Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-02-06
The New Orleans Failure.

1t Ia pretty we'll understood by this
dme that the New Orleans Exhibition
- TO be q gigantic financial failure, un-
asss patronage increases to q wonderful
aUtent during the middle and latter
months OF the exposition. Director
General Burke seems to be the only
public spirited man interested who has
tho proper ideas - to how the exposi.
eon should be carried on, but he lacks
Intelligent, patriotic and self sacrificing
backing. The people know by this
time that New Orleans Is not Philadel.
Phia that the spirit Of the people Is
entirely different, and that there is not
general intelligence and public spirit
enough In Louisiana TO carry on sue
oossfully such . worlds exposition as
has been blocked out and shown on
paper.
The last Of December the managers
stated that they were 500, 900 in debt
The second week in January that dshs,
was increased TO t269, 900, and noH 1t
has been further increased 70. rteSf9, 900,
and . committee has beeH appointed ID
ask Congress Tor = tsfther appropriA-
ton of $500, eos, TO save the concern
from utter ruin. The Indebtedness
bns been rapidly increasing, although
Tho exposition has been open seven
weeks, during which time 1t Is said the
amount has been raised by subscriptions
BY citizens Of New Orleans has been alb
aorbed.
The attendance has not been sufficient
% pay running expenses, and Congress
u now asked TO furnish money TO pay
The mplcyees and contractors, build q
railroad and supply other needed Incl
dental conveniences. IL this Is the
condition OF affairs now, what will 1t
- If things are run in tho same man
ner until the first OF June
We do not desire ~ see this enter
prise become total failure, but a. the
same time it Is question whether
Congress has not done It's full share al
ready. 1t has already given q, 900, 900
With no immediate prospect of getting
1t back again, while Louisiana gave
200, 600, and the city Of New Orleans
&lOO, 900, making an aggregate of 81
30, 900 sunk TO be seen no more. To
ask for another appropriation from
Congress under the circ umstances looks
needed by Congress, bat instead OF the
patroniz,ng order it should be Of the
investigating order,
A thorough investigation Of all the
receipts and expenditures Of the exposi-
ton up 10 the present time is badly
needed. When application was made
10 Congress for an appropriation, 1t was
stated 20 the House tina. the managers
then had $3.50, 900 in their treasury
raised by private subscriptions, and
that the stockholders had voted 10 in
crease their subscriptions to 81, 900, 900
exclusive Of the money the city Of New
Orleans had Appropriated. 1t now
leaks out that such q sum was
never in the hands OF the managers,
md . worse report states that 1t was di-
verted into politi al chan nels 70 secure
the election OF a Democratic President
The debt is now stated to be 1913, 600,
but is is very likely to be nearer twice
shat amount, as there Is no money
in the treasury to pay the 1880 Of.
fered in premiums.
Sensible people will say that II the
people Of New Orleans do not take
sufficient interest in their own exposi-
uen as TO pay up their subscriptions, II
ought never TO have been un iertaksn,
and it requires considerable of brass on
the cheek to ssk Congress to make a
further appropriation. Ii Congress in
tends TO go largely into the Worlds ex.
position business, it should INN edi
ately move the New Orleans concern
further north. where it would be more
appreciated and where there would be
better returns made from the invest
ments
O0pOsitfOn 10 Extreme IaHsIfon