The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-12-14
". B. STEVENS MAKES REPLY
TO ANONYMOUS CRITICISM.
Worlds Fair Stock subscriptions Have Furnished Ample Funds for
All Expenditures fer More Than One Year-France. Germany
Great Britain and Other Coun tries Have Officially Accented
-ThirtySi States and Territories Will Participate.

Every member Of the National omfnis
| sion. having denied that inspiration for the
| former attack in the Mail and Express had
| been inspired by than. the Exposition man
ageraent deems it but fair to presume these
denials would be reiterated now.
! Secretary Walter B. Stevens OF the Expo
sition Company has mace a reply in detail
| to the charges confined in the second cyitl-
! cism of the management OF the Worlds
Fair. Il view Of the appearance of Presi-
dent Francis before the National Commits
sion az its recent meeting in this city. when
he furnished a full statement OF the finances
of the c1;nvarY and the status of partiCipa-
ton by states ard Territories and foreign
Governments. IL IS deemed impossible for
any member OF tn commission TO have gore
away from St Louis and made the state
raentS Mr.. Stevens says:
The TreaSurer's last report shows a bal
ance in the Exposition account OF s.. 7S..-
3".H. Referring to Ii. charge that the sub
scr!bers 10 the stock Of the corporation have
Getauited for half the amount of the whole
subscription. the answer is complete.
Under the terms Of the subscription. TO
call greater than % per cent can be maie
at any one time. and Il period Of six months
must e!apse between each cali. Supscrip-
ton blanks must be shown 20 the Secretary
Of the Treasury Department OF the Govern
ment before its contribution OF $4,000 is
assured.
The subscription list has been certified
by The subtreasurer at ST. Louis and the
leading bankers Of the city that on :ie
first call. issued March. 1901. there was paid
into t." Exposition treasury 10 per cent;
that six months later. September. 1851, the
second call Of - per cent was issued. There
have teen two calls since of ~ per cent
each. the last one in september.
Those calls Were sufficient to meet all
the operating EXPENSES. including construc-
The company has had a halance at all
times In November last for the first time,
the Exposition Grew on the @,ort0o1 arprc-
on hand since last June. drawing 3 per
cent. That inrCad took out of the IS. $50
the sum Of S2!1,co. the first break in the
The response to the first call yielded
$is3.9s'; the second call. sS25.0la. ana the
SUBSCRIBERS PAY PROMPTLY
Up I" the present time no collectors have
been sent out. because the stockholders have
the effect that calls had been made and
the Subscriptions Were due.
Since April, 1881. citizens who subscribed
have come INTO the Exposition offices and
voluntarily paid s2.sfI.@I. Not a suit has
been fled nor has there been any threat
subscriptions consists Of four men. who sit
in the office and receive and issue receipts
for money.
The rapidity with which these demands
have been met breaks al presidents in >
Exposition business. The next call vii, BE-
due in March. and the last one in Septem-
hsr 1913 Besides prompt payments on calls.
lo,lso shares of stock have been paid in
fun: without waiting for the cal g i
Some of the largest stockholders have
sent word to the Treasurer that whenever :
money was needed for construction they
were ready TO pay in full. So long as pay
fnents on stock Were sufficient to meet ali
expenditures. tie company has seen no rea-
son TO press subscribers to pay up.
The honor Of St Louis has been pledged
10 the raising of sI0.oHJ.Oa0. and up 10 the
present time il has been redeemed in 4
manner which members of the National
Commission have praised most warmly. At
the meeting of the commission. about the
end of November. President Francis laid
before that body certified statements Of the