Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-07-29

by the granting Of first prize at Paris b
the pottery Of one country In 1sss ant
first prize to another in 1872, though ths
same exhibitors with the same class oi
wares euntsnded on both occasions This
Is only one Of many examples that could
he mentioned Of the purely arbitrary Of
faneifui method Of granting first, second
and third prizes.
The plain, blunt truth d that these big
gold medals, wossh tosoanns to their POSI-
SCISSORS, have in the past besa sasu2gled'
for just as men struggle to win lawsatas,
Interested exhibitors have skilled
diplomats to handle their cases for
them They have hired hwysrs, counsell'
ors and even detectives They have
schemed and intrigued to pack the juries
The prize WIS worth struggling for with
every art known to human ingenuity, and
thus these gold lottery awards have been
struggled for at every exposition in the
past.
At the Vienna exposition, for instance.
an American firm Of beer brewers won q
gold medal No one has con,ended that
they had the best beer IN the exhibit, but
they had the best managers or the best
luck. Well, the gold medal the firm has
estimated was worth more than q million
doilarsto them In working up sales in this
country. With its aid they have built up,
the greatest brewery in America
The most serious objection to the
graded prize, competitive method Of
awards, aside from the scandals which
often accompany the juries, the injustice
10 defeated exhibitors and the extrava
giant value given the winner on merely
fanciful grounds, is that it does not help
the consumer. 1t throws no light upon
the questions in which he is interested.
On the contrary, it may very easily and
often does help to deceive him. To illus
trate, suppose you want to buy a piano.
Your circumstances are such that you
want the best piano made for durability.
II it has good tone and touch and other
qualities, even II not the best, you will be
satisfied. But durability il must have to
suit your purposes. For light you turn to
the award OF the latest exposition. That
will surely give you the evidence you
want, you think. But it doesn't do any.
thing of the sort. 1t only deceives you.
Noting that a certain piano obtained the
grand prize you naturally conclude that
must be the best, and though it costs from
- to ~ per cent. more than other make.
w account of the honor awarded it by the
exposition, you gladly pay the difference
in order 10 g.t the best. In a short time
You discover that while the piano which
you have purchased has as fine tone as
any in the market it does not wear well
and that as matter Of fact for much
smaller sum you could have bought one
with as good tone and greater durability
You have right 10 complain that the ex
position award, which should have been q
help to you. has actually been harm.
This exposition has abandoned all the
old methods. There is no competition be
tween exhibitors. There are to be nc
scandals, no intrigues for the glittering
prizes. There are no gold medals, no sill J
yer medals, no graded medals of any sort |
No man through a fancy or shade Of diff I
ference in lead pencil Judgment is to be en-
riched while another is handicapped. Thes
only medals to be awarded are of bronze,
and all have the same value, the same in
scripton, the same significance. They
are awarded not for the best, or second best
or third best, according to some ones
fancy, but as reward of excellence or of ad
vaneement or for general usefulness Of
a high grade.
Best of all. each of these medals is to bt !,
accompanied by a diploma which will set
forth in simple, lucid language the.I
grounds on which the award is made II
piano is given a medal for its touch, that
fact will be stated in the diploma. II ioi
durability, that will be set forth. II for
tone, the diploma will SO state. II for a
combination Of these qualities the parch-
ment will explain in what proportion. So
with everything in the exposition. Every
thing that reaches high stage of excel
lence, that shows meritorious advance
uent in that art, will be awarded a medal
And the public, the cause of education,
the value of honest methods of advertis-
ing, Will rec ve the benefit of this illumi-
nation by ex'eris of all the handiworks OF
the arts aud .iences.
When an article gets medal at this ex
hibit you will know that it is fine article
Of its class, that it has strong points o
merit, and You will be able to ascertain
Just what those points are.