The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-04-19
Commissioner Johnston Is Busy Get
ting the Exhibits in Shape-WiII
sonaIly Supervise Work

there is not county In the state that
he has not visited during the past two
months The great and varied exhibit
which Washington viii have assembled
| in here building at least a week before
| the opening of the fair is fast being
collected and Mr.. Johnston now plans
to go to Portland about May Is to re-
main until the close of the fair in Oc-
| tober. 1t may be necessary for him to
make one or two trips to the eastern
part of the state in midsummer, but
after May Is, it is likely that Port
| land will be his headquarters.
! In gathering his exhibit for the fair
Mr.. Johnston has been working more
or less under cover" and the press of
the state knows little of what he is
doing in order that the Washington
may be properly presented by COM
prehensive exhibit at the great EXPOSE
| ton in iler sister state. Mr.. Johnston
did not plan toetake hold of the pres
ent work after he returned to the st.
| Louis exposition. On the contrary he
| had hoped to give up fair work for a
while and devote this summer at least,
to other pursuits. 1t is a fact not gen.
| orally known that the executive COM
missioner for Washington is a practi-
cal farmer; in addition that he knows
the state of Washington from one end
to the other, and for the reason it is
regarded that the present commission
which got down to work at so late
date, was very fortunate in securing
his services for the Lewis and Clark
exposition.
The Washington building in all its
details represents the ideas of the COM
missioner. At ST. Louis, as he himself
expresses it, Washington required a
building that would make a flash; one
that amid all the varied ana beauti-
full styles of architecture, would make
a hit with the visitors to the fair.
| There was no occasion to attempt to
| compete in an architectural way with
the older and richer states Of the east
and middle west 1t was Washington's
duty, Mr.. Johnston believed, to get
| building that would make people stop
architect probably found many things
| about it to criticize, but just the same
| the people to the fair saw it and the
| concensus of opinion was that it was
remarkable building. In addition.
Mr.. JOHNSTON returned burdened with
medals and blue ribbons.
| Washington, as the sister state of
| Oregon, now regards herself as joint
hostess with the latter, and will have
a building which will enable her to
perform ner part of the duty of enter
| tanning the thousands of people who
will visit the fair. The Washington
| building will combine the practical and
useful with the social. In architecture,
it will be all that the critical could
desire
to show off to the best possible advan-
tage Wasnington's various resources,
ETC., will be of elegant finish. Massive
columns of polished wood, rich and
costly booths, and rich carpets will at
tract the eye of the visitor.
The commission has depended en-
t;roIv ,1nop CopopoiSSionpr John StOn in
the assembling of the exhibit its in
stallation, etc. For the first time in
the history of a fair commissioner in
this state, the executive commission
er will have full power to hire and
discharge the employees who are or
who will be engaged in assisting him.
1t is well known that in past fairs the
commissioner has been greatly ham
| pered by reason of political appoint
ments Every member of the commits
sion had a friend or two that desired
| to visit the fair. He was made an at
tache of the commissioners Office, with
the result that the commissioner, in
the END, QlQ all Tile WOrh, dlIu Tic CHi-
ployes saw the fairs and mad good
| time.
| President Smith and the other men,
| bers of the present commission are
profting by the mistakes of other
commissions. After they had selected
Mr.. Johnston and named E. L. Reber
as assistant secretary, they turned
over all their appointments to Mr..
Johnston, and all employees will be Sc
lected solely from the standpoint of
merit Political pull no longer cuts any
| figure. How hard will you work?" is
| the question the commissioner asks
each applicant, and after Mr.. Johnston
/ has told him what will be expected OF
him, said applicant decides that he has
another engagement for the summer.