Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-24
SITE IS NOT YET SETTLED
Directors Postpone Further Action to Await
the Legislative Appropriation
ENGINEERS REPORT ,AENAlNS UNOPENED
Friends of the 'Diaerent Locations
Were out In Force at the Di-
rectors' Meeting, but Were I'm
nbIc to Force the Issue.

The Board Of Directors of the Transmits
sissippi and International Exposition held
a special meeting yesterday afternoon 20
receive the report OF the expert engineers
employed to examine the Ave sites rendered
as locations for the Exposition, and report
on the most valuable site for Exposition pur-
poses. Every member OF the board was pres
ent, with the exception of General c. f.
Henderson. The session was short but de-
cidedly animated, although nothing was done
in the way Of opening the report of the
engineers, or voting upon a site, all action in
this direction being postponed for two weeks
The meeting was held in the new quarters
of the Exposition, in the Paxton block. The
room where the directors will hold all their
meetings 10 barely large enough for all the
directors to be seated, consequently the lobby
was compelled to occupy the hall adjoining
The room. The lobby was very numerous,
the supporters Of all the sites being present
in force. The hall and doorways were
crowded and every point of vantage was
filed
After the usual prellminaries the bust
ness of the meeting opened with the introduc-
tion OF a resolution by G. NJ. Hitchcock
providing that after reading and discussing
the report of the engineers. further considera-
tion of the report and the vote upon site
be postponed until after the legislature OF
Nebraska has acted upon the bill now pend
ing which provides for state appropriation.
In explaining the resolution Mr.. Hitchcock
said that unless the Legislature Of Nebraska
makes a liberal appropriation there is no use
in attempting to carry on the Exposition, as
the legislatures OF other states would re-
fuse to support an exposition In Nebraska
that was not supported by the legislature of
tha4 4atn For fc
said he was opposed to taking any further
action until It Is determined what the leg
islature will do
DISCUSSION OF RESOLUTION.
This resolution formed the subject Of an
animated discussion in which nearly every
director took part. The resolution was op-
posed by several of the directors On the
ground that no harm would result irom
choosing site, and that it would look more
busincssike to go ahead as far as possible
without mourning large expense. These di-
rectors were in1favor Of opening the report
of the engineers and voting at once upon
the location. This course was warmly sup
ported by j. o. Wharton, Dr. e. w, Lee,
c. e. Yoot. Alvin Saunders, j. L. Webster
and others. =
The resolution was supported by all the
members Of the executive committee, and
large number of others c. S. Montgomery
said II would be an insult to the people or
the community TO open the reports anu NOtc
upon a site without allowing the report OF
the engineers TO be made public and give
the citizens an opportunity to be heard in the
matter. ,.
Herman Kountze said the resolution should
be adopted, but 1t should first be amended to
provide that the report should not be opened
at this time In support of this Mr. Kountze
made a short but earnest talk which had a
very perceptible effect.
G. H. PAYNE demanded that the report
should be opened and made public some time
before vote is taken, that members OF Ahe
board. as well as the general public, migh'
have an opportunity or learning what the
report contains.
This idea did not meet with favor and the
amendment was adopted. a.,
GOES OVER FOR TWO WEEKS.
j. l.. Webster then offered a substitute
providing that the special committee APP
pointed to employ engineers to examine the
sites be given two weeks longer in which TO
report. After a brief discussion the substi-
tute was adopted.
C. s. Montgomery. OF the special commit
tee of lawyers appointed to Investigate the
legal right of the city of Omaha and Douglas
county to make appropriations for the sup
port of the Exposition, reported that the
authorities of the city or county have no
such power He said 1t would be necessary
for the legislature to enact laws giving the
city and county such power before such ac-
tion could be taken.
The executive committee reported that 1t
had not yet taken any action upon the reso-
luton OF Director Youngs regarding the em-
ployment OF Douglas county labor on the
Exposition. and asked that it be given fur
ther time. The request was granted and the
ar5 a1intirug1 wpnlg