The morning call., 1893-07-17
ESTIMATED CosT OF PREPARING GROUNDS

AS McLaren was going through his es-
innate, item by item. Park Commissioner
Hammond, who is also chief engineer Of
the exposition. arrived.
Hammond stated that he had no report
to make other than that the map had
been prepared and some sketches made
which would be of public interest; thai
all the necessary surveys had been made
until the ground plan is adopted. The
question of drainage" said Mr. Hammond,
lis very important one, that must be
looked into. The question of transporta-
ton is being considered. Mr.. Gtllett.
chief engineer of the Southern Pacific,
was at the park yesterday. 1t is a sim pie
matter. so far as the engineering is con-
cerned they already have a steam line di-
rectly opposite the waterworks, where
they could come in if necessary. The great
est difficulty is the drainage question, but
/ do not see any grave trouble with that.
| have expended so far in the neigh b0r-
hood of 5000 getting these surveys, and
everything has been done as econ omically
as possible.
Then the war began. The director gen.
eral rose In his place and said: Now.
gentlemen of the Park Com mmission, the
executive committee desires TO say some
thing TO you. The getting up of an expo
siti0n is no small matter The PROPOSE
tion to get up Mid winterlFair in CalifOr-
whole State and this city. When the
proposition of an exposition was mooted
in Chicago the Park missioners there
offered any park and all the parks and all
the improved part of the parks for the
Worlds Fair, on the ground that it was a
peoples exposition.
"Now, you gentlemen have submitted
to US some figures which it is an utter
financial impossibilty for the California
Midwinter International Exposition to
adopt The figures are made absolutely
without any justification. They are care
less and do not cover what we want.
The whole sum and substance Of this
matter is this: We ask the Park Commits
sion, in the name of the people of the
State of California, to concede to US site; !;
to permit us, in the name of the people of
California. to hold an expo sition here; to
permit us to proceed to contract ard MAIN
tain this institution as cheaply as possible.
We want to do our work by contract, to
grade by contract, to getit done as cheaply
as possible. There are men here willing
to do the work for cost, for the benefit Of
their future. We want to be in position
to take advantage OF such contracts. We
cannot permit landscape gardener to
tel! us what it will cost to lay water pipes
and set hydrantS.
1--WE do not know jnst now exactlyswbat
we want to do; whatever we want to do
we are willing and glad to have you look
over our plans. We want to arrange the
site entirely different from the way in
which it is LAID out by you gentlemen,
there is no shape, no form to it as yet and
it is not in accordance with what an expo.
sition should be.
."At the executive committee meeting the
other day we discussed this matter fully
and as far AS am concerned | want to re-
sign my trust Immediately il we cannot
come to some fair agreement. | will not
proceed in this way, and the only way in
which l will proceed. speaking for myself,
is to allow us to have that site. TO get the
best artists in the country and the best
architects in the country, the best artistic