The morning call., 1891-11-01
MONEY FoR the WORLDS FAIR.

There seems to be some doubt as to the
use that is to be made of State and county
contributions to the Worlds Fair. Com
missioner de Young said to the conference
the other night that one of the best uses of
the money would be to make the best pos
sible exhibit at the California building. Mr..
W. c. Little thought the best use that could
be made of money was to pay for the trans
p0ItatiOD of articles TO be entered in the
competitive exhibit. The friends of an ex-
hibit in the State building, which will not
be competitive, are hampered by the fact
that it is not certain that there will be
State building. The appropriation Of $780,
600 made by the Legislature to be expended
in promoting a California exhibit at the
fair is not yet available The delay of the
Supreme Court In deciding upon the consti-
nationality Of the appropriation inspires some
apprehension that the court does not see the
way clear to an affirmative decision. Bat if
we assume that the decision will DE favor;
able to the fair, it is admitted that the
money must be expended under the direc-
tion of the State Commissioners, and can
not therefore be used to add TO the attract
iyenesS or effectiveness OF the competitive
exhibit. which will be controlled by the
general managers of the:fair. Undoubtedly
aiding the competitive exhibit. In the first
place. the competitive exhibit will attract
much more attention than any State exhibit.
and will receive mere consideration from
correspondents, whose descriptions of the
fair will be read in all parts of the civilized
World. In the second place, product dis
played in the competitive exhibit which re-
ceiyes a medalwiil do the State much more
good than another product, its equal in
every way, which is simply an exhibition in
the State building. For example, California
might send finer raiSinS to the State build
ing than any foreign nation sent to the COM
petitive exhibit, but unless we. also have
an exhibit of raisins in the competitive
exhibit the fact of our private exhibit would
not be officially made known. There would.
be in such case DO official opi1on of the
relative merit Of the home aud of the foreign
product. Fer several reasons it would be
better to begin the Worlds Fair business
over again. We. are started wrong. What
ever money the people Otthe State eXpend
shouidbe in making the ompetltive eXhi bit
as fine and as general as the resources OF the,
State will permit. II will be of compare
lively little use to make fine exhibit
State building. Such an exhibit at best
would be but show. 1t would have no
. OIuclaE recognition. e.: w might nave q va
riety Of products III the State building which
would receive high awards if in the COM
petitiYe exhibit, and yet no one would be
able to make public declaration of the fact.
Friends Of other States would ask, If we
had such fine private exhibit, why we did
not place it in the competitive exhibit,
where it would receive official men ton.
There. is "a necessary limitation upon the
use OF public money. The Constitution pro-
yides that money raised by taxation can
only be expended Under the direction of
State officials whom the State can hold re-
sp}nsibe for its misuse. In view of this
limitation the appropriation OF $500. 600 by
the Legislature was unwse. If no appro-.
priation had been made all the money
needed could have been raised by private
subscription, and the money thus secured
could have been used where it would do. the
State the most good. Whether any adequate
good would result from the expenditure Of
$4,000 of the States money in collecting
an exhibit at State building at. Chicago.
which would not be considered by the sew
eral Worlds Fair committees in making
their awards. is an open question: 80: !.