The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-17
NOT FAR FROM COLLAPSE
chicago's Proposed Exposition In =
Bad Fix That Is Growing
Worse.
Five Millions Must DO Raised In
Some Manner at Present
Unknown.
Thousands of Dollars spent, the site Ones
tioD still Troubling. 1usrvsls n
Labor D~Jnienlties.

Labor OjfBcnities.
NV YORK, Feb. 1G. IA Chicago dispatch
TO the Sun says this IL the trne sit uation Of
tho Worlds fair: Every officer OF the a.
tional commission Ia on the point Of resign
ing, with the understanding that this DE-
serted posts shall remain vacant. The local
directory, on which this management of tbs
exposition wouIdeA Ill, Is already confront
cd by an apparent deficiency Of 45,072, 900.
which may be swsIled TO an actual shortage
Of 100000. The exposition is nearer an
utter collapse to-day than it has ever been
before, aud such conservative business men
~ H. N. Higinbothnm, Marshall Fields
partner, says the board can never pull
through unless congress makes a donation
Of 46,O00,O0O at ths next session.
MIN months n thousands OF dollars
have been wasted in quarrels over the site
question. To-day nobody knows whether
oil Of the fair will be held at Jackson
park. or whether five buildings will go on
the lake front. There is just az much I'M
certainty now about the final apportion-
mcnt of buildings as there was six months
ago. At the earliest the site question will
not be settled before the next election Of
directors in April. Most members Of the
present board are 80 busy getting proxies
to ~re-elect themselves that they have little
time for the actual business Of the
fair. With q salary list of 500. 900
q year, $4,000 Of which goes to
architects. the directory is unable to
q single result of the first years work
except plans fos two sheds now used as tool
houses. The funds ars being ~dissipated
among friends Of the directory in the most
lavish and reckless manner. Small stock
holders are enraged, and at the coming
election will make an attempt to depose
the entire board. Two influences lave
combined TO scandaIize the exposition. The
frst was the vulgar quarrel among real e.
spectators over the site, and the Sec
ond was the ~disgrsceful fight to deprive the
national commission of it's authority and
influence. For the latter scandal Benjamin
Butterworth ID primarily responsible. Mr..
Butterworth's election as secretary Of the
local board was not accomplished harnoni-
ously. The democratic press Of Chicago
united in d~enouncing his election as a tri-
umph Of the gang republicans and a serious
menace to the exposition. Yet there is no
politics in the fair. There il not room for
any. True, Thomas W. Palmer, president
Of the national commission, is republican.
Lyman }. Gage, president of the local
board. is a republican. 1t is also true that
Director General Davis and Vice President
Bryan are republicans. Ben Butterworth.
secretary of the local board, has been draw
ing $4,000 a year for voting with the re-
pubiicans in congress ever since the session
began. The men who brought about the
South American scheme are all republicans.
Until Nr. Butterworth became secretary
of the lo:al board, that orga ization seemed
content to play second fiddle to the COM
mission. When Mr.. Butte worth reached
Chicago he found that his duties were Of a
trivial character, such as might well be
performed by an ordinary. clerk. He con-
WINGED the directory that the national com
mission was OF little consequence, and that
the exposition could be run as well, if not
better, without it. Then began q fight bs-
tween directory and commission that was
followed by members of the local board
going before Clandler's in
~vestigatinR commission Upon tho
committee came to the con
that the commission might we'll be
dispensed with, and made a report substan-
TALLY to that effect. The directory has
steadily refused to recognize George Il.
Davis as director : general, and
voted to conduct tho work of the if
organizing through their own committees.
In view of the fact that President Palmer
called q meeting of the board of control to
the recognition OF Director Gene
raj Davies powers, the action of the direc-
tory il especially significant. 1t means
that the local board is determined to strip
the national commission and its officers of
the last yestige Of authority and force the
of Col. Davis.
These dnarrels. however, are the least of
difficulties that beset the exposition.
corporation is hard up. The lowest
estimate that the directors have put on
their requirements before the exposition
will be necessary. To meet these de-
Dands $10.6JO,OO has been pledged. OF
amount $5,G00,OOO is represented in |
subscriptions from which at the
utmost 100000 will be realized. Half of
The board of directors admit that II per
'ent OF the popular subscription is utterly
worthless and uncollectable. Five millions
will be realized from the sale of city |
il the aldermen don't get Disguised
repeal the ordinance, SO that the |
directory may reasonably count on a
fund Of $9.9OO,O0O. Chief OF Construction
Bnrnhsm has ordered plans for exposition
buildings hat will more than exhaust the |
sssA s"sD - = otJo VIC DulluIUkS |
will cost $lO,5O0.0OO. There is not a direc.
EOr o n the board who can tell where the |
other x6,00O.0o0 il to come from. Some of
them say that it will be necessary to bond
The gate receipts for $4,000 900 and stand
OF until the gates are open.
Two difficulties would attend that mode of
funds. The first is that the city of
Chicago has q lien on the gate receipts for
to pay of the *5, 0OO,OOO bonds. |
The ablest lawyers in town say that the
,ity has a prior claim on the box office.
So the directors have been at work for
weeks trying TO swell the fund. but their
,fforts have not been successful. and they
are now trying to collect bad subscriptions. |
The policy of the exposition company with
to occupying what j. known as the
front j. Il fair illustration of the ir
metho liz. The directors started
,ut to reclaimFsa5 acres by filling in this lake
basin. 1t cost them 5000 to learn that the
BASIN could not be filed for less than 81
10000. Then they reduced the area TO
100 acres N ordered another survey of
he harbor. The engineers told them the
could not be lone for less than
5000. coo. The area to be filed was grad
rally reduced to eighty-nine acres. which
Gould be put in shape for SS9O,00O. Then
.ha directnra learn.d that a,.n .h.s ...ut. I