The herald., 1893-08-08
NO MoRB COLOSSAL PAIRS.

The Chicago Herald says that 1t is
admitted by the management of the
exposition that all Its eagacity will be
required to bring ont an even balance
sheet when the accounts OF the fair are
closed. If this 10 the aspect OF the
financial condition of the great exhibit
ton at the close of the fret half of its
existence what will be the actual state
of resultant facts when the final ac-
county are made up? 1t is the last half
OF the fair year that will try the manage
ment to its utmost. 1t has had the
benfit of normal times throughout the
country up to very recently, and the
receipts have undoubtedly been much
larger during the opening months than
they will be henceforth. The country
has been struck with . financial cyclone.
and everybody is scrimping and curtail-
ing expenses go as to be enabled to
weather the storm. 1t goes without
saying that people who are struggling
to keep above water during these trying
times will feel compelled to forego the
luxury of indulging in an expensive trip
to Chicago.
We know that one.half, perhaps two
thirds, Of the people in this state who
contemplated the trip will decline to
make it under the circumstances.
With many it is not case OF unwilling
ness to witness the great marvels of the
white city, but an absolute inability to
do 30 for financial reasons. As the same
conditions will confront the people
everywhere, we may look for falling off
in the receipts that will prove unspeak-
ably distressing TO the managers of the
fair. The Herald says that "tbe ex-
position, viewed in strictly commercial
sense, is an acknowledged failure in the
middle OF it's term" What, then, will
it be at the close? We fear the balance
of it's cash account will then be alarm.
ingly on the wrong side of the ledger.
With such result what will be the
effect? The first logical fruit OF fail
ure like this will he to discourage such
colossal international expositions as the
people OF Chicago have given to the
world. Indeed, it has been the rule,
ever since the Crystal Palace interna-
tional exhibition near London in 1852,
that these experiments have failed to
return face value for the capital ad-
vanced. They have been great teachers
OF art. promoters of science, incentives
to invention, augmenters of the sum OF
human knowledge in the progress of all
the elements relating to an improving
material civilization but they have not
paid their projectors in commercial
sense. The last great Paris exposition
came the nearest to doing this. But
the government, with all it's resources
OF men and money, was behind it.
We may hereafter look for attractive
fairs, but they will be on minimizsd
scale. In fact the outcome at Chicag
may result in giving international ex
positions new departure. They will
probably be specialized. Advances aloni
specific paths will be periodically com
pared, but never again will an exhibf
ton progressing beyond the Columbian
as it has preceded beyond all it's pre-
decessors in general aspects, be seen.
There will be hereafter internationa
expositions of fine arts, of industria
arts, OF mechanic arts. Of differentiated
subjects, like electricity, navigation. az
riculture. We are seeing the closin
chapter of general international exposi
tions, and who will deny that those o
the future will be more effective as edu
cational schools for the people, thar
such colossal expositions as the Colum