The record-union., 1891-06-01

temporary expresses some surprise and
not a little regret at the fact that 81 200 or
5000 of the country's money should be
used to advertise the great worlds expo
sition as the late P. t. Barnum might use
money to advertise circus. Our only
surprise in the matter is that our con-
temporary should experience any sur
prise at the action of the Director General
or the local Board of Control of Chicago.
The Government of the United States ap-
propriated 50, 0O0,O 900 to this worlds expo
sition with the condition that the place at
which the fair should be located should
add $4,000, 900 to the fund. This created
fund of $4,000, 900 to be used in making
an exposition of the worlds progress.
The ten millions contributed by Chicago
is just as much part of the public fund
as the two millions appropriated from
the national treasury. The National
Commission, upon which California is
represented, have decided that not one
dollar of this fund shall be used in pro-
motion of the exposition itself, but that
all shall be deliberately and purposely
devoted to the permanent improvement
of the city of Chicago. That city offered,
and the offer was accepted, a swamp ly
ing on its southerly limits known as
Jackson Park. This place was examined
by Frederick Law Olmstead, the
most celebrated landscape gardener in
the United States, who reported that it
was totally unfit for the purpose to
which it was proposed to devote it. 1t
could be made fit, however, by costly fill
ing, and this proceeding has evidently
been resolved upon.
The sum of the matter is that the S1O,-
600, 900 which the Government required
to be raised by the locality receiving the
favor of having the fair held within its
borders is TO be devoted exclusively to
the permanent Improvement of this park
and the construction of buildings which
viii constitute permanent addition to
the value of real estate of the city Of Chi
|
exhibitors throughout the world are ex-
pected to make the exhibition and there
by attract the gate money. The public
appropriations are to be used exclusively
in the construction of buildings in which
to hold the exhibition. If Chicago is re-
imbursed out of the gate money and the
sale of the privileges-whichs she certainly
will be-and if a surplus is created it all
inures to the benefit of Chicago. That
city will make fifty millions out of the
Worlds Fair. Her hotels, theaters. saloons,
stores and street railways will get the
lions share of this money, but at last she
will have acquired twelve million dol
lars worth of permanent improvements
at the expense of the public. In this sit
uation she stands disclosed merely as a
Snowman and hence can afford TO adver-
tise.
The Bulletin says, with great sim
plicity, that the practice of paying jour
mails for booming the Worlds Fair may
extend to the Pacific Coast. We express
our deliberate conviction when we say
that the practice has already extended to
this coast, and that some metropolitan
journals now sustain the relation of
organs for Chicago in the premises. The
Worlds Columbian Exposition has de-
scended to the level of great Chicago
show for the benefit of Chicago, and con-
sidering the inefficiency of the manage
ment up to the present time, it is becom-
ing extremely doubtful whether the
States which will make exhibits there
will gain anything by the expenditure of
their money or the outlay of their
pains.
So far as California is concerned, her
most patriotic and enterprising citizens
have entertained the hope that she would
be able to present to the world her many
attractions, producing conviction of the
existence of undeveloped resources here
awaiting the awakening influences of
energy and enterprise. Up to the present
time every effort in this direction has
been foiled by the action of the National
Commission. That body seems to have
desired nothing beyond conducting a
great show at Chicago for the benefit of
that city. Our contemporary need not
be surprised at the altogether too evident
venality of the New York World. It
will have ample evidence of like mani
festation of venality on the part of its
contemporaries before the case proceeds