Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-02
AN EXPOSITION SNAG.
$15,OOO,OOO Will BE Required 10 See
the Worlds Fair Through.
POPULAR SUBSCRIPTIONS SHORT
Rough Estimates From the Departments
Anything but Rosy.
TRYING TO RAISE THE NEEDED CASH

CHICAGO, Feb IA local paper prints
the following sensational developments in
the affairs of the Worlds Columbian Expo
sition:
Nothing less than SIS, ,0OO. 900 will meet the
necessities of the directors of the Worlds
Columbian Exposition. This is the report
that will be made by Ferd. w. Peck,
chairman of the Finance Committee, and
Otto Young, chairman of the Ways and
Means Committee, some time this week.
The estimate of expenditures for the Worlds
Fair that these committees have prepared
will astonish the directors.
At the last meeting of the Executive Com
mittee it was ordered that budget be pre-
pared showing the probable expenditures
that would be required before the Exposition
closes. The resolution calling for this bud
get was introduced after Director General
Davis had sent in a statement that six de-
partments must be organized at once. The
estimated expense of the smallest of these
departments was $4,000 per annum. With
half dozen more departments to organize
and untold expenditures contemplated In
other directions, the Executive Committee
decided that it was of primary Importance
tion.
Estimates of the Departments.
Each of the departments was instructed to
prepare budget estimating the amount that
would be necessary to carry them through
the exposition and past the time of closing
up all the business of the fair. As the reso-
luton was only adopted Wednesday, the
estimates were hastily prepared, and some OF
them may fall far short of the amounts re-
quired. Some of them may exceed the
amounts required.
A lengthy conference was held yesterday,
at the conclusion of wi hich the joint commit
tee decided to recommend that nothing less
than S15, 900, 900 would meet the require
ments of the exposition. A large part of
this must be available for use before
dollar is received at the gates.
This puts the directors in an awkward posi-
ton. At the utmost hut S1O 500, 600 will be
at their disposition before May 1, 1893. This
estimate is based upon the supposition that
every dollar of the popular subscription of
$5, 600, 900 will be paid. In semi-confden-
tiaI conversation the directors admit that
fully II per cent OF the popular subscription
will not be paid. That estimate would leave
81. 92S 900, in addition to $4,000, 900 to be
derived from the sale Of city bonds. There
is an apparent deficiency of $5.072, 900 be-
tween the possible visible results and the
necessary Expenditures.
A Hard Problem to Solve.
How to provide for this delinquency is a
problem that must be solved by the direc.
tory. The situation is further complicated
by the stubborn fact that no part OF the rev.
enue to be derived from the sale of city
bonds can be used until So, ,000, 900 of the
popular subscription has been paid to
Treasurer Seebuerger.
The ten buildings to be built by the Board
of Architects will cost $1,000, 900, and all
the time we will be paying large amounts
for the maintenance of the departments and
for the sustenance of the representatives in
foreign countries.
"How then is the money to be raised?''
was asked.
''That is the question that the directors
must settle. 1t has been suggested that we
bond the gate receipts for 100000. I do
not think the proposition will be approved.
1t smacks too much OF mortgaging patri-
otic enterprise"
Solicitors have been out for several weeks
with but moderate success. The Ways and
Means Committee will begin next week to
sue delinquent stockholders.