New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-29
AWARDS AT THE FAIR.
AN ANSWER TO FOREIGN CRITICISMS.
COLONEL BRITToN, OF WASHINGTON. POINTS
OUT THE MERITS OF TIE SYSTEM ADOPTED

COLONEL BRIrrON, OF WASHINGTON. POINTS
OUT THE MERITS OF TIE SYSTEM ADOPTED
Ely MR.. TEACHER AND HIS ASSOCIATES.
Washington Nav o8-Colonel A. T. Britton OF THIS
CITY who Is a member Of the Committee on Awards
OF the Worlds Fair today asked for an eA-
preston OF opinion as 10 the dlssa'lsacun WIN"
has recently been manifested concerning the me'hoo
in which diplomas and medals were 10 be distributed
Colonel Britton said that the other members OF the
committee were J,hn Boyd Thacher chairman: ex-
Senator Sewell of New-Jersev Ex-Governor Andrews
OF North Carolina. and Bradley Il. Smalley. OF YER
mont. The original draft Of the regulations govern
Ing awards prepared by Chairman Thacher. VINO
sent copy to each Of the members, who CONSIDERED
II alone. The committee met in New-iork ana dis
cusscd the matter as a body. The rules were sent
10 the Hoard Of Control who rewrote them Both
committees then met and agreed upon a plan. The
whole matter was referred t. the National Com
mission, Who ratified the work which had been ac-
compnshed. When asked concerning the fairness and
equity OF the regulations, Colonel Britton said;
THE theory OF awards adopted by the National
Commission has been misrepresented. The original
plan was adopted at the very beginning of the
Worlds Far business. after agreement between
the committees OF the Local Directory and Of the
Natl nal commission, and after consultations with ana
reports from Professor GoOde, OF the smithsonian:
superintendent Porter, Of the Census. and various
other experts who had been connected with the subject
In the Philadelphia and the foreign worlds fairs The
commission determined upon and published at that
tme over years ago. the following general plans
That awards should not be competitive and that each
exhibit should be examined by expert and written
report gwen to the particular excellence or advance
ment in art, or science, manufactures or what
ever It might be, presented therein. In other
words they should not say that AS exhibit was bet
ter than BIS but that that particular exhibit was,
beffo than
before shown. diploma and a bronze medal were
70 he given as an evidence OF this award Any other
exhibit not found be thus distinguished was to be
simply embraced in the general catalogue OF the fa
Congress followed this plan and appropriated more
than 100000 to carry It ont. Lowe, the ais
tinguished artist was employed by the Government
to prepare the design for the diplomas. and It.
Gaudens the equally distinguished sculptor, to de-
wise designs for the medals. Thereafter the EX-
ecutve Committee of Awards proposed the rules and
regulations under which the juries should be APP
pointed and the awards made. These We're III turn
examined and after radical changes approved 10y
The Board OF Control and by the National Commits
sion and they were promulgated by order OF the
BOARD OF Reference and Control on January IA,
1888 In effect they intended 10 cover some
600 or 200 jurors or judges dependent upon 'he
amount 10 be appropriated by Congress Tor. th'iT
compensation which aggregate number was TO be
divided between the thirteen great departments OF
the Fair, that there WOuIu oe large jury '"
board OF examiners for each department 1hes"
Judges or Jurors TO be made up OF the best
experts that could be obtained either IN this coun-
try or in foreign countries the case might De- ara
they were to be paid literally for 'h"r services IN
tho proportlon of about double TO the foreign judges
The foreign nations exhibiting at the Fair were 10
he represented upon these commissions. ana the
Director. General TO give them iuli information
AS TO the character OF awards and the grounds upon
which they were to be granted. The judges We're
70 be competent experts In their several depart
,ments and foreign governments were ihNl"N 10
recommend previous to March l. 1893. experts OF
their suggestion. and from those named by them 'ne
Awaris Committee was 10 make Its selections.
The theory upon which the jury was 10 Dc con
s,ituted and TO do its work briefly stated thus and
has NOT been changed: The general jury In cach de
partment was TO have It's own scnographcrs ana eX-
merits and rooms for meeting, and each morning inc
committee OF awards WAS 10 designate from their
general body the particular work which cnch man
was to examine that day. such examiner wouid
make general report lack to the general jury OF
Ills department, and II that jury, upon examination
was not satisfied herewith, they would call Tor the
designation OF another party, and so on uhti th'S
were entirely satisfied. When they had finally voted
upon and confirmed some report made satisfactorily
10 them that award was TO be conclusive. The ind-
vdual members Of this general jury would act simply
as examiners to collect Information for the jury. and
the Jury would be at liberty 10 have many cxamina
lions made by as many different members OF their
body rs they chose. and only when they had before
them satisfactory information would they make, under
this system, a written report 10 the Executive Com
mlttce OF Awards which. in turn, would be reported
BIZ them TO the committee awards, and then, In
turn 10 ,hc National Commission. by whom II
would then be confirmed and promulgated with APP
propriate ceremonies.
Under this system there was the fullest oppor-
unity presented for reviews Of any individual in
Justice the best chance for individual responsibility,
the greatest certainty OF getting through In the six
months allotted TO the Commission and finally
fun written report not cnly from the individual jury
Ameusst the French Preparations which will attract
the attention public the Worlds Fair in Chicago