Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-03-12
Madison. March 6.

gers of the St. Louis Louisiana Pun
chase exposition, for Wisconsin ex-
hibit. will be substantially increased,
perhaps multiplied nine times. That
this will be the result of the hearing
held Yesterday before the senate com
mittee on state affairs seems assured
from the able presentations made BY
ex-Gov. w. d. Hoard and other mem
hers of the board, showing the bignesS
of the st. Louis worlds fair and the
wisdom, if not, in fact, the absolute
business necessity of making rep
resentation of the resources and ao-
yantages of the badger state which
will in fair measure at least compare
with the rich and expensive exhibits
being literally appropriated for by the
legislatures of other states and by al
most every foreign nation in the
world. The reception given the re-
marks of the commissioners by the
senators of the committee was appar-
Y emily such as to show clearly their
cordial interest in the undertaking
and perhaps to indicate their intention
to favor and work for the bill to in
crease the former appropriation to
1925. 900, the sum asked by the com
mission.
If the legislature sees fit to refuse
the increase of appropriation, or 10
make so small an increase as to make
no appreciate approach to the sum
required by the present tentative
plans of the commission, it is entirely
probable, shown by statements repeat
eddy made by members of the com
mission at the hearing, that it Will be
proposed to make no Wisconsin eXhib-
it at all and save the money approprl-
ated at the last Legislature for this
purpose.
The hearing showed that there had
hitherto been by no means an ade-
quate idea of the greatness OF the ST.
Louis fair plans and of the vast eA-
pense that was to be incurred in the
enterprise. 1t also showed that the
Wisconsin commissioners, notWith-
standing the inadequate appropriation
4 made to them, had secured valuable
n concessions from the fair managers
u IT,.
Louis, secretary of the exposition
committee on legislation, in supple
menting an explanation made by Com
missioner S. A. Cook, said
you have hit the nail on the head,
Senator Hatten, when you demand
originality in the Wisconsin exhibit
ton: and right here | am moved to re-
mark that you have exactly the tim
Der for such an exhibition in your
commissioners. In Gov. Hoard and
Mr.. Cook you have certainly the two
best negotiators the managers of the
fair have had to deal with. They
called upon us at st. Louis to ask ia
vors for Wisconsin, having as creden-
tials an appropriation of $4,000, COM
pared with half million from other
states, and secured, for one thing, the
pick of all the sites for state build
ings. If there was anything else they
did not persuade the managers to
give them, have yet to hear OF 1t.
They are the best negotiators that
ever came down the Missouri pike"
Twice as Big as Ever.
Mr.. Reeves, explaining the extent
and scope of the exposition, gave
some figures and asked the committee
to conceive Of the state exhibit as an
opportunity for judcious advertising;
to look upon the money spent as not
given essentially from state pride, but
from business motives. He said the
st. Louis fair would be the largest and
best the world has ever seen and that
as Wisconsin was richly endowed by
nature, needing but population and
capital to make her the greatest state
in the union, the opportunity to eXhib-
il at the fair was one to avail herself
most largely of the advantages TO be
gained. He said the acreage Of the
ST. Louis fair was 1900 acres already
secured and 200 more to be added, in
comparison with 633 acres in the Col
umbian exposition in Chicago in 1893,
the largest by two times of all the
previous international eXpositlons
He said it would cost fully s5000o,0oQ
to produce the St I1luis fair, while the
total cost of the Chicago fair was S27,-
100000 The city of ST. Louis alone
would spend upwards Of $4,000 600
before the gates were opened. The
government appropriation Of S45O,o00
is nearly four times as large as 10
any previous similar enterprise. He
read a letter from Gov Van SAINT Of
II Minnesota in which that executive de-
tclared he was convinced from his ex.
Examination that the St Louis fair
Iwould be as large as the Chicago, Buff
alo. Philadelphia and Paris worlds
1 airs combined Mr. Reeves said the
\ transportation building at the ST.
Louis fair alone would contain twice
Il much exhibit space a. the entire
Buffalo exposition, and that this was
,nly one Of Is Of the main exhibit
buildings, the average cost Of each Of
which is 100000. The system Of cas-