Fair Association Will Ask for Charter.: Directors Meet and Discuss Plans for Construction of New Fair Grounds., Daily Racing Form, 1917-03-15

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FAIR ASSOCIATION WILL ASK FOR CHARTER. Directors Me«t and Discuss Plans for Construction of New Fair Grounds. New Orleans. I.a.. March 14. — Directors of the old Jefferson Fair Association, as well as those interested in the organization of the Jefferson Fair Association. Incorporated, met Tuesday night and discussed details of plans for the construction of a new fair grounds. Leo A. Marrero. president of the old fair association and one of the chief figures in the reorganization of a bigger corporation, said after the meeting that the charter for the Jefferson Fair Assixiation. Incorporated, was in the hands of attorneys and would be published in a few days. "We intend to launch our big project within a few weeks," said Mr. Marrero. "What we are especially anxious to do now is to convince the citizens of the State that the chief Bssrposa of our is-i iation is the pel petuation of a splendid fair, and not racing. "I. for one though I am steeply interested in the reorganization of our old fair association, know little of racing: since the revival of the sport in New Orleans I never have hecn inside the Fair Grenada track except to attend the live stock and agricultural fair, which 1 was happy to see succeed so remarkably. "But our Jefferson annual fair cannot be built up unless we find some means of financing it. Shreveport. Alexandria. New Orleans and other cities finance their fairs with racing. Therefore, I cannot see why we should not do the same. "Though I am unfamiliar with the thoroughbred sport. 1 do known that a clean racing meeting, conducted on the highest plane and by recognized officials, does no harm to a community. I also know that it will enable us to give Jefferson parish a fair which will help our citizens just as any goo 1 fair helps a community. People of Jefferson Favor Movement. "I have been calling upon the people of Jefferson anil I find them almost unanimously in accord with our movement. They all know that eastern capital is working every day in an attempt to gain a foothold in Jefferson: that speculators are operating through various channels to establish a money-making race track in our parish, and that such a tr.n h would bo a detriment, instead of a help, to -leifi rasa. "Our association is governed by representative citizens of Jefferson parish. We do not propose to allow any speculators to come in and break up our fairs by establishing raee tracks which, we are convinced, will not be operated as they should be. "We conducted a fair last fall which, while it was -ueessful. was operated at a loss and was not the kind of a fair we need. Jefferson wants a fair just as fine as the fair of any other parish in the state. That is our aim. "It is our purpose to see that no money -making race tracks are established in Jefferson: to see that the Business Mens Baring Association of New Or leans i- not interfered with in any way. and to offer any aid to the National Live Stock and Farm Show Association that we can. The officials of our ass -elation have set a high standard for the quality of our fair, which will include our racing, and the Jefferson Fair Association, Incorporated, will do nothing to injure the thoroughbred sport anywhere." Mr. Marrero said that stock in the new organization was rapidly being sold — most of it in small lot- to Jefferson parish citizens — and that as soon as the charter was published, reorganization of the old board would take place.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1917031501/drf1917031501_1_7
Local Identifier: drf1917031501_1_7
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800