The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-24
PORTLAND WANTS A
M|NNESOTABUADING
Commissioner General Sets
Forth Reasons for Rep
reSentatiOn

Itself at the Lewis and Clark Centen-
NAL exposition, to open June 1 at Port
land, Or.
Copies of q resolution, advocating
an appropriation which shall adequate
ly represent the state at the Centennial
exposition and Oriental fair were sent
yesterday by Secretary c. p. Stine, of
the St. Paul Commercial club, to the
members of the finance committee of
the senate and the appropriations COM
mittee of the house. No specific sum
lis asked, but it is urged on the legis-
lature that the state cannot afford to
permit her sister states to outstrip her
and to gain advantages which properly
belong to the North Star state.
Colin H. McIsaacs. commissioner
general of the Portland exposition, has
been in st. Paul for some days, and
on every hand has been met with cor
dial wishes for the success of the great
Pacific Northwest fair. The resolu-
tions by the Commercial club were
adopted some time ago, but at Mr.. Nc
Isaacs' suggestion were yesterday
transmitted to the members of the two
finance committees of the legislature.
Mr.. McIsaacs has personally inter-
viewed members of these committees,
and reports that he has been much en-
couraged in the belief that the Mime
sofa legislature will take favorable ac-
ton upon a state building for the fair
before its adjournment. He Will re-
main in st. Paul until Sunday and Will
spend the time in promoting proper
representation of the state at the Lewis
and Clark exposition.
Need of Building
Minnesota cannot afford to lose the
opportunity to be represented by
state building at Portland" Mr.. Nc
Isaacs said yesterday at the Hotel
Ryan. Minnesota is the very gateway
of the Northwest, and no other state in
the Union is so much interested in the
success of the Lewis and Clark exposi-
ton. Minnesota's trade relations with
the group of Pacific Northwest states
that have combined to promote the
success of the fair are surprising in
their magnitude. Last year that trade
amounted to $10,000,000. 1 know, for 1
am secretary of the Northwest Man
ufacturers' association at Portland, and
it is a part of my duties to compile the
statistics of our trade. Here in Mime
sofa are two great transcontinental
lines of railway diyerging across the
Northwestern states, but having their
western termini at Portland. The
Twin Cities and Portland are the eX-
tremes of these two great systems and
they are held together by a common
interest.
There are hundreds of thousands of
people in the Eastern states whose
eyes are turned westward. They are
looking to the West for relief from
conditions of overcrowded cities and
wornout farms. If the exposition does
all that we expect it will, in stimulat-
ing settlement and in developing the
industries of the Western country,
thousands of these people will not
make the through return trip East. II
Minnesota does her share, she will
make such a showing of her resources
at Portland as will attract a proper
ton of these people to an investigation
of what she has to offer in the way of
homes. She will attract and hold them
in this part of the Northwest. With
two big railroad lines affording the di-
rect route to Portland and return, these
people from the Eastern, the Central
and Southeastern parts of the country
will at least give Minnesota careful in
vestigation before locating elsewhere.
l cannot see how Minnesota can af-
ford to miss the opportunity to make
an exhibit. 1t is the cheapest kind Of
an immigration bureau that she can
employ.
Would Reduce Expense
''We of Portland certainly expect
Minnesota to be represented at the
fair by state building. Whether the
state shall make an exhibit of her re-
sources Independent of a state build
ing, is matter for the people of the
state to decide. 1t is possible, how
ever, to make an exhibit of the re-
sources of the state on the main floor
Of the state building. All would be in
one building, and the expense of ex-
hibiting in the various palaces of trade
would be saved. The expense would
be less than at any other fair, and ex-
hibits thus shown would be permitted
to come in competition with the ex-
hibitS shown in the industrial depart
ments.
What do I think the state should
appropriate for a state building? Well,
l thought at first that $4,000 would be
none too large an amount, but after
looking over the situation l am con-
vinced that from $25, 900 to S35, 900 will
be enough. Why. only today / had a
telegram from Bismarck that North
Dakota had just appropriated $40,
Certainly Minnesota cannot afford to
step aside and permit a purely agri-
cultural state like North Dakota to
outdo her in a matter of state pride.
Nearly all the states that people talk
about have either appropriated money
VI hofC Ohio pSIuli5 III tnelT l6SlSla-
lures for a state building. Wisconsin
is asked to appropriate $4,000; Illi-
nois, $4,000; Pennsylvania, S6O,000
New York, 100000; Massachusetts has
already appropriated 5000; Indiana
will spend from s35,00O to $4,000;
Missouri has appropriated $4,000; Or
egon, $500,000; California, $4,000;
Washington. $4,000; Idaho, $4,000:
Colorado, $4,000, and North Dakota,
$4,000.
Minnesota has appropriated money
TO properly exhibit her resources at
Buffalo. st. Louis, Chicago and Omaha,
and would like to ask how much the
state sells, outside of its wheat. in the
states represented by these fairs? With
us, it is different We are customers
OIL the state. 1t pays to cultivate Il
states customers just as 1t does the
customers of an Individual Oregon
certainly expects Minnesota to make
suitable provision for a state building
at Portland. We shall be deeply dis
appointed If this state fails to- act"
Or1EDs<c