Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-08-05
A RECORD OF RUIN.
The Chicago Times Takes "A Crack at the
Gang.
M;

fChicago Tines
One of the newspaper directors of
the Worlds Fair shows in his own
publication that Theodore Thomas
and his orchestra are confessed
failure of the Fair. His salary has
been raised from So, 900 to $l2, 600 a
year, and an allowance has been |
made to him at the rate of So, 600 for
musical library of no practical |
value. The concerts have been i'll !
attended, the income being 5000, 600 !
less than the outlay. 1t is demanded
by this director that something be
done to stop the drain. The posi-
tiCn in the musical world Of Thomas
| is challenged, he is described as
parasite on the Fair and demand is
made that his band, which is actu-
ally under contract and therefore
must be utilized, be divided and dis
tributed throughout various of the
buildings 1t is added: "If Mr..
Thomas can find private capital will
ing to waste itself on his empiricism
very well, but public money should
be deemed trust funds and cannot in
conscience be longer wasted on this
illusion"
Why single out Thomas, when re-
form of expenditure is necessary at
every point all along the line of man
agement in the Columbian Exposi-
ton? And let not all the blame Of
the failure of these concerts and Of
the money venture therein fall upon
Thomas. The Fair has been utilized
by various persons in various ways to
their own advantage Certain per-
sons, many Of them connected with
the management of the Fair, have
guaranteed Thomas for concerts in
Chicago a certain sum for series of
years, and. knowing full well that
they would be losers by The bargain,
succeeded in having the Columbian
Exposition charged with him this
year, thereby releasing themselves.
If Thomas is parasite, he is only
one Of many. The present drift ot
the Columbian management is fear
fully near the rocks of disast ter
Every one Of the business men re-
sponsible for the management were
such situation existing in his own
business rs in that for which he is
trustee would take in sail at once.
There are thousand Columbian
guards too many. There are officers
of the Exposition with ex-oliico
launches aud wagonettes; guards sur
round their offices as though they
were headquarters Of an army.
Throughout the electrical depart
ment 66 per cent Of employments
are in excess Of need. No electric
business could possibly be sustained
on any such arrangement of service as
is paid for Icy the Columbian Exposi-
tiOn. The servants Of the corpora
tion are so numerous that they are in
one another's way Waste is every
where observable.
Time and again Mr. Higinbotham
gave out his opinion as a business
man, announcing himself as willing
10 risk his reputation that subscrib-
ers would he paid either in full or
satisfactory dividend Long ago
all subscribers to Worlds Fair stock
abandoned, if hey ever entertained,
thought that - penny will be returned
to them III Y felt at the time Of
their subscription as they feel now,
= that what they did was without eX-
pectation Of money return. The sit.
5 uation all along, Notwithstanding
: Mr. lIgtnbothams promises, has
been what Mayor Harrison described
in hi, speech % the commercial trau
. elors when he said
spld you hear in your travels
. around the r.ty amy repIuIug because
tho citizens were afraid they might
uut ert hack the mlllIous that they
'mye put iuto the falr4 There has
.bteu 100000 0uU or tl0 0Un on1 poe
.mm t ul yau bear anY mao srum
.hIHs lhnut .Is No a. knHas .t j.
H mwsa mt he believes Al. Ht
r.mn base directed sm.aht NH
.aIanl' aaft l.aH aI Iaa a..I
HHtIl aaaas aH.t .aaH HH t.lH
aaa .h.as. a.40. II
#U