The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-28
A sEA-GOING EXPOSITION.

sEA-GOING EXPOSITION.
Mr.. o. p. Austin formerly a news
hustler in the city of Washington. IS
now chief of the Treasury Bureau of sta
tstics. To contemplate one of the btu
reau's reports or bulletins is enough to
give an ordinary person severe head
ache, because of the great mass of figures
presented, in columns, tables and every
other conceivable manner of punching
them. But Mr.. Austin is not an ordinary
person. The compilation of all the sta
ustics needed by the government is
merely pastime with him. The work is
not sufficient 10 keep his great brain en-
ployed. Thus it occurs that by way of
filling in moments that would otherwise
be idle he often thinks out gigantic and
brilliant schemes by which the govern
ment may be able to got rid of more of
its money
One Of Mr.. Austin's latest propositions,
which he formulated one afternoon re-
Gently for the especial delectation of the
National Board of Trade at its recent
meeting in Washington, is for an Around
the-World Floating Exposition. for the
benefit of the nations of the earth gem
orally, and the merchants and manufac-
turers of the United States specifically
The government has in the past appro-
priated 100000 for various expositions.
therefore there is no good reason. tina.
Mr.. Austin can see, why it should not APP
propriate more millions and establish a
permanent sea-going exposition under its
own auspices.
The idea is to take six big steamships.
arrange them especially for the display
OF articles of American merchandise and
manufacture, fill them with exhibits of
those articles, and send them forth to
visit South American, Hawaiian. Jap
anese, Chinese. Indian, Australian
and other foreign ports cruise should
extend over about three years. In this
manner the purchasers in foreign coun-
tries and the manufacturers and mer-
chants in America would come into closer
relationship with each other. They would
be able to study each others wants and
methods, to mutual advantage.
Mr.. Austin may have been looking for
ward to a time when the transports will
be, withdrawn from the business
of fetching and carrying soldiers, and
when they may become available for the
sea-going exposition. 1t can readily be
seen what fine thing the scheme would
be for administration favorltes. Each
ship would need a large STAFF of exposi-
ton directors, and clerks ana attaches
of various sorts, in addition to the skilled
exhibitors. The huge and costly staff that
we had at the Paris Exposition would be
small in comparison with the total COM
plement made necessary by the pressure
that the politicians would bring to bear
to have their relations and proteges tax
en- care Of in the sea-going exposition.
For the junket would be an exceptionally
fine one-winters in the tropics and sum-
mers in the higher ATTITUDES, with good
old Uncle Sam paying the bills!
Mr.. Austin does not say so, but il is
fair to assume that one deck of each ship
would be given over to amusements-the
Streets OF Cairo, the coochee-coochee
dance. the camels, the donkeys, the con-
sress of beauties, the freak who leafs
EN- alive" and so on, for no exposition
could hope to be a success that did not
give a plenty Of space and attention to
midway attractions. With a fleet of
six large and commodious ships thus
thoroughly equipped for the exposition
business. the life of the functionaries
aboard ought to be round of pleasures