The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-10-23
coL. ALECK CAN1pBELL.
An Interesting Letter from the EH-Com.
missioner to tho Australian COLONIES.
lie Explains Certain Things in Regard
TO Their Exhibits at the Worlds Fair.

NhlCAtVS OTt' III v iO'iN"''E -
ter explains itself:
IN. Arthur Rentrirt. Comm siioiltr ot Mo- SOhh
Halo, Hor.Fs F4ir, Chicago
My DEAR sR:-Relerrlng to my con-
yersation with you yesterday on the
occasion Of my visit to your Office in the
New South Wales building, beg leave
to say that feel it due to you and to all
my friends in the colonies, as well as to
myself, that ! should make plain state
ment in writing in regard to the subject
matter OF our conversation, which was
as to the question oil location and space
expected on the fair grounds, by your
commission, for the New South Wales
exhibits, and your sense OF disappoint'
ment growing out OF the plans aud ar
rangements finally adopted by the lar
management whereby your EXHIBITS
failed TO he satisfactorily centralized
and whereby also the desired amountoi
space fell short Of your expectations.
Speaking generally in regard to this
subject matter oil our conversation,
can assure you that the sense OF disap'
pointment expressed by yen is not
greater on your part than on my own,
When was honCred with the appoint
ment Of commissioner TO represent the
interests OF the Worlds Fair in the coli
onies in 1891, bad but one brief day in
Chicago after my appointment and con-
tirmRtion in which TO receive my IN
structicns and gather together some
printed matter and get OIL in time to
connect with the outgoing steamer from
San Francisco. Director General George
L. Davis, in the midst OF his press OF
business, gave me verbally general
outline Of what was expected at my
hands, and then turned me over to his
subordinatee, the heads Of departments,
for additional suggestions. In my IN
teryiew with Mr.. Buchanan Of the de-
partment Of agriculture, and Mr.. skill
OF the department OF mines and mining,
they impressed upon me the desirable
itv OF securing the largest possible eX-
hibits in th6ir respective departments,
and the only apprehension that | could
perceive on the part Of any one con-
cerned was as to nv ability to secure
exhibits commensurate in extent with
the space at the command OF the man
agement. | was instructed to make
monthly reports OF all my observations
and undertakings to the head OF the For
eign Affairs Department, go that there
could be at all times, as far az possible,
unity OF action and proper preparation.
In none OF these interviews was
there the slightest restriction placed
upon me in the matter OF arranging Tor
space. There was no apprehension
whateyec expressed that toe much
space might be asked fer. No such
question arose in our conversations.
Therefore, acting under the genera! and
liberal and, | may say, discretionary
character OF my instructions, felt no
hesitancy in regard to entering into
definite understandings as to the
amount OF space to be assigned to the
countries | was about to visit. Under
both the letter and the spirit OF my
verbal instructions I did not see how |
could do otherwise than come to some
understanding with exhibitors about
space, inasmuch as such lack OF definite
ness on my part might defeat the whole
object OF my mission. Being constant
ly in communication with the manage
ment ! felt that ali my undertakings
were practically under its eye, and that
il any matter arose needing counterac:
ton or qualification, advices to that end
could be sent to me in good time.
On my way to the colonies, while
stopping at Honolulu, ! wrote to Mr..
Fearn, OF the foreign affairs depart
ment, that intending exhibitors in the
islands had expressed desire TO Iden-
tify themselves with the Australasian
exhibits by being placed in the same
general quarters. Then again from New
Zealand wrote informing the depart
ment OF my assurance to parties inter
ested that all the colonies would be
given space side by side, making one
grand Australasian exhibit OF their re-
sources OF whatsoever kind. In short,
after visiting all the colonies and hear
ing the general expression OF their de-
sire to have space at our fair side by
side, / so wrote the directory, and, in
addition, sent to it newspapers voicing
this idea OF the people. estimated TO
the directory that not less than one
million of feet would be required in
order to give the colonies the necessary
space desired by them for their various
exhibits. This space was for the
Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand,
New South Wales, Queensland,
Tasmania, Victoria, North and
West Australia. the Fiji Islands and
the Solomon groups. AS respects New
South Wales, so wonderfully and credit.
ably represented at this exposition, |
promised you personally rs much as
100000 feet OF space, and also build
ing or else a section in building where
in your resources as u whole could be
displayed. On my return to Chicago,
in the spring OF 1899, reported to the
director general in person all the facts
in regard to your case and also in regard
to all the colonies, aud urged upon him
the necessity OF having the building or
space promised to you prepared as soon
as possible. Mr.. Fearn, OF the foreign
department, wrote TO me requesting me
TO state exactly just how much space |
had promised to each OF tue colonies,
and | responded at once that New South
Wales was the only colony to which l
had promised specific amount, naming
the exact space / had promised to her,
and estimating to him for the other col
onies.
The newspapers Of the colonies had
been exceedingly kind in their notices
OF our fair and | mad been careful to
send these notices to the management
in order that it might the better under.
stand all that | had written i'll regard
TO the public feeling aud might there
fore the more intelligently plan the
work oil preparation. In response to all
wrote, and in acknowledgement OF the
receipt Of these papers, there was neVera
line written to me in which doubt was
eXpressed OF the mAnagements ability