Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission. Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission
localities, because it is evident that the creation of interest in any locality will contribute to the general purpose. But it is not the intention to here attempt to detail the many ways of securing merited publicity which would undoubtedly evolve from a general conference by representatives of all the interested forces.
The commissioners representing the various States and governments are persons of wide experience and broad intelligence; and they are all, in their respective spheres, undoubtedly as anxious to contribute to the success of the exposition as the directors and officers of the Exposition Company are known to be.
It is far from the intention of the Commission to interfere with the operation of any of your own matured plans; but it is respectfully submitted that the failure of expected and necessary attendance at the exposition is a matter of such supreme importance as to warrant the employment of every available force connected with this enterprise in the work of calling public attention to the exposition through the press of the whole country, and such other agencies as may be suggested and adopted.
Very respectfully,
Thos. H. CARTER,
President.
Hon. D.R. FRANCIS,
President Exposition Company, Building.
The exposition management did not elect to avail itself of the cooperation of the National Commission in the matter of exploitation, but very shortly after the foregoing letter was delivered the advertising department became more active by advertising in the newspapers and by the use of billboards in St. Louis and the adjacent territory.
The National Bill Posters' Association, which met in St. Louis about this time, observing the inadequacy of the provision made for advertising, volunteered to cooperate with the Exposition Company by posting bills on their boards free of charge throughout an extensive area.
A cursory examination of reports of the daily attendance will show a very perceptible increase of receipts at the gates in consequence of the effort made about this time to call the attractions of the exposition to the attention of the people. Unhappily the exploitation work thus commenced was practically one year behind time. Undoubtedly the paid attendance at the exposition could have been very largely increased by an efficient system of exploitation initiated one year before the gates were opened and vigorously prosecuted until the close of the exposition.
In order to increase the attendance at the exposition, as well as to increase the revenues of the Exposition Company at certain periods, the National Commission at different times cheerfully approved the modifications of the rules proposed by the Exposition Company authorizing the sale of season tickets, also of special tickets for limited periods, at reduced rates. Such modifications proposed by the Exposition Company were in all instances, except one, approved by the National Commission substantially as proposed; but in one instance the Commission was impelled from a sense of its duty to the Government to decline to approve a rule proposed by the company providing for the sale of special coupon tickets good for 50 admissions to stockholders of the company only.
It is proper to say that prior to the submission to the Commission of the proposed rule, or modification of the rules, announcement had been made in the newspapers of St. Louis that such tickets would be sold by the company, and, in fact, the sale of the proposed tickets had already begun.
The following letter contains the proposal of the company to authorize the sale of such special tickets to stockholders only:
MAY 18, 1904.
DEAR SIR: I am directed by the executive committee of the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company to inform the National
Commission that the committee has approved the following
resolution:
Resolved, That a ticket, photographic, nontransferable, having 50 coupons good for admission at any time during the World's Fair shall be sold to stockholders at the rate of $12.50; this privilege to continue to and including June 15, to be open to all who shall be stockholders up to and including that day.
I am directed by the executive committee to ask favorable action upon the resolution by the National Commission.
Respectfully,
WALTER B. STEVENS,
Secretary.
Mr. JOSEPH FLORY,
Secretary National Commission.
It was the opinion of the National Commission that the sale of the proposed tickets to stockholders alone at the reduced price proposed was in the nature of a dividend or pecuniary benefit in which the United States Government could not participate, and therefore contrary to law; and in view of the fact that the people of the United States had contributed through the Government appropriation for the exposition an amount of money equal to that which had been furnished by the stockholders of the company it seemed to the Commission that no special privilege respecting the purchase of tickets should be given such stockholders that was not given equally to all citizens of the United States.
This view was especially enforced by the consideration that stockholders of the company had subscribed for such stock in the belief that the citizens of the city of St. Louis would reap large local benefits from the holding of the fair in that city, while it was obvious that the other citizens of the United States could not in any degree participate in such benefits.
The Commission, believing that the sale of special coupon tickets at that time would increase the revenues of the company at a time when such increase seemed to be especially desirable, submitted to the company a modification of the proposed rule, as set forth in the following letter:
MAY 19, 1904.
DEAR SIR: I am directed by the National Commission to inform you that they have had under consideration the resolution contained in your esteemed favor of 18th instant, reading as follows:
"Resolved, That a ticket, photographic, nontransferable, having 50 coupons, good for admission at any time during the World's Fair, shall be sold to stockholders at the rate of $12.50; this privilege to continue to and including June 15, and to be open to all who shall be stockholders up to and including that day."
The Commission respectfully declines to approve the resolution as presented, but, being in hearty accord with the laudable purpose of the company to offer inducements tending to insure an extensive sale of admission tickets before the 15th of June, approves that feature of the resolution by modifying the same so as to read as follows:
"There shall be sold to the public up to and including June 15 at $12.50 a photographic, nontransferable ticket with 50 coupons thereunto attached, each good for one admission to the fair at any time prior to August 31."
In the judgment of the Commission the use of the tickets proposed should be restricted by a time limit, inasmuch as a failure to provide such a restriction would be equivalent to a reduction of admissions to 25 cents each. Moreover, limiting the time for use of the tickets, as proposed, would tend to stimulate attendance at the fair during the summer months.
The Commission is not insensible to the natural desire of the Exposition Company to give some privilege to the stockholders who subscribed to the capital stock of the corporation, but, while appreciating the generous motive of the executive committee, the Commission feels constrained to withhold its approval for the reason that approval thereof would, in the judgment of the Commission, violate the letter and spirit of section 20 of the act of Congress approved March 3, 1901, which, in so far as applicable, reads as follows:
"That there shall be repaid into the Treasury of the United
States the same proportionate amount of the aid given by the
United States as shall be repaid to either the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition Company or the city of St. Louis."
The proposal to give to stockholders of the Exposition Company tickets