, capable of transacting all After the loss of much valuable business pertaining to that department, and {it cures an audience with the secretary, only to should be 80 arranged that it be unnecesbe informed that the matter in question will sury for any exhibitor to call upon the secrebe adjusted after a conference with the supertary, except, perhaps, to receive his premium = intendent or committee in charge. He departs voucher or correct entrance errors. vexed and disappointed. How different would Abandon the committee idea and place your it be if Mr. Exhibitor, approaching the supertrust in one capable man for each department. intendent, is informed that the matter will have It will please your exhibitors, as when they the immediate attention of that official By have a grievance or request they know where this method there would be no weary waits to find the proper official, and are not “‘jocknor loss of time and harmony time he se would prevail in eyed"’ from one man to another as is now prevathe department. It may be a little more lent at many exhibitions, This same rule high sounding to inform the exhibitor that his should apply to concessions, and you should not request will be referred to the committee or expect your concessioner to always appear secretary, but it is much more business like pleasant when perhaps after being located by for the superintendent to immediately adjust the man he presumed to be in charge, another | all differences in his department How many member of the committee sternly commands societies are there that have lost a valued him to move, as that location has been reserved exhibitor or a profitable concessioner by these for the swing man. It is the small details | :ed-tape methods, when, had the superin that perfect the mechanism; the large errors teudent been empowered with proper authority, are so glaring that all may see. jall would have been serene. rhe fallacy of How often does it happen that Mr. Exhibitor! the old adage, ““‘Two heads are better than or Concessioner, in quest of information, seeks one,"’ was never more forcibly presented than the superintendent and by that oficial is re-/|in the settlement of minor disputes and comferred to the secretary for reply? This en-| plaints between fair societies and exhibitors or tails, in a majority of cases, a trudge across concessioners. the grounds to headquarters, and there he inOhio stands pre-eminent as the quiries of the clerk for the secretary and is po-| state of the Union, and of its eighty-eight litely informed that that official is engaged at counties no less than seventy five are annually present. It then becomes necessary for him | conducting agricultural and industrial exhibl leading fair STATE FAIR OFFICIALS. Capt S SmitH_ W P ENGLEMAN J W FLEMING C. N. Melivaine, Secretary South Dakota State Fair, Huron: A. P. Sandles, Secretary Ohio State Fair, Columbus; E. J. Kiest, President Texas State Fair, Dallas; W. P. Engelman, Secretary Southern Michigan and Northern Indiana Inter-State Fair, Kalamazoo, Mich; Capt. Sydney Smith, | Secretary Texas State Fair, Dallas, and J. W. Fleming, Assistant Secretary Ohio State Fair. ) tlons, Thelr directorate is composed of the most progressive men of the state, and | dare say that here at a majority of these exhibitions the superintendent is supreme in his department, while personally I know of many state and county exhibitions jin the sister states that are still in the dark ages, or, to be more explicit the departments are under committee manage ment, I will not attempt to go further in a discus sion of this subject, but will leave these few thoughts regarding the duties and responsibil) ties of the superintendent for your considera tion. The subject of systematic fair manag: ment is a broad one, and through the columns of The Billboard we could profitably discuss it through the long winter months By the ijoter change of ideas much good would result, I trust its columns will be freely used by managers for that purpose, aud fair DOES THE AMUSEMENT BUSINESS PAY? By ARTHUR R. CUNNINGHAM. I have been asked many times if the busi ness of amusing the public was profitable or if some ‘‘angel’’ alwayfooted the bill While it is true that many times an amusement en terprise is backed by an ‘‘angel’’ and that the only person it pays is the promoter who skips with the leading lady and the receipts, «ti! 1 know of maby personal cases where a mau with very little capital has made a great suc cess in the amusement business. One case that I remember in particular was that of a farmer who mortgaged his farm to secure money with which to purchase a merrygo-round. His neighbors all thought him a tit subject for the insane asylum and I confess that I myself thought him a little off. He purchased a machine at a cost of $2,400 and in two years of hard work bad not only paid the mortgage from his place but had the ma chine and a nice bank account as well. ilo the four years this gentleman kept this wma chine be cleared over $1,200 yearly and when be quit got a good price for his machine. Au other case that is brought to my mind is that of several brothers who saved enough money to secure a side wall and launched a small fair ground show with but a few acts. They conducted their business on business principles and made some money. They kept increasing their business until they launched a small wagon show. Success seemed to follow them and finally they went on the railroad. These boys have stuck at it, and today they own the Campbell Brothers’ Show. Beulah Poynter, who has made a great success and money, too, with her dramatization of Lena Rivers, started on a small scale. With her husband she invested all her savings in scenery and paper and then launched the show. While playing in Toledo it was brought to the attention of a firm of New York managers that her play would be a winner, so she was given city time and has made her play a winner for three years. I know of several small dog and pony shows that go out each season and make a handsome profit for their owners. In a majority of cases the owners of these shows are men who were in bad health and invested in an outdoor business more to regain their health than to make money. In a great majority of the cases where an amusement enterprise goes to the wall, it can be traced to bad business methods. A number of our successful newspaper men got their training and money to start their papers out of the amusement business. Several fine hotels are owned by men, who made their money in the amusement business. I might mention numerous cases where this business certainly pays, and I see no reason why any one that is adapted to this business and uses good business methods should not make money out of the amusement business, Despite early notices to the contrary, Jamestown, O., will have a fair this year in Septem ber, probably following Lebanon and preceding Wilmington, meking a three-fair circuit, close together Jamestown has given two splendid fairs with big crowds and general satisfaction. The officers remain the same: R. C. George pres ident, and W. J. Galvin, secretary. Mr. Galvin is also secretary of the Ohio Racing Circuit this year, composed of Dayton, Springfield, Lima, | Toledo and Findlay. «Photo by Fox .Studio) PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE SOUTH