Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-03-12
EXPOSITION LAND.
QUESTION OF ITS SALE TO BE Ut-
cIDED AT TO-DAY'S MEETING.
Executive Committee Prepare a Report TO
he Presented to Life-Members
and Stockholders.

| Tho Exposition OF 1883 ls suh "a h''"h
issue.
The exhibit closed nearly sixteen months
ago with the society in debt and so IL re-
mains TO this day.
This is the matter that is engrossing the
attention both Of the public and those WIN
whom the management Of the Exposition
was intrusted.
The men to whom .he amounts were que
| have nearly all received their money OF
! been secured. but IL was done WIN nQI- nI
rowed money and upon the taith Oh Iue
Fxecutiyo Committee Of the Virginia Agri-
| cultural and Mechanical Society, whose
| members made themselves personally re-
sponslble.
INJUNCTION AND SALE.
| The Board Of Aldermen having twice de-
| clined TO come TO the rescue OF the sOclelF
| in its financial trouble. and other eh0rts
| 20 meet the obligation having also talled'
the managers recently, as a last resort ue-
| cidcd 10 sell at public auction the properly
| or al least q sufficient portion OF u 10
realize the $40 600 needed TO llduidate out
| standing claims with interest.
| Tomorrow is the time fixed for the sale;
| but there is grave doubt whether II VIII
take place, as INJUNCTION proceedings IN
/ stituted by some OF the life-memoers, are
now pending in the City Chancery Court
and Judge FitZhugh has granted tempo
rary order restraining the officers OF the So
ciety from making the sale.
GENERAL MEETING TO-DAY.
! A general meeting of the stockholders
| and lifo-members will be held at the rooms
/ of tho Chamber Of Commerce at II o'clock
| VI. to-day.
This meeting IS called By President Starke
| to pass upon the action of the Executive
| Committee in placing the grounds on the
| market, and TO say whether Jhey ShaH De
| sold as whole or how much shall be dis
posed Of, if only part is offered.
As stated yesterday the compliments,
! bill praving for an injunction Will demand
a full financial exhibit showing how every
| dollar was realized and spent; and II is
| quite probable that they VIII insist upon
| the appointment Of a receiver rs eXpedient
and proper.
THERE MAY DE Fun.
| The probabilities are that the proceed
! jngs will be quite spicy in view OF the lact
4 that in recent publications some OF the
! lifc-mcmbcrs have strongly arraigned the
1 management and intimateq that things
/ have not gone as they should
! This has aroused the committeeman 70
/ considerable extent and there IS little
! doubt that the differences will be brought
/ 10 IN the meeting if there is a quorum
/ present. Since the Exposition some hve
/ efforts have been made to get meetings OF
/ the society. but at only one was there
/ quorum.
THE LIFE MEMBERS.
The February No. Of the Southern Planter
publishcd a letter from Colonel Robert
| beverley. ex-presdent of the Agricultural
/ Society. IN which, after brief historical
/ review, the writer said:
"Thc citizens Of Richmond. seeing that
! the cheapest way TO attend the attractive
| fairs was to become life-members for
/ life-memhcrs certificate admitted 10 the
| Grounds free not only the member himself,
| but his wife and unmarried daughters ana
| children under twenty-one years of age,
! LARGE numbers became liie-members-
enough to control the mana%ement-ior
/ while the city was gong up IN wealth, the
/ country was going down, and but few lie
members were added from the country,
! the Falr-Grouuds advancing in value
/ rapidlv by reason of the CITY run
ming out there, and 1t became an object
! to be sought after, and the management
a majority Of them being of the city,
! determined 10 change lts charter and make
! II an exposition. don't know why, except
/ to expose imbecile management or TO OBJ
tain these valuable grounds for city pur-
poses. for certain IL is that after years
! so-called successful exposition We ind
! these valuable grounds encumbercd with
| S7O 900 deSt instead of $50 900. Twenty
| wears holding exceedingly valuable and In
/ teresting fairs and making but $4,000
! debt. the property advancing trom SIC
/ 900 in value to over slOO,OOO III that
/ time. and in one ycar. the Exposition
! added $4,000 TO the debt, making 1t un-
| manareablc The city Of Richmond,
| growing so large and so rapidly, did seem
! 10 Justify greater improvements on the
| property. SO as to present the productions,
| and especially the manufacturers OF the
| State. on a large scale, and the managers
| said they had abundant stOck-subsrlptlons
to add all necessary buildings, but after
| holding one exposition. even before the
| 1f6y.is CONSEQUENT upon the improvements
is cleared away, we hear they are aground,
/ can't hold another fair. and must sell out.
and applicati0n is made to the Iegls-
| lature for authority TO sell. Ihere
| has not been made. so far as l am
aware of. an exhibit TO the society
as TO what the deficit IS or how. 1t came
| about. Eve been IN Richmond at two
called meetings Of the members, and
/ though large majority Of the stock Is
! held in Richmond IL was said on one of
! the occasions that there was not quorum
present. That was fully year ago, and
vet Pm not aware of any members meet
! ing or anv exhibit from the managers.
! There are suggestions that probably the
! stock-subscriptlOns for tho conversion OF
tho grounds into an exposition ana the
necessary Improvements therefor were
/ BOGUS and not paid up, and hence
! the deficit of $4,000. The members
/ and the public are certainly entitled
! 10 this exhibit. ] want 1t expressly under
stood that don't charge any mlsmanage-
ment, for have confidence IL the officers
! of the association, and believe put the
| President in nomination when retired by
! constitutional limitation from the presl-
| dency, but had no idea that the whole
| designs oi the institution would be directed
| from the expressed aims of its foundation
| To wit. the agricultural interests of the
! State-nor do see how 1t car be done by
any legislative act OF how the Judicial
| rights of its founders, the Ite-members,
| can he ahenated."
There have been other publications con-
/ tanning criticisms which members OF the
| committee contend are unjust 10 them.
TO HAVE REPORT.
The Executive Committee met in the Of
! fee of Messrs. Thomas Branch Co. at
! noon Yesterday and held three hours
| session.
The criticisms referred to were COM
mented on. but no action was taken III the
matter.
The meeting was called to consider and
perfect report to be presented at to-days
meeting, rough draft of which had been
prepared by President Starke. Ihe, com
mittoe suggested that some things in the
paper he eliminated and that some addl-
| tions be made. This was done, and the
report as framed has the unanimous en-
| dorsement Of the committee III whose be-
| half il is made. In the report will be EN-;
| bodied the balance-sheet which was handed
! III at the meeting held last fall
Those present at the meeting OF the COM
mittee Yesterday were Messrs. Ashton
Starke (president), John 2. Branch; A. ;.
! Buford. Joseph Bryan. John Il. Cooke, K
A. Patterson, n. V. Randolph, and A. X.
| Nenable. Jr., of Farmville, VINO was sec1e-
tary of the society when the Exposition
was held and whose presence at this meet
! 80, ,.., ,e,,o.iali,- ranuasteH