The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-03-25
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE.
Preliminary Work for the Louisi-
ana Purchase Celebration.
Review of the Legal Work Thus Far
Done in Furtherance of The Plan
of Holding a Worlds Fair In
City of St. Louis IN 100

in order to set the proper legal ma
chinery in motion in furtherance of
the celebration of the centennial of
the Louisiana purchase by a worlds
fair at St. Louis:
In January. Mr.. Chouteau, chairman
of the committee of fifty, appointed G
committee of ten on organization,
whose names are as follows: David L.
Francis, Adolphus Busch, James e.
Blair, Jonathan Rice. Charles W.
Knapp. Daniel Nugent, William Il.
Thompson, Breckenridge Jones. Halssy
c. Ives and Rolla Wells.
\ meeting of this committee was
held the following evening ut The house
of Gov. Francis. At this meeting the
committee organized and requested
! Mr.. James l.. Blair to examine the law
and formulate Il plan of legal proce-
durc for the organization OF Il corpora
ton 10 conduct the fair and 20 obtain
the necessary legal authority for the
state and city to aid the enterprise by
the issue of bonds. or otherwise. AT :.
meeting. held Il few evenings thereif-
ter. Mr.. Blair reported that. while tic
Columbian exposition at Chicago. the
Nashville and Omaha eNpoSitions had
been conducted by corporations organ
lied under the general laws CT their
respective states. the law reiating 10
corporations in Missouri was not such
as would permit of the organization cf
a company with such powers as would
be necessary to conduct il fair sue
c~essfully. The present law IF The STATE
requires at least half of the capital
stock to be paid in cash, and limits
the maximum of capitalization to S10.-
100000. and in other particulars is III
adapted TO the working IF a company
with the varied functions which a
Worlds fair company should have. It
was accordingly recommended that the
legislature be requested &c create Ey
statute Il new class of corporations for
the purpose of holding centennial or
other cXpositions of this character.
Mr.. Blair vas accordingly Instructed
by a vote of the committee 10 prepare
n draft Of such a law as would cover
the case. That gentleman stated that
he was entirely willing to undertake
the labor and responsibility, but felt
that in Il matter of such magnitude he
would like to have with him Other
members of the profession. and su"-
gested that McSsrS. Frederick y. judi
son. 6. \. F~inkclnburr and Charles
Na2el he associated with him in the
work. The suggestion was Immediate
~ acted upon and Il resolution passed
rcqucstin" these gentlemen :" coop
crate with Mr.. Blair i'll preparing TN
law.
y number of meetings were held lay
the legal gentlemen above uGn.,d. ari.
after careful research and rnnSidcIa-
tfoa n draft of a bill was presented IL
the executive committe" If The corr
mittcc of two hundred Is H. result of
their laborS. The measure WAS appruv-
ed by the executive committee and Ivy
their direction was turned uvcr 10 Nj.
F. w. Lehman. chairman rf the com
mittce on legislation. who took tn" bill
TO Jefferson City. where il was intra-
ducod on Friday. the 10th inst. in both
houses. The act is entitled. AN act au-
thoIizing the incorporation - organi-
zatiCns designed for tn" purpose of
holding worlds fairs or centennial cx-
positions and defining the powers AMI
duties of such corporation"
GCv. Francis said. in Il recent pub
lie address. that ii is one Of the best
prepared bills he has ever read.
Abstract of the ELL.
Section l provides that amy ten or
more persons may organic" Il corporl-
ton for the purposes stated in the title
by signing articles of association in
the usual way; the minimum par value
OF the shares of stock shall he ten d,l-
lars: one-half of the entire amount %
took must he subscribed and ten per
cent. thereof actually paid NJ in cash.
Section . relates to formaIitics of e.
ing the articles of association.
Section ; provides that The capital Of
such corporation shall not IN less than
$4,000. 900 nor more than 800 900. OOu.
and that not less than ten per cert
thereof must be paid up on iucorpcrA-
ton, the remaining 90 per cent. to be |
payable on the call of the board.
Section + provides that the board of
directors shall not be less than - nJ:
more than - in number: that the: |
shall be elected annually AMI that I'M
nlediatly after the incorporation of tie
company they shall divide themselves
into three classes, one to serve one
year. one two years and IRE three
years. CThe object of this provision :
to insure a continuity q: the policy
adopted by the original boart!.)
Section ) provides for the officers of
the corporation, making of bylaws.
etc.
Section 6 sets forth the object fo-
which such corporations may be form
ed, and is as follows: Corporations
may be created under this act for airy
one or more or all of the following
purposes. to-wit: First. to :naugurate
and hold national, international or
worlds fairs, centennial and other eN-
positions, either commemorative of
any historical event. or for the purpose
Of promoting improvement in the arts
and sciences, professions anG trades.
by the exhibition of products of the
arts, industries and manufactures arc
OF the soil, mine and sea. or for ali Of
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