The record-union., 1891-01-17
100000 OR NOTHING.
Money Required for a State Exhibit
at the Worlds Fair.
Morris NJ. Esteo's Argument Before
tho Judiciary Committees OF the
Legislature.

Hon. NJ. NJ. Estee appeared before a
joint meeting OF the Senate and Assembly
Judiciary Committees last evening, and
made an extended and forcibie argument
| in favor of Assembly Bill No. LOG, provid-
ing for the appointment of seven COM
missioners, to take charge of the proposed
State exhibit at the Columbian Worlds
Fair in Chicago and appropriating the
sum of $500, 900 for the purposes of the ex-
| hibit.
| Both committees were largely repre-
sented, and the members manifested a
deep interest in the subject under discus
sion. Mr.. Estee first met and disposed
of the alleged constitutional obstacles in
| the way of the proposed legislation. He
then dwelt at considerable length on the
great Importance attaching to u proper
exhibit OF the products and natural
resources of California at the Worlds
| Fair. A collection such as California
could and should make would be one of
| the chief wonders of a worlds exhibition.
| 1t would include useful products, the ex-
| tent and variety of which no iother por-
ton of the globe can equal, both vegetable
and mineral. 1t would be the most at
| tractive display ever witnessed in one
collection.
In order to make this collection and to
properly display it, the commissioners
could not get along with less than the
sum asked, which is 100000. At first
half-million was talked of and various
other sums had been proposed, but after
Il careful consideration of the subject the
Executive Committee ofthe State Worlds
/ Fair Convention had arrived at the con-
ciusion that a proper exhibit-one that
would do honor to California-could
probably be made for $500, 600, but not for
any sum less.
A member of the committee asked Mr.
EStee what would be the result if the
Legislature should give but $500, 900, and
he replied that the committee having the
matter in charge would either have to go
out and try and get the other SlO0, 900 sub
scribed or abandon the enterprise. And
it was no easy matter TO prevail on the
moneyed men of the State to contribute
such large sum OF money. They are
not, rs rule, the producers, and they
recognize the fact that the class to be di-
rectly benefited by splendid and COM
prehensive display would be the pro-
ducers of the State. For this very reason
the peoples representatives in the Legis-
| lature, coming from all sections OF the
State-the agricultural and mining dis
tricts-should take deep interest in the
matter and appropriate the necessary sum
from the public treasury.
II do not come here to beg this of you,
gentlemen said Mr.. Estee. 1.-THE COM
mittee does not come begging this money.
| The demand therefor comes from the
people at large-the farmers, and miners,
| and mechanics, and InanufacturcrS-thOse
| who pay the taxes and who expect to
reap untold benefit from display of
their products before the eyes of the
| world.o
In conclusion, Mr.. Estee warned the
committee that the Legislature would be
| held responsible in the matter. No other
| opportunity, he said, would occur within
another century when so much might be
accomplished for the good of the State
and at such little cost to the people, He
and his hearers would be long dead and
forgotten before California would again
enjoy such an opportunity to attract the
worlds attention to her vast and varied
| resources.
.'If you pick up newspaper in New
| York; he said, "you may perhaps dis
cover a three-line telegram from Califor-
mia announcing that a murder had been
| committed, but that is all. You rarely
find anything calculated to inform the
| people of the East of the greatness and
possibilities of this State, Of which they
are, as a rule, totally ignorant. They do
not know what we have out here and
hence they do not know of what develop
ment our vast resources are capable The
| opportunity is at hand to educate them:
let US avail ourselves of it.''
AS the committees could not act Jointly
/ in the matter of recommending the bill
further consideration of it was deferred
until each committee might further dis
cuss and act upon it separately From
the remarks of members of the Joint
committee, however, the impression OBJ
tanned that the bill would be recommended
4 for t,oScann