Bismarck weekly tribune., 1884-09-12

United States Commissioner Alexander Mo
Kenzie was in Y.nkton last week and the Press
and Dakotaian publishes the following inter-
view.
He says he was appointed last winter by the
presldent of the United States as Dako;a's COM
missioner for the exposition and placed in
charge Of the exhibit from our territory at the
exhibition. He was also charged with the duty
of securing articles for exhibition and attend-
ing to Dakota's representation at New Orleans.
In the beginning he did not realize the inn
,>ortance or size of the trust imposed upon
him, but is now convinced that IL is large
responsibility and one which requires much
work. In the beginning fund is required and
fully 600 will be necessary to pay the ex-
penses of Dakota's show in the exhibition. He
first tried tc raise this by private subscriptions,
but found that this plan was not practicable.
Next he approached the various railroad COM
panies with a proposition that they put up the
money. Their representatives told him they
were spending a great deal of money adver-
tising Dakota in various ways and did not
Dakota part of the Now Orleans exposition.
They told him they were paying $127,00O taxes
in Dakota and were willing to assume their
share of general levy to meet the cost of the
undertaking.
There was no provision made by the last leg
islature for drawing this money from the terri
torial treasury. Mr.. Mckenzie made PROPOSE.
tions to the various counties to donate their
share of the fund. Many were willing and
many we're not, and as the willing ones would
have to pay for the unwilling ones, he aban-
doned this as impracticable. He has finally
concluded after conferrinR with various parties
over the territory, to ask each county board to
issue county warrant representing the county's
share of the $25,oOO, payable May !, 1885.
These warrants are to be put up as collateral
and the money borrowed for the purposes set
forth. Each legislative district is to instruct its
representatives to vote for bill at the coming
legislative session appropriating !$25,OOO to
meet the exposition expenses, and when this
money is available the debt is to be paid and
the various county warrants to be returned and
cancelled. By this process Mr.. Mckenzie ex-
poets to use the credit of the several counties to
secure loan, with the understanding that the
territorv is to pay the debt. On the present
territorial valuation the tax to meet this obli-
cation will be little less than one third of q
mill on the dollar.
The northern Dakota legislative districts have
agreed to this arrangement, and Commissi oner
Mckenzie is now in the south to secure the CO.
operation of this half of the territory.
: Minnehaha, Union and Clay counties were
visited by him before he came to Yankton.
The first named county has agreed to put up
a 81 900 warrant, and Clay and Union, he says,
are favorable to the project. He is here to ask
Yankton county to 60 into the arrangement.
Mr.. Mckenzie proposes to divide the territory
into two districts and has appointed Mr.. Flem-
ing, of Fargo, deputy commissioner for north
ern Dakota and Melvin Grisby, of Sioux Falls,
deputy commissioner for southern Dakota
These deputies will take full change of the
collection of articles for exhibition in their
respective dirtricta.
He has also requested Governor Pierce to
appoint an auditing board of three persons,
two of whom are to be chosen from South
Dakota and one from North Dakota. The duty
of this board will be to pass upon all accounts
in connection with the exposition and make
report to the next legislature under oath. Mr..
Mckenzie is also desirous of appointing
special commissioner in each county and one
at large in each legislative district, this board
to gather in articles for exhibition and turn
them over to the deputy commissioners. A
pamphlet is to be prepared in which the special
advantages of each county will be set forth and
the exhibits from each county will be 80 ar
ranged at the exposition that they can be dis.
tinguished from the general exhibit and the
place of their origin indicated. .
This is in general the outline of Commis-
sioner McKensie's plan. He will wait upon our
county board and explain it more in detail and
ask them to assist in carrying out his arrange
ments.