The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-03
New York and tho Centennial.


1t is rather difficult for the American mind
to look ahead. In this country we do SO many
things from day to day, and live from hand to
mouth, and are so largely controlled by the
immediate events of the hour that it is difficult
to give attention to duty which will not
ripen for another year. This is probably one
reason why the effort to direct the mind of our
people to the approaching Centennial anniver-
sary of our independence and the coming In
ternational Exhibition has not met with enthu-
siastic success. There is no lack of real SYM
patty with the Centennial on the part of our
people. New Workers were never won't
to be laggard in anything contributing
to the glory Of their State. When the
doors of the Exhibition buildings are
thrown open we are confident that New
York will make display worthy of her
position in the Union. The difficulty is that
we shall begin to enter upon our preparations
so late in the season that We shall either be
crowded for space or make crude and i'm
perfect exhibition. 1t would require at least
year for any country to thoroughly prepare
its plans to take part in an exhibition like
that proposed in Philadelphia; and, in fact,
even q year is very short time.
What New York should do is to SO display
her resources4n this palace that all " no come
will see the source and reason of its greatness,
what leads to its prosperity: its resources, its
educational system, the products Of its mines,
its harvests, the value of its cities,
the effectiveness of it's canals and rail-
way systems. New York city-an empire
of itself in population and wealth
will demand large space in the
Centennial palace. The work to be done to
prepare for this Exhibition must not be the
casual, furtive, spasmodic efforts of undisci-
plined and badly directed private bodies. It
should have On official head, and should act
State. We should have State Centen-
NAL Commission of our own. This commits
sion should be appointed by the Governor,
and the State should grant it an appropria-
ton. We should have city Centennial Com
mission also, appointed by the Mayor. The
duty of these bodies should be to see that
the interests of the city of New York and the
State have full consideration.
It would be mistake of tho gravest
character-it would be almost q crime
for us to allow the International Exhibi-
ton to open in Philadelphia with rep
resentatives from all parts of the world,
France, Germany, England, Sweden, even
China and Japan vying with each other
in the wealth of their display, and
all the while New York meagre, IN
attractive and forlorn. This will be the
case unless we make haste to do now
what must be DONE Even Idaho is further
advanced than New York, and California and
San Francisco promise better display. From
Australia we have intelligence showing that
the people Of that far Continent, our younger
cousin in the family OF English States, will
proudly seek to eO ulate American greatness
the wilds of the far Pacific seas. The Mel
bou1n, Age informs us that a commission has
been appointed from Australia; that commu-
nications have been interchanged with the
governments of New South Wales
Queensland, Tasmania and New Zealand
AOI lue pu1pooo VI PISoeutluS tLc AUS
tralasian department in single group.
An appropriation of twenty-five thousand dol
lars has been voted, and among other things
we are told that Especial attention will be given
to the display of wine, ''as a capital opportu-
nifty for infusing widespread knowledge of the
excellence of Australian wines" And so we
might continue our illustrations, referring to
the efforts of Sweden Germany, England and,
in fact, of every country in Europe except
Russia, to receive proper representation in
the Exhibition. But all this time New York
does nothing, and unless our people take the
matter in hand, unless the Governor ard the
Mayor give it an official sanction, when the
time comes for display the country will re-
joice in an exhibition worthy of American
greatness. but mourn over the fact that the
representation of the first State in the Union
is unworthy of her wealth, her prosperity and
her fame.
The Verdict I'm the Bergen Tunnel