Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-24
PITTSBURG'S OF IT.
Chamber of Commerce Committee on
the Worlds Fair Meets.
BENJAMIN WHITMAN TAKEN SICK.
Exhibitors Urged to Make Early Application
for Places.
AN INTERESTING TALK ON FINE ARTS.

The scheduled meeting of the General
Western Pennsylvania Committee of the
Chamber of Commerce was held Yesterday
in Chairman Roberts office. BENJAMIN
Whitman, executive officer of the State
Commission on the Columbian Exhibition,
was not present, as expected. He was
in the city, but, owing to a sudden illness,
was compelled to go to his home in Erie.
From him many valuable points of in
struction were hoped to be obtained by the
local committee, and in consequence of his
absence very little business was transacted.
Those present were: Colonel T. L. Roberts,
Chairman; Hon. G. H. Anderson, w. L..
Scaife, A. B. Wigley, Hon. Morrison Fos-
ter and Captain A. e Hunt, from the Cham
Der of Commerce; also John A. Wilson
and NJ. Mcdonnell, secretary and treasurer
of the Westmoreland Fire Brick Company.
j. Quinn, representative of Mr.. Whitman,
has established an office in this city, and he
was at the session to advise, if necessary, the
local committee. The body is at a loss to
know how TO proceed with its end of the
work, as no instructions have been received
from the main Office at Chicago.
Early Applications for Space.
However, those present Yesterday pre-
sumed that the object of Mr.. Whitman's s
visit was to urge upon the mer-
chants and manufacturers of Western
Pennsylvania who wish to make exhibits at
the Worlds Fair to apply early for space.
As yet, there have been no detailed plans
of the proposed buildings sent out, there
l Ic1 - l.
exhibitors to select location without first
examining the clay of the land" A gen.
eral conference was held vester-
day in regard to the mode of pro-
cedure in the matter, and after suggestions
were made bv several of the
members it was proposed to appoint SUBJ
committee, composed of G. H. Anderson
(Chairman), w. L. Scaife and D. P. Hearst,
to meet soon and act in conjunction with
the State Commission and formulate the
affairs without further delay. This COM
mittee will meet next Saturday at 1:30 P. NJ.
in the Chamber of Commerce.
Speaking of the work done by Committee
X, of the Worlds Fair Commission, A. G.
Roenigk said yesterday: 81 think the addi-
tion of an advisory committee to the regu-
lar Committee on Fine Arts will enable the
commission to select and prepare an exhibit
worthy Of this State. The Advisory Com
mittee is composed of experts. and upon
them will devolvc finally the choice of the
pictures, statuary, and so on, for Pennsyl-
vsnia's exhibit. This is work which none
but artists of ability and standing could do
and the men who have consented
to serve in this capacity are all of such
caliber. The committee consists of seven,
namely, Jos. MCDOWELL, John W. Beatty,
of this city, and W. D. Dutton, G. P. Gray
son, Chas. E. Dana, Henry Petit, and
Frank NJ. Day, of Philadelphia. I think
the objection to the employment of Secre-
tary to attend to the clerical work OF this
committee, which must necessarily be large,
is unreasonable.
Cannot Do All the Work.
'sYou cannot expect artists to give up
more of their time than will be consumed
in the choice of the exhibits. The secre-
taries employed by the various committees
will be salaried at from 81, 200 to 81, 500
surely not extravagant. tefps. There-isa
great deal for a Secretary to
do in connection with this advisory COM
mittee's work. He will act in some sort as
a solicitor of exhibits and promoter of in
terest as well as a mere secretary. The
expenditures to date DO not
exceed 81, 900 and that can hardly be con-
strued extravaganza.
I'm the selection of works of art COM
mittee K, of which am member, will re-
ceive the contributions of objects, and seek
put interesting and valuable subjects in the
first place, but as there will be room at |
Chicago for only tithe of the articles so
received and discovered the most desirable
will be selected, and this the advisory
board will attend to. We ex-
pect to obtain pictures from
Pennsylvanians abroad
Is well as at home, and the standard adopted
will have to be high in order-to keep the
exhibit within proper limits. 1t will be
better to have fine collection of pictures
by artists of the first class, even if 1t be
small, than raft of monde |
script works of doubtful merit. The high |
character of the Advisory Committee will |
enable US to perfoxn this difficult task, I |
rust, with credit to the State and our
Selves
The following Pittsburg firms have ap-
,lied for exhibition space at the Fair: |
George A. Macbeth & Co., optical glass;
& Torley Company, car couplers;
Collins Cigar Company, complete outfit for |
cigar mandatory; Singer, Nimick & Co., |
III kinds of steel; Pittsburg Locomotive |
md Car Works, locomotives and tenders: |
keystone Bridge Company, material Tor
,ridoec