The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-06
EXPOSITION FINANCES.
Something More About the Receipts
and Expenditures.


From the Atlanta CGa) Constitution.
The directors Of the Cotton States and
International Exposition have no reason
to feel blue over the situation. Indeed,
the figures will show, as soon as the in
ventOry of the expostions business is
completed. that only a very small amount
of Indebtedness will remain and this may
possibly be reduced to a mere cipher.
The total debt of the exposition at this
time in round numbers is something in
the close neighborhood of S11s,OOO But
against this Indebtedness the property
owned by the exposition is valued at $780,
OOO original cost of the buildings; and
$25 900 in cash remains unexpended I'm
the treasury, making total of %25,O0O
in estimated assets. OF course, they
cannot realize the full amount of the cost
of the buildings when they are sold.
What the buildings will bring in actual
cash is matter of pure speculation.
From this amount sufficient money, by
Judicious management, can no doubt be
realized to cover all the liabilities of the
exposition.
The debts of the exposition may be ana
lyZed in the following manner: On the
first issue of bonds the sum of $4,000 is
due; on the second issue $4,000 is due.
The floating debt of the exposition on the
9th of December was $4,000. This how
ever, has since been reduced to 100000 OF
this sum $4,000 is due the railroads, but
on good authority II is learned that no
demand for this money Will be made by
the railroads.
This virtually reduces the floating debt
of the exposition at the present time to
only $4,000. Adding this to the amount due
on the TWO bond issues, which is $4,000,
the total Indebtedness of the exposition
70 all creditors and parties interested is
$11S,0O0
The cash assets on hand amounting to
900 will reduce this amount consider
ably. The buildings and other property
valued at 100000 will cancel the re-
mainder of the debt If they bring In the
market only one-fourth the actual cost of
construction.
1t win take several weeks, of course,
to wind up the business and convert the
property of the exposition into cash. but
patience and careful management on the
part or the exposition directors will ac-
cCfmplish this result.
The comparative receipts for the diff
1erent days during the exposition make
an interesting study It is a fact conce-
ded everywhere that the attendance at
the exposition for the entire time was
deplorably short. Another notable fact
was the great patronage from the north.
A greater attendance came from that sec
ton than was ever counted on, and could
the records of the exposition have been
kept in such a way that they could show
the residence of each visitor IL would
have been found that the great majority
came from the northern states.
Another perceptible feature in the at
tendance was the indifference of the At
lanta people. 1t was a hard matter to
draw out the home people to the grounds
The largest day of the exposition by
Atlanta day, South Carolina day, Uni
versity day and Savannah day The
amount paid in for admissions for that
day was SCISSORS. A great number of
these were children and the receipts from
concessions were proportionately high.
The authentic records for the day
showed an attendance of $1,000.
Next to that in point of total receipts
was Nov 20.
This was day set aside for no especial
cause. 1t will be remembered that on
one off day the attendance took such
sudden jump that it caused surprise ev-
ery,where. 1t was one of those sudden
and ineXplicable increases. The receipts
for this day amounted to $12, 1876.
Next in point of attendance was Cleve-
land day, when the total amount taken
in for admissions and concessions was
$10.99197
The attendance on this day was not
what 1t was expected to be. but for the
next two or three days it held up very
well.
On Nov. II, which was Illinois day. the
paid admission was $3,304.65
Chicago day came next with paid at
tendance of $599S.25. This was one of the
most eventful days of the exposition.