Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-12-02
NO SPACE, NO EXHIBITS.
Eransmiesissfppi Exposition Man
ayers Must Pursue More Liberal
Policy or the Show will BE
n Failure.

AT the meeting of the Transmississipp
exposition commission on yesterday, ex
Governor Prince presiding, the matter o
making creditable display of the min
erale, agricultural and horticultural prod
ucts, and historical ami educational mat
ters of the territory, were taken up ant
carefully considered.
At the meeting of the commission hell
in Albuquerque, the members of the board
| were diamayed to learn that a space
charge of 81 per square foot would be
made at the exposition, and the idea Of
sending an exhibit from the territory was
almost abandoned, for the reason that the
appropriation made by the Legislature for
the purpose of making display at
Omaha, wonld not be sufficient to pay
for the space necessary, to say nothing of
transportation, collection aud incidental
expenses. However, before giving up,
correspondence was entered into with
the exposition officials, and the matter
carefully and frankly laid before them.
Resulting from this correspondence was
the granting of 500 feet of space without
any charge, bat Mr.. E. E. Bruce, man
ager of exhibits, stated that all space
used over and above the allotment must
be paid for at the fixed rate. At the first
glance, the space given appeared large,
but when it was finally understood that
the space granted was 500 square feet, or
an area of 20x25 feet, the absurdity and
injustice of the proposition became
apparent. The mineral exhibit sent to
Nashville, which the Omaha people are
SO anxious to have sent there, alone oc-
cupied 5000 feet. Judging from this it
is easily understood that 500 feet would
permit OF displaying large flag labeled
"New Mexico," and nothing more.
Never before since New Mexico has
been making exhibits at expositions have
space charges been made for the area
occupied by the exhibits sent from the
territory, and it is evident that Mr..
Bruce proposes to establish precedent
in exposition business methods and make
considerable money for the stockholders
in the enterp prise besides.
President Wattles of the exposition,
has been very fair in his propositions
and in letters written to ex Governor
Prince, has expressed himself as opposed
to the space charge scheme so far as the
western states and territories are con-
cerned, but it is evident that he has not
been able to successfully combat the
mercenary spirit of the other managers of
the exposition.
These matters were canvessed by the
commission yesterday, and, in order to
place the matter before the exposition
managers in the right light, the follow
ing resolutions were adopted which have
been forwarded to President Wattles:
"Resolved, That the committee is de-
sirous of making an exhibit at Omaha, as
and satisfactory as the small
means at command will permit, and will
use every eXertion to that end;
That an imperfect and incomplete ex
hibit will be satisfactory neither to the
exposition authorities nor to the people
of New Mexico; and IN fact will be in
jurious to the territory instead of bene-
ficial;
That in consideration of the small sum
at our disposal, it is necessary to con
centrate the territorial exhibit, and con-
ine it to the following departments:
Mineral; agricultural, including the sugar
beet, wool and canaigre industries; horti
cultural; historical and educational;
That the smallest possible amount of |
space required for these exhibits is ss
Mineral, 1000 square feet; sg-
1000 square feet; horticultural,
500 square feet; historical and educational,
500 square feet. An exhibit of double
this space will be far more satisfactory
TO all concerned than one thus cramped |
aud circumscribed, and we earnestly re
quest the exposition authorities to fur
nish double the areas above specified and |
pledge ourselves to have 1t satisfactorily |
Resolved, That it is impossible for the
to nay anything whatsoever
or the space at the exposition, the small
um at its command being insufficient to
3ay the expenses of collecting, trans
porting and taking charge of the exhibits
luring the exposition; and if the exposi.
ion authorities cannot furnish the mini
mum space abve mentioned free of ex-
'ense, we shall be compelled most re-
to abandon the attempt to
make an exhibit, fully assured that an
imperfect and incomplete exhibition of
he products and resources of the terri
ory will be both unsatisfactory and in
urious."
From all reports received, New Mexico
> not alone in the position taken in the
batter of the charge made for space, and
is altogether probable that, in order to
ecure displays from the Transmississippi
tates and territories, Mr.. Bruce will
ave to abandon his golden dreams, and
honey making schemes and come down
0 hard reality and facts. If the Omaha
Z ositionG people want exhibits from
ne western states and territories, they
lust act sensibly, decently and fairly.