New-York tribune., 1885-01-30
TIE NEW-ORLEANS EAIR.
IT'S FINANCIAL CONDITION.
WHAT LOOKS LIKE MISREPRESENTATION IN ohDhH
TO GET A GOVERNMENT LOAN.

To GET GOVERNMENT LOAN.
,ov . STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRTBUNE.I
Nrw-Optr,xs. JAN 22.-The popular belief in the
Nth that this CITY has an agreeable winter climate Is
ia, 70 be rudely shaken through the presence here
of visitors to the Exposition. Since the beginning OF
tho fair there have been few really pleasant days
Aord;nc n the Signal Office records there were only
ocven fair days in the month Of December; and there
has hcen no improvement this month Cold disagree
ahe buserng or rainy weather has been the rule so
far this winter and not the exception lhe tenpera-
ture at 400 here is more unpleasant than at thir'y
degrees lower in New York. because OF the hunldy oil
the atmosphere in New-Orleans. On comparatively
warm days the moisture will condense on the walls OF
q brick buildmg and run down in streams on the noor'
There have been only few frosty nights put IL ooes
not need to be cold enough to freeze to make person
seek a nlire in New-Orleans.
sncb weather is not what Northern people we're led
TO expect; and the disappointment mas no uouo' nav
its eject on the attendance at the Exposition. ba'
that is the fault of the climate but rather OF the
managers of the Exposition, who through their adver
tsencns in the North have prepared visitors 1or just
such disappontments The troubles that now beset
the EXPOSITION NAV be set down to similar msreprc,
sentatlcns The serious financial difficulties are said
to be due to the small attendance ior "h'on .uo o
weather has been set forth as the pIlnclpa cause, anu
the hioh railroad the secondary reason Inc
projectors this enterprise knew what tue ca'e 0,
New Orleans before they began their Wofh' anu
the railroad managers assert that the transportation
rates are less than half the regular rates, Which
greater reduction than was promised Inc sniaii
attendance at the Exposition has been prncipaiiy que
IN ts mcompete condition. and that is the result OF
bad management But there never was any good
reason believe that such an Exposition as TINS ever
comp!eted-would be a financial success IN new
Orleans And unless financial success 1t can hardly
be regarded as a success in any respect. ,
The largest OUTLAY has been made by the exhDitors
Some of them have Individually expended large sums
of money in placing their goods on exhibition ohIess
people come here To see the goods there can DC 10
benefit to exhibitors anybody else from the ex-
position Hence, although there is good show of the
indus OF the country the prospect o The success OF
the Exposition is dubious The exhibitors are exceed.
ingly blue. but il is to their interest To put
the best side out The average attendance
for the first month at the Philadelphia
Centennial Exposition according to statement made
by one of its officers, who Commissioner here, was
Al 600 The average daily attendance since the open
ng here has probably not been over 3,OOO-at least
the gate receipts have not exceeded - 300 day Az
Philadelphia q statement of the attendance was pup
sbed each day. but that is not done here There have
been many days here when probably not Sooo was
The average daily outlay up to January for running
expenses according TO the statement OF member OF
the Finance Committee about $4,000. Since that
time. by general reduction IN the working force, the
current expenses have been considerably reduced but
as the of the financial condition OF the fair
made public to-day shows an increasing debt since
January l. there be little doubt that the average
receipts are stall much fess than the average expenses
But an average attendance several times larger than
and clear up existing Indebtedness. Many persons who
have been watching the of events here believe
that be expected under any circumstances
The Government will probably never get back one
cent of the 900 900 loaned the Exposition IL Is
well that tho country should understand these facts.
because the exhibitors aud the people of this city and
the managers are constantly talking about another
Government loan. aud no doubt Application Will be
made for such further assistance.
New.Oreans has population OF about 100 ooo' one
half Of which will probably enter the gates of the
Exposition The surrounding country IL sparsely pop
uated Not 10 per cent of the country population Ia of
character that will paironze the Exposition in any
way No person come here from the North without
an OUTLAY OF least 800 and then To remain only two
three days. From whence are 10 come the hundreds
of thousands who are 20 make thls Exposition snc-
cess In these hard times the people of the North are
net likely to leave their places OF business and flock
hete at large expense to see an Exposition greatly
attendance from Mexico and Central America and the
West indies it will not be large enough to be worthy
Before the Exposition is over the country will no |
doubt appreciate the fact that there has been good
deal of Colonel sellers business ideas in the manage
meut; ~ well ~ too puch politics. The Exposition
was originally projected 10y the Cotton Planters AssO
citation q. a local affair Had II been confined to that
idea and left 10 that association Of business men 10
manage il would doubtless have been success. But |
TO give il importance Congress wa- induced 10 /
pass a resolution directing the President to invite !
foreign countries 10 participate IN the Exposition.
hen OF the men who had been opposing the |
Exposition stepped in and captured the control Of IT,
IN IN nearly a wear later they went back 10 Congress
and "a that whereas the Exposition bad been made !
an international affair by Congress. il should now make
a loan 30 have the Exposition in keeping with The |
greatness Of the country. They asked for =l.OOOOOO
Mr. Blnunt. Mr. lli,cck and some other members of !
the House eDdeavored to lind out how much money
had been raised In New-Orlcans and what prospect |
there of the Government ever getting an, Of its
money back In answer TO their inquiries, Mr. Ellis,
of tins city, who introduced the bill said IN the House
on Nav o. 1854. that nearly $3.50 COO had then been
paid in by the subscribers and that the amount was
increasing all the time. The bill itself as passed by
Congress reads:
trial and Cotton Centennial Exposition have furnished
10 aid ia the completion OF the said enterprise /
$500 OOJ AMI have determined u increase the -afle
10 81 100000 by vote ot majority Of said stock
holders. and now engaged in obtaining the same.
aid the .lid city of New Orleans has IN its corporate
capacity contributed the Of 800 600" etc, etc.
After Mr.. Ellis and Mr.. Money, IN advocating the !
bill stated in the House that nearly S75O.OOO had
already been paid in. the State OF Louisiana appropH-
ated 100000 which would make total Of at least
: $50 900 irrespective of the Government loan ID
such representations that Congress made its appro
praOn. According to the statement of the Director
General made public to-day. Sl300OO had been
received up January II for installation receipts
and admissions" Taking these statements together
and the total receipts to January II should have been
as follows:
Paid to May o, 1894 stated TO Congress $4,000
Installation receipts and admissions 10000
Total receipt. sl9s0OOO
That is exclusive of the $500 900 which Congress
appropriated for the Government spay. But accord
Ing the statement made public by the managers of
the Exposition the expenditures to January ~ have |
been exactly 81 $50 523 while the receipts TO that
date were ouly $l,7lO,6l1, leaving a deficit of |
fnan from anytl ing yet made public will have to be
furnished before another appeal can be made to Con-
gess in fact before the statements of Mr. Ellis and
others ON he understood by the public