The record-union., 1891-10-17
THE PRESS AND THE CHICAGO
FAIR.

fAIh.
The Columbian Exposition was pro
jected to be worlds fair. It would
seem, however, that the scheme is de-
generating into plan to hold a Chicago
show and nothing more. To that end
Chicago is laboring to ''work" the news
paper press of the country. One of the
means adopted to this end is so-caIled
Department of Publicity and Promotion,
the outgrowth Of the planning of the Chi
cago directors, which being stripped of
its mask diseloses simply bureau with
salaried head drawing 81 800 year, the
only duty Of which is to get all possible
free advertising out of the newspapers,
paying few, however, fat sums for a
supposed valuable consideration.
In addition to this handsome salary
there is under its beneficiary chief a
corps of well-paid clerks, engravers and
printers. These prepare all manner of
gushing matter concerning the prepara-
tions for the fair, and forward it by the
cartload to all periodicals throughout the
land with urgent requests to publish the
same, fortified by inflated appeals to the
patriotism and public spirit of publish
ers. Such as cannot be quickened by
this device are salaried with coin, and it
may be taken for granted that the metro
politan press of the East is in the main
embraced in this class. A flood of this
prepared matter, putting the Chicago
show, pours into this office weekly and
finds at once fit receptacle in the waste
baskets of the papers departments.
tits probable that the illustrated papers,
just now so generous in their pictorial
efforts to enlighten the people concern
ing the projected fair, come in for large
share of the plumber. 1t is evident that
the'purpose of this Bureau of Publicity
and Promotion is to establish a costly
newspaper department. But the scheme
is not prospering. The decent press is
jealous of all attempts to control it's col
umns. 1t is not taking kindly to the plan,
and some of the Chicago wing of directors,
say the dispatches, as well as of the Board
of Control of the National Commission,
are considering the suggestion to aban-
don the improvident scheme.
Major Handy, who luxuriates at the
head of the wasteful department, is re-
ported to have said that the movement to
deprive him of his fat pickings arises
from conviction on the part of several
directors that newspapers are finding out
TOO much, but as for him, while he is at
the head of the department, there shall be
no concealment and that he will not be a
party to any star chamber business.
This virtuous gush on the part of the
Major deceives no one. 1t is intended
simply to impugn the motive of those
directors who see in the newspaper
bureau an uneconomic expenditure and a
plan to fatten favorites. At the same time,
the management of the fair is wrestling
with the proposal to solicit from Congress
a loan of S5,00O,00O. 1t is not likely that
the advance VIII be made unless there is
radical reform and the international pur-
poses that gave birth to the idea of a
Columbian Exposition are returned to in
sincerity.
The newspaper press Of the country is
not wanting in enterprise. 1t is en-
tirely competent to care for its own in
terests. The chief of these is the publish.
ing of news. It can get its own news in
its own way and operates agencies, cor.
porate and individual, that are equal IL
its demands. 1t does not need to be fec
by bureau-prepared news, much less tc
have matter for its readers manufactured
by costly department at the expense o
the peoples purse.
Whatever advertising the Worlds Fail
at Chicago needs, let it order and pay
for precisely as do other businesses
If the Bureau or Department of Pub
Hcity and Promotion is continued
it will emphasize the drift of The
Worlds Fair into the Chicago show
and will tend to complete defeat of tht
original idea to hold a national jubilet
exposition with all the peoples of tht
world as guests.
The National Directory of the exposi
tion viii need to put bit in the mouth 0
the Chicago Directors if the Who'll,
scheme is not to degenerate into mer,
Chicago boom for the hotel-keepers ant
restaurants of the Windy City.
Certainly the spirit now prompting
portion of the directors to abolish
Major Handy and his literary bureal
should be approved. This may be takel
as assured, the self-respecting, independ
ent press Of the country viii not submit