Omaha daily bee., 1898-03-23
NO PLACE FOR CONVENTIONS
Eow to Accommodate Visitors is the
Present Question.
EXPOSITION MANAGERS FACE A PROBLEM
Negotiations Tor Halls Have Thus Far
Been Very UnsatisfactOry and
Building One seems the
Only solution.

The providing Of a large hall for the ac-
commodatlon OF the numerous conventions,
congresses, etc, which will meet in Omaha
during the coming summer is matter which
has become an especially live issue since the
refusal OF the trustees OF the First Congre-
gatlonal church to allow that church to be
used by the Woman's club between June and
November in order to carry out the clubs
desire to cooperate with the exposition and
provide a meeting place for large propor-
tion OF the conventions.
committee OF the Woman's club and
President Wattles OF the exposition have held
numerous conferences with the church trus-
tees and it was generally understood that the
matter was virtually settled and that the
church was to be turned over to the women
to be used every day except Sunday for con-
crosses or conventions. There are about 100
conventions and congresses which will meet
in Omaha during the coming summer and
the purpose OF the Womans club was to have
q large proportion OF the smaller gatherings,
those where the attendance would not exceed
100 or so, meet h the church. 1t was part
OF the plan to have a committee Of
women from the club act as host
esses for each OF these conventions
and look after the decorations OF the church.
The trustees took exception to the idea OF
having gatherings Of men In the church,
some Of them being afraid that the men
might put their feet over the back Of the
pews or smoke or do some other objectiona-
Bile thing, Notwithstanding the presence OF
the women Of the reception committee. The
trustees indicated their willingness to grant
the use of the church II allowed to select
the conventions or congresses which were
to be allowed to meet there The other
to be thus restricted and the refusal Uf he
trustees to allow the church to be used for
any conventions followed.
OTHER CHURCHES OBJECT.
Prior to the negotiations with the trustees
OF the First Congregational church the COM
mittee of the Woman's club interviewed the
officers Of some OF the other down town
churches The trustees of the First Method
ist church declined to consider any PROPOSE
tion looking to the use of that church for
conventions of any kind. The officials in
control OF the Kountze Memorial church
were willing to negotiate, with the club
representatives on the basis of
they must be allowed to select
the gatherings which would meet in
the church. Especial objection was made
to the Congress Of Liberal Religions and a
proposition involving the holding of this
meeting In the church would not be con-
sidered AS the club representatives and
the exposition officials declined to have
their course dictated by outside authorities
the negotiations were dropped at that point
Unity church was the only one Of the
downtown religious edifices which was
offered without strings at a rental of $500,
but the auditorium of this building is rather
small and would accommodate only the
smallest of the gatherings.
President Wattles has taken up the mat
ter In another way and has written to the
Commercial club asking that organization to
take hold of the project to erect tenn.
porary hall somewhere down town which
shall have a seating capacity Of about 5000
50 arranged that 1t may be divided into
smaller halls to accommodate several small
gatherings at the same time. The exposition
management will head a subscription list
Tor such purpose with a liberal subscrip-
tion and the Commercial club is asked to
take charge Of the matter and push 1t to
early consummatlon.
President Wattes says this Is the only
apparent solution Of this question. The me-
gotiations for the use Of the Coliseum have
come to naught and the president says
something must be done to provide a meet
Ing place for the great conventions which
will come. while the failure Of the negotia-
tions for churches and smaller halls makes
1t absolutely necessary that something be
done at once to provide for the smaller
gatherings.