Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-22

which visited st. Louis, and TO which
Mr.. Francis, In his telegram, takes eN-
ceptions, Is as follows;
Committee room, Salt Lake City,
March Q, 1905.
Committee st. Louis Purchase Expo
sition Commission:
We, your subcommittee, after visit
ing st, Louis as directed, beg leave TO
further report as follows:
That after as thorough an investiga-
ton as the time at our disposal would
permit, we are unanimous IN reporting
that according to our knowledge and
belief, the so-called awards, consisting
OF medals, ribbons, etc, supposedly
given as marks of merit by the ST.
Louis officlal award ribbon committee
by authority Of the Louisiana Purchase
exposition, TO the so-called successful
exhibitors at the said Louisiana Pur-
chase exposition, is I'm our opinion an
immense and gigantic fraud, with Pres
ident Francis standing as sponsor for
and approving the same, We are con-
WINGED from the result of our investlga.
ton that the people have been deceived,
and nave been led to believe that the
awards received represented real merit
OF exhibits offered while IN fact they
were nothing but n mock and a fraud,
issued by straw Incorporation for the
sole purpose Of being sold to be used
In commercial way as advertising
matter and I'm order that they might
appear as genuine on the face they were
Issued under the authority of the presi-
dent. Mr.. Francis, and the exposition
commission, which gentlemen, accord
ing TO the information, received in turn
Tor issuing these awards under their au-
thorlty, handsome nrofit,
We met one OF the agents. a Mr..
Page, who was employed specially to
sell on commission these awards, He
showed US one award which was issued
as superior over all others which he
assured US that, as agent for the st.
Louis official award ribbon committee
by authority Of the Louisiana Purchase
exposition, he had sold for $500 and
received his commission thereon. He
also showed as another official ribbon
award which he had sold, and declared
10 us that the person TO whom he had
sold II had never had an exhibit In the
fair at all; he also declared that the
National Cash Register company had
paid as much as $4,000 for these So
called official awards. to be used ex-
pressly for the purpose Of ADVERTISING
tilt pbHlntsh VI Sdlu company. lie III
formed ue further that there were many
more awards that he had sold as we'll
as great numbers sold by other agents.
We visited the Office Of the st Louis
award ribbon committee by authority
OF the Louisiana Purchase exposition,
In the Dement, building and found that
the representative In charge was on
hand and ready to do business by SELL
Ing additional awards, although the ex-
position had closed months ago. We
also learned from the testimony Of Di-
rector General Whitaker and other w.t.
nesses that this system of awards was
n gigantic scheme for the securing OF
money,
We also find that no medals have
been received by prize winners so far
as we have been able TO learn, and that
when they are received they will have
to be paid for, and still further, that
they are not likely to be received rs
long as this official award ribSon COM
mittee can continue 10 sell its goods
We, your committee. condemn this
system OF commeroialism In awards as
being Dernlclous and dishonorable, In.
stigated and maintained 10 deceive and
defraud the public and to bring re-
proaeh and dishonor upon this and all
similar exposltlons and az the same
time 70 bring many thousands OF dol
lars profit to the so.called official con-
cocting and carrying into effect this
scheme for self-aggrandlzement
$, j. SToOKEY. Chairman;
w. N GUNDRY,
o g.