The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-08-07
A POINT FOR DETERMINATION,

1t has already been given out by the
representatives of the National Com
mission that States having buildings
OF their own on the grounds should be
permitted to display their natural re-
sources therein. That only manufac-
tured articles, articles in process of
mandatory and motive power should
be excluded. The Indiana Commits
sion has brought the matter to the
front in such way as will demand a
settlement of the question SO that
States will know precisely what rights
they possess. The case at issue is
thus outlined by the Chicrgo Times:
What are the State buildings to con-
tain2 Is each state exhibit to be
housed in the individual building, or
will such exhibits take their proper
classification and their place in the
general buildings2 If the latter and
more convenient as well as more logic
al arrangement is to be pursued the
state buildings will become merely
state offices and points of meeting for
persons from such States,a headQuart-
ers, as it were, where they can meet
or make friends from home, see home
newspapers, confer with home exhibits
in short, make themselves at home.
In this view why should State build
ings occupy great space?
That there is serious misunder-
standing may be gathered from the
situation in so near g. neighbor as In
diana. The Worlds Fair Commits
sioners appointed to manage Indianas
appropriation presumed that they
would undertake to eeualiZe the dis
plays to be made by exhibitors from
the state. Acting upon this idea they
have started out to allot space to pro-
posed exhibitors. The, department of
Installation, however informs the In
diana commission that all applica-
tions for space must be sent directly
to the direct0r-general, and the In
diana commission asks in reply that it
may carry out its purpose.
To place the cereals, the minerals,
the manufactured products of differ
ent states each in it's own building
would be to create a confusing and
wearisome series Of state fairs. But
if State exhibits are to take their pro-
per place in the general buildings,
what is Illinois, for instance, to do
with great individual structure cost
ing third Of a. million? The uses of a
national building are obvious. 1t
will cover a great museum now housed
at the Smithsonian grounds, and each
department of the general govern
ment will hayeA something to show.
The government is not quarrying or
mining, raising cattle or corn, making
iron or wooden fabrics. But what Of
the state building. forty or more of
them? To what use are they to be
put? And what will be the relation of
state commissioners to the national
commission? Will each state make it's
exhibit under its own roofs If this is
not permitted what will the roof
cover?
The Indiana incident shows how
confused this situation is. 1t can be
clarified only by clear-cut action upon
the part of the national commission,
whose duty it is to manage such mat
tiers.
This is asubject that is of very great
interest to the States, and one that
should receive the immediate atten-
tiOn from all the commissioners. The
Winona Republican thinks it would be
proper subject for the serious and
intelligent consideration, of the Min
nesota commissioners at the State
convention to be held at st. Paul on
the 18th of August. Thatconvention
will not have the power to determine
the question at issue, but its opinion
in relation thereto ought to have some
influence in shaping the action OF the
national commission.