Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-12

The New Orleans Exposition.
MEMORIAL OF THE STATE COMMISSIONERS ToR
AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS.
Following Is the null text OF the memorial sub
mitted to Congress by q committee repressntina
the commissioners Of ths several states and ter
ritories at the Worlds Exposition at New Or
leans, asking for an additional appropriation Of
100000, and setting forth the grounds on
which the appeal is made:
To the Congress Of the United States:
The undersigned, your petitioners, are q COM
senting lorty-six states and territories OF the
United States in the Worlds exposition at New
Orleans. We are authorized by the unanimous
honorable body, by petition, certain facts which
burden the exposition with difficulties beyond
tae Power r Of the to 20 and
as may in the Judgment Of your honorable body
be necessary to fulfil in good faith the promise
ating the ' exposition and repeated IN the suSss
quent act loaning 1t q sum of money, that 1t was
to be an exposition under the auspices OF the
that any legal liability rests upon the
against the acts tine themselves but as the ins
form form Of ssoSernmsn. sid or saspisss: which
aid to protect the government itself from any
just ground Of complaint, at least from foreign
iidtlOuS. Is 10 the IoliaIS Ou kAo part vi Tie
advantageous to invited exhibitors, and as
with full declaration Of its original purpose In
exposition the Aforesaid loan to augment and
maintain its exhibits, and a. the Invitations
were then rsissued by the goyernment your
further aid as may be necessary TO secure the ex-
position from failure and to maintain 1t till the
enjoy the benent due to their acceptance Of
these invitations and to their outlAy Of time
and money in bringing their exhibits 70 this
country, is proper to be rendered and necessary
to maintain the friendly relations that should
exist and be extended Between our goysrnment
and its people and the governments abroad and
Your petitioners have presented to your hon
orable body q statement of the board Of mana
done with the money In the execution of the
trust committed to them by their spHointmsnt
s. snsh ma by the OF the United
priatsd (and, as your committse believe, well
expended, in the main, and not misapplied in
attendance at the exposition, have been able 70
discover is insufficient to carry out the purposes
of the exposition as defined and declared By the
pared to anaiyze this knancial statement Si IN
close detail, but we can state in general the re-
suits accomplished, and we declare, with toll
those results as whole are crsditable TO the
management, and we have not been able to see
how, under the conditions that have surrounded
them, and in the brief time in which they have
been accomplished, they could have been
This is what they have accomplished: They
have converted neglected plantation of nearly
three hundred acres into a beautiful park; the
ground has been graded, drained and provided
with ample asphalt walks, artificial lakes and
water supplies; unoccupied places turfed and
planted with trees, shrubs and flowers, and
tive buildings and filed with wonderfully use
fnl exhibits and machinery and other means
to make them effective, besides ample accom-
mn cnha ont To- 1u Cd for
public comfort to enable Visitors TO remain In
the grounds in the enjoyment OF the exhibits
and the that worlds
necessities of It's treasury to open the exposition
before these accommodations gould be finished,
hoping to have them completed by its contrac-
tors withip few days thereafter; but unprsee-
dented rains came on, jams on railroad tracks,
involving thousands Of car loads of freight oc-
finish these essentials to the peoples comfort;
and visitors, not knowing the causes OF incom-
pleteness and delay, flooded the mails, the tele
graph and the press of the country with express
sions of their discomfort and disappointment,
and the tide OF public support needed to swell
the gate receipts was held back for over forty
days. Another cause for decreased attendance
was the lack of means to complete machinery
for an adequate number of electric lights to
keep the exposition open in the eyeninGS-an
important feature in New Orleans. Unexpected
increase Of expenditures Of necessity grew out
penses of keeping the exposition alive mean
while going on, till debts accumulated, which
the management were unable to repay. Their
ties and still added delays and cost of work and
materials, until now, when, With its grand ex-
hibits in good order to be seen. with all condf-
for a successful continuance Of The exposition,
the management finds itself confronted on the
%sn h nons with Rsors u aNas naSe sep abe
other hand in the position Of business firm
with abundant unavailable assets and q
host of needy creditors who must have their pay
and liable to wind up its affairs at any moment
by legal process. Your petitioners Will take the
liberty Of saying, In justice TO the people ofNew
zens of our respective states and territories Of
whom we have carefully inquired concerning
these things, visitors 70 the exposition have
reference to living accommodations. and have
obtained comfortable board and lodging with
out difficulty at reasonable rates. Added to the
debts of the exposition for materials and labor
in its preparations, there now came on pre-
miums awarded by Its jurors on live stock, agri-
awaiting awsrd), whose non-payment for want
of funds caused still further complaints and
70 5eeP The
come. With help from Congress TO raise the
exposition out Of present difficulties by the
its relief tie exposition can be turned
success. The gate receipts are now :iishtiy
above current expenses and can be greatly
increased u the exposition Is permitted TO 60
on under public favor: Every dollar Of It's
surplus over actual running expenses is
repayment Of its loan. An is lost II present
difficulties are not .removed-stOck subscrip-
tions, donations, government loan and all
except what might be realized by the sale Of
buildings. The continuation of government
aid means repayment to the government in
| whole or in part for Its advances.
We therefore, in the name OF the states
and territories we represent, with their
100000 of expenses at stake, In appropriar
lions of their own for the collection and
maintenance OF their exhibits-fer the gov
department exhibits, already costing the
special united appropriations of 100000 Din
addition to the million loan, to place them
there and maintain them-exhibits priceless
in their value perhaps tmperiled and 1mpossi-
BILE to replace-for the thousands Of private
hibits estimated a $40 OOO, 600, and for the
honor of our country, appeal to Congress to
come to tie rescue Of this exposition with the
money needed.
Noresort to technicalities-no proof ffbrought,
bound-would be able to counteract the dam
aging impression which would prevail in foreign
countries who have accepted the invitations,
should the United States government allow the
exposition to langush and die before its allotted
time, if the government by any reasonable
to save it. Our country would be justly accused
of offering, for comparison OF products and
capabilities with foreign lands, q hospitality
that was not hospitable; and the same principle
would apply to the widely distributed Interests
of home exhibitOrs-state, territorial and indt
viduaf.
We present the appeal Of these commissioners
and exhibitors to Congress with full confidence