Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-22
THAT COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION.
The Illinois Board of Agriculture Earnest
Iy Opposing the Lake-Front Site.
Try fnlegrnnh % Tho DianAfchi

THAT COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION.
IyOpposinG the Lake-Front Site.
tBy telegraph to tho Dispatchl
SPRIyGFrELD, LIT. july 21.-One of the
features Of the special session of tho Illinois
Legislature. which is to assemble to-mor-
row. Will be the aggressive part that is TO
be play ed by the lllineis State Board of
Agriculture in the forthcoming Worlds
Fair legislation. 1t has been known all
along that the Illinois Board of Agriculture
is bitterly opposed to the location OF the
fair on the lake front, the reason being
that they allege that that site. however
much it may be improved and filled in,
will be entirely inadequate to the accom-
mediation OF the agricultural exhibition
that such an occasion "a the Worlds Far
Exposition viii call forth. When the
this subject a delegation from the
State Board of Agriculture appeared
before them and presented certain
documents PRAYING that the World
| Fair site be such one as would afford
ample space accommodation for agricul-
| tural exhibits. and insisting that the lake
| front would be entirely inadequate 10 the
purpose contemplated, Since the Worlds
Fair site has been approved 10y the ma
| fiOUfI COMMISSION NuIStflufUi NlNtTtl'F'
/ of opinion have arisen in Chicago which
render the approval possibly subject to re-
consideration, and the State Board Of Aeri-
| culture has appointed a committee to pre-
| sent 10 the General Assembly at its special
session the views Of the agriculturailsts OF
the country on the Worlds Fair site. This
committee consists Of the following men,
bers Of the Illinois State Board; Georges.
Haskell, president of the board; John Viz
gen, J. Quincy, Pierce; Lafayette funk'
| David Gore, and l.. G. Lewis. These gen.
| tlemcn are expected in the city tomorrow
morning, and will lose no time in present
| ing the views of the State Board to the
assembled legislators.
Secretary Garrard, of the State Board OF
Agriculture. was to-day asked to define the
position which that body would take on
the Worlds Fair question. Our board. "
said he, has considered this question
fully and arrived at the opinion that under
no circumstances can the lake-front site be
made adequate to the purposes Of the Ex-
position. When we say purposes OF the
! Exposition we take il for granted that 1t
will at once acknowledged that one of the
| GRAND purposes of an American exposition
is the exhibition of the agricultural pro-
ducts of this greatest agricultural country
of the world. The wealth of our nation
lies chiefly in its agriculture, and the most
attractive part of the Worlds Far TO tor;
oigners will be the agricultural exhibit Of
the various States of the Union. We in
sist. and every State Board of Agricul-
ture of the various States of the Union
will insist with Us, that the agricultural
exhibits must not be harassed III such
manner "a to impair successful exposi-
ton. Under no circumstances and by no
expenditure of funds within reach OF the
Worlds Fair directors can the lBke-trOnt
site be made adequate to the demands OF
this agricultural exposition. We do not
desire to be placed IN the position OF at
tempting for "A moment to dictate TO the
Worlds Fair directors where they shall Sc
lect a site for this exposition, but we do
insist, and we have the right to insist, a.
representatives Of the agricultural inter
esis of the country, that the site shall be
one that will supply every demand OF
space. The greatest demands for space In
ehis exposition will come from the State
Boards OF Agriculture, that will have
vested in them by the action Of their Legis-
latures the agricultural exhibits OF then
various States.
Four hundred acres Of land would not
be an excess for agricultural exhibits OF
the Worlds Fair. Two hundred acres will
be the minimum which will accommodate
the States of this Union. Why California
alone asks forty acres for It's agricul.
tural. fruit, and vintage exhibit, and VIII
probably not be satisfied with less than
fifteen or twenty. The State OF lllinoi.
will want forty acres if the demands of the
State Board are to be observed. The Other
States of the Union will ask for from FIVE e
ten or fifteen acres, their demands depend
ing entirely upon the agricultural import
ance of tie respective States. All told, w
cannot get along with less than 200 acres
1t is absolutely impossible to gave
this 200 acres if the lake-front II
selected as the sIte. We Will not be SATISFIED
with a site which places the agriculture
exhibit miles away from the other princlpa
features Of the fair. We want united
show and not a divided one. We hay'
conferred with the State boards Of rlanI
other States Of the Union, and In tn'
representations which we will make TO thu
Illinois General Assembly We claim L
represent the agricultural interests OF Tn
whole United States. We do not say ina
jackson Park shall be selected. yet w
think that it is the only, sight IN contem
plation which will afford adequate accom-
modations. But we do say and insist tina
If the Worlds Fair Exposition of 1898 is e
be success it must afford ample accom-
modatiops for the exhibition OF that agra
rian industry which is represented b.
three fifths of the population OF this mora
republic of sixty millions: The stat
| Board of Agriculture reaiIZes thhu !
is touching a delicate subject .whel
il interferes with the selection OF TN
Worlds Fair site, but that our motive
may not be misunderstood we state that
is Indifferent to Us where this site may be
, so long a. it affords the accommodation
, which we demand in the name of the agrI
culturists of the United States Ever
Board of Agriculture of every other stat.
is looking TO the State Board OF Agrlcu.
ture of Illinois 10 take care of this suOJec,
and in the demands which we will max
upon the Legislature we are the represen
tatlves. not only of the Illinois board bu
of the State Boards of Agriculture OF tn
United States.n
; "What will your State do, however, j
case your recommendations are disregarde
and the lake-front is selected as en-
sitesn ut is my opinion that IN case IN
lake-front is selected as the site the Ill
nois State Board of Agriculture Will dro
the subject entirely and not make any eA
, hibit. That will be their action certainl
if lett to their own Judgment. In IN
event, however, of the Legislature mex
winter making an appropriation IN TN
/, matter and instructing the State Board I
take charge OF and make an exhibit, the
would naturally carry out the provisions q
! the law. But 1t is their opinion that II IN
lake front is selected a. a site, the Agrl
! cultural Boards of the country will reear
the Worlds Fair in advance as failur
and abstain from any attempts az the sue
! cessful exhibition OF the agricultural pre-
ducts of the country.