The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-28

ANNUAL MEETING or THE ORGAN
IZATION HELD yesterday
rrssident Wood Submits His Report-The
Exposition was Financial Success
OIher Businsss.

The annual stock holders eeJng Of
the virginia Agricultural ana MeChihlcaI
Society was held in the assembly room
OF the Chamber OF Commerce AT noon
yesterday.
President Wood called the meeting to
order and named MeSsrs. X. r. Chalnh'
a. w. Archer and Barton HaXaH COM
mtttec 20 ascertain II quorum OF 'he
stock was represented.
The committee reported that there were
represented 2NS shares or stock ana "a
hfe members. which was quorum
Judge Christian was made Chairman
OF the meeting.
THt PRE- IDEST's hDDRTSs.
President Wood then READ his annual
address. which was an exhaustive re
port Of the affairs OF the ate state IN
position. and practical snEkesuSU,n ON, 70 10
insure the success of the next Ihe re-
port, in part. IS as OllpWs-
The Virginia Exposition, undertaken py
the Virginia State Agricultural ana Me-
Chanlcal Society this year, Whlch was
prone UuCcd by our visitors ana the press
an unqualified success as spitndlI eA-
hibit OF the agricultural natural ana me
Ch4nlcal resources OF our state, mas not
turned out as fully a financial success
as we had hoped. The statement of the
Finance Committee shows the liabilities
OF the society on and up 10 the LIST OF
December. including the years interest
on the bonded debt ana the tlNed charges
and expenses Of every nature, 10 be
NV.a5N 40. the amounts due the iociety on
ana up TO liat ldlt are -, N--.hos Fll4B
"A lchgit Of $3.109l. This does not mean
that the Virginia Exposition was linau-
Cldl failure. on the contrary, by the FL
nance Committees report IL was a
financial success. The society was in debt
s. 80 - on March LIST, about the time
that the Exposition was decided upon.
This with the addition OF the 5000 in
teIest on the bonded debt 81 go Of which
is due December LIST. and certain fixed
charges which the committee has decided
cannot properly DE chafgeable 20 the
expenses Of the Exposition. makes the
Agricultural Society about 81 90 better
OF. or less In debt. than il would have
been II the Exposition had not been held.
Ia addition 10 this. We have about $50
additional In amounts which are doubt
iul OF winch the greater amount Will
PROBABLY be collected. which Will increase
the assets. We have also expended a
large amount IN permanent improve
mcuts. OF which at least propOrttonate
amOulf should be- added in getting at
the profit boy conducting the Exposition
PERMANENT IMPROVEMENTS.
chief among these permanent improve
mcuts might bee mentioned the eXpendi-
tuTe for the presentation of Pains Pom
pen. the expenditures for permanent I'M
provcmcnts an that line approNimauhE
nearly 81 500. the lumber of which, If
sold. would bring 500 or 500. / might
mention that the profits from Pain 5
show alone over all expenditures was
between 500 and 500. Another eNpendi-
ture which We were advised by "a Cpmpe-
tent civil engineer was necessary was a
support TO the roof of the building, ana
braCing the supports all through the
building. This cost several hundred dol
lars The nttiug up and fixing of the
Poultry Department In the east wing Of
the building. the Ladies Fancy Work
Department I'M the west wing, and De
partmeut downs tairs, and the erection
Of additional sheep and cattle pens are
an expenditures which Will not have to
he made another year, II an exposition
~ Ike character is undertaken. Alto
4
tive estimate. We viii save at least three
thousand dollars In expenditures for per
manCnt improvements another year less
than what has been expended this year.
In fact the only large expense which /
see necessary TO put everything in first
class shape for tcn-day exposition next
year is some little repairs TO the roof
OF the main building and coat OF paint
ON TO- which the Waterman, who Is also
q practical workman. is capable OF under
taking. SO that the only expense in con-
nectlOu with this VIII be the purchase
or paint. So, adding the possible dddl-
Uonal amount which We viii receive. and
"a proportiOnate amount OF the sum eX-
pended for permanent improvements, the
profits hy the exposition just closed
amount TO several thousand dollars.
DEFIcIT.
In the face Of all this however. the
fact stares us i'm the face that there
Is financial deficit on the society
affairs which has TO be met and pro-
vlded for before the premiums can be
paid I'm fun. 70 is fact generally adj
mittet that the Exposition just held
benefited the business people and all
classes OF our citizens very largely in
fact. / do not think that our people APP
preciate the good iu All respects that
The Exposition accompli4hes. In addition
to the advertising of the city. the increase
of business and the impetus ana life
which IL gives 90 business. the large num-
Der OF people out of employment 20 whom
an Exposition like this Just held gives
ftuHbTUTl TtltI remarkable. mis-
was very forChly impressed upon me
by the close contact i'm which ! came
with the employment Of these people,
and the hundreds of people who were
necessarily mploved by the various en-
tcIprIscs and business houses in fixing
zap and preparing for exhibits, and for
the visitors Who were attendant upon
our Exposition.
The effect upon business was most
remarkable. All of our retail and whole
sale men without single exception, as
far as / have heard report largely in
creased trade during the Exposition.
COUNTY IXHIBns.
Several Of the counties pat up perma-
nent structures In the exhibition build
iugs Witch they decorated in a most
artistic manner. embracing the best of
the ideas set forth i'm such "a varied and
attractive way dt the Worlds Fair. the
exhibits. not only of the agricultural
productions but of the woods and min
erals were such as TO give The best pos
Siblc advertisement Of the resources of
the respective counties, ana any one OF
the four best county exhibits which
were shown would have made very
creditablc state display al an interna-
tional exhibition. The permanent parts
of all the county exhibits nave been
left with the State Agricultural Society
as a nucleus for permanent exhibit Of
the States resources. thus giving good
basis for the annual exhibition each year.
and at the same time providing a good
nucleus to work upon for the state eN-
arHF. moi sfaFH
positions which may be held In the fu-
ture.
REPEAT IT EVERY YEAR.
From our experience with this EXPOSE
ton [ believe thdt a tcn-day State Expo
sition 10 he held every year. can be made
an unqualified success fin every way. If
a ten-day Exposition Is held on the same
lines as those carried out this year dur
ing the coming year ami the receipts are
not one cent more than this year, the
ryc and ten thousand dollars. This
arises. in the first place. from amounts
which were expended this year in per-
rnanent improvements. hut Which IL would
NOT be necessary to eNpend again. Then,
again. "A certain saving could be made
in the premium list on amounts offered
and paid which did not produce effective
results. and ] firmly and thoroughly be-
Iieve that ~ would be 10 the best interest
of the city and State 70 undertake and
hold in 1895 a similar Exposition 10 that
just closed.
TO do this It will be necessary. of
course. 20 wipe out this financial deficit
and while We had guarantee tund, guar