The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-18
AUTOCIeATIC ACTS.
Foisting a Trinket Show
On the Public
WITH THE FAIR SURPLUS.
Director General De Young's
Methods Criticized.
UsURPED CONTROL OF FUNDS.
The Executive Committees Func-
tfons Ended With the Fair Man
agement-Finance Scandals.

lection of queer but expensive things in
Golden Gate Park, several mem bers OF the
citizens committee Of fifty, who organ
| lied the Midwinter Fair, are asking them
selves what part are they supposed to
| take regarding the fair finances.
The general opinion is that De Young
has far outsiepped his privileges as grant
ed by the committee of fifty, and with
discourtesy to the gentlemen comprising
| that body. And it is also fairly well I'M
derstood by them that the executive COM
mittee's functions and powers ended with
the business management OF the late ex-
position. Indeed, this was pretty clearly
defined when the executive organization
was effected. That body was auth oriZed
to carry on the business of the Midwinter
Fair and to close it out. But there its
functions ended. Instead of observing
such an arrangement the executive COM
mittee failed to make final report and to
Otfe the surplus to the committee of fifty.
| With the director-general as its head and
tail it began to buy up joblOts of miscel-
| laneous commercial articles with which to
| start museum. In doing so 1t is claimed
| by the active member of the original
committee that the executive body and its
director-general have been guilty of dis
courtesy-and worse.
| Some of the members of the committee
of fifty seem satisfied that all responsible
| ity or trouble was lifted off their shout
ders Some of them, too. are pleased with
anything the executive committee may 90,
and take it for granted that the director
general is acting properly. They say that
the fair was honestly administered, des pite
the fact that the books were withheld from
expert examination last May, and not
being quite clear on what power the ex-
.ecutive committee enjoyed, they believe it
is no discourtesy to the fifty citizens to
refuse statement, or to do as they please
with the surplus funds.
Wendell Easton gave it as his opinion
that inasmuch as the fair was financial
success its executive officers were entitled
to the privilege of dsposing of its surplus.
'The fair was 100000 in debt when it
opened" said he. land there was a bal
ance of $500. 600 in the treasury when the
gates closed. This success was made pos
sble by three or four active men on the
executive committee, and l think 1t is only
fair to them that they be allowed to dis
pose of the surplus in buying museum
for the people. Then the executive COM
|
finances. and that's an end to it,"
| Quite different view is taken by l.. G.
McAfse, who was one OF the most active
members of the citizens committee. He
speaks like man with a grievance
again st the director general and executive
| officers.
''Mr. de Young has acted the part Of an
autocrat all through" he said. He has
| fr1r
| he was placed in Office.
''The executive committee was given
power to carry on the fair, and with that
its duty and control over finances was at
| an end. That is how take it. For Illus
tratioD, give you $4,000 to run horse
show, which is to be given in town next
week. Ii at the close of the show $1,000 is
left you have no authority and no bust
ness to go and buy pictures or bric-a-bra
with that money. You should hand it over
| to me. Now, it IS precisely the same with
respect to the Midwinter Fair executive
committee. But here the encouragement
does everything on his own account with
out consulting others-buys what be
pleases and does as he pleases with money
| that, in all courtesy, should have at least
| been offered to the committee of fifty that
app0l0ten MS C0mmlGtoe.
There is certain courtesy due the citi-
zens' committee. AS far as can see, only
that body has the power to dispose of
! funds left over after the fair. The surplus
should have been given for some substan-
| tial thing for the public benefit, and that
| should be rightfuly determined by the
| committee of fifty.
"We sim ply don't know what has been
done with the funds. We have had no off,
cial notification of what the surplus
amounted TO or what would become of it.
| We were simply ignored by our own SUBJ
committee. I hear through the papers that
Mr.. do Young is in New York buying up
some kind of trinkets for a museum with
the surplus funds, and that is all I know
about the matter"
| M. johnson. another member of the
| committee of fifty, agrees with MIR. McAfee
| in his opinions on the disposal Of the fair
| surplus. 1t was be who examined the ex-
ecutve committees accounts until pre-
vented by Director General de Young,
who, from reasons best known to himself,
refused to allow an investigation commit
tee TO pry into Midwlnter Fair finances last
May.
81 was one of the committee of five ap-
pointed by the Mayor to investigate the
fair finances. De Young refused us access
to certain books. so we couldn't complete
our work, because we were stopped by
De Young. But we got enough data to
show there would be surplus of $1,000
at the close Of the fair. That was on May
5. and immediately afterward the execu-
tive committee began cutting down ex-
psnses as much as $500 day. With re-
duced expenses the surplus was undoubt-
edly far greater than we figured on. bat
how much nobody but the inside ring has
the faintest idea. 1t was close CORPORA
| lion and the public knew nothing about
| its work.
'rhere has been no meeting of the CON-
| mittee of fifty since May 5, and so the
committee Is still in existence, never
having adjourned sine die.
| II consider the only power the executive
| committee had was 20 transact the business
OF the fair. and indeed that committee
claimed as much in court when sued. Its
| attorney stated that the committee Of fifty
should be sued, as the executive body was
| appointed merely to manage the fair. 1t
/ certainly has nothing to do with buying