The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-10-29

themselves to form the same extraVa
CANT notions regarding public ex
penditures of money. In fact they
seem to think that because the state
is SO much Weather than the individ
ual it should be proportionately more
e~xtravagant and have less regard fol
the consideration Of business princi
pies. Were they to familiarize them.
selves with the history of the Pan
American exposition they would
probably realize that the sum Of mon.
ey which they contend is absolutely
necessary for a creditable display at
st. Louis could be scaled down to a
marked degree and then still be large
enough to answer all purposes and
permit of an exhibit that would be a
credit to the state and not one of it's
many interests would have to be neg
lected or sighted.
On several occasions The Gazette
has advocated the necessity for econ
omy and care in this direction and is
pleased to see that it does not stand
alone in it's position, but has the sup
port of many Of the more influential
newspapers of the state in the stand
it has taken. Fifty thousand dollars.
in the opinion Of this newspaper
would enable the state to erect a
suitable building and take care of
every interest and industry likely to
ask for representation. >Of course,
such an amount would necessarily
have to be expended judiciously and
carefully. It would not be sufficient
to permit Of the many ornamental
features which some people see to
think absolutely essential to a sue
cessful exhibit. Take, for instance,
the matter of employees. They would
have to be limited to a number be-
low which it would not be advisable
to go, but it would not be necessary
to reduce their number to the extent
of shorthandedness. Instead of pro-
viding sinecures for many, as was
done in past instances, the number of
persons employed should be just
large enough to meet the require
ments and compel those employed to
earn their wages. Then in the matter
of a state building; it would not be
necessary to erect a structure rival
ing in splendor and pretentiousness
those of some of the older and wealth
Ter states. A building sufficiently
large and comfortable to accommo-
date what visitors that would call and
containing a few rooms needed as
Offices for those in charge of the eX-
hibit is all that would be required.
Furniture could be leased and as far
as decorations are concerned the peo-
pie Of the state could be relied upon
to furnish those. They have done it
in the past and will do it again.
Minnesota, whichis confessedly rich
err in available wealth and having a
larger revenue than Montana man.
aged to make a very creditable exhib-
at the Pan-American exposition on
a sum less than one-third which it is
claimed Mnotana should expend at
Louis. Thirty thousand dollars
was all the Gophers permitted them
selves to spend, at Buffalo and car
ried off o prizes than did New
York, which appropriated $500, 900, of
whick sum $140,O 900 was for a state
building and the remainder for ex-
hibits. Up to the present time Min
neasota has won fourteen prizes in
all; three gold, four silver and six
bronze medals, and n honorable
mention. One of the gold medals
is for it's educational exhibit. New
York, with all it's vast expenditure,
has been able to do no better than
to win three medals, two gold and one
silver. The silver medal was for a
relief map of the state, and not for
any of her resources, and the New
York educational exhibit was not
eve alluded to.
Thus it will be seen that it is not
the amount of money expended that
results in capturing premiums, but
the merit and worth of the exhibits.
In the latter regard Montana would
need have no fear of any other state.
It could make an exhibit of
accomplishments and products that
would give it first rank among the
successful prize winners and enable
it to carry off it's fair share of all
premiums offered for all classes in
which it competed. Let the persons
who insist upon an extravagant ap-
preparation think on this and they
will e the a~dvisability of a little
more conservatism than so far they
seem to be willing to exercise.