I must be distinctly understood that all
these plans are merely provisional. The
appropriation for the government exhi
bition in the Columbian lair was made by
congress in such terms that further action
will have to be taken by the natic nal legis
lation before any of money can be used.
Appropriation was made by the bill pass
ed "for expenses of transportation, care,
and custody of the exhibits”; but no pro
vision whatever has been mad-* in words
for the preparation of the exhibit, and so
things are at a standstill. The govern
ment is all ready at this moment to go
ahead and give its part of the show within
six months, and yet it is not in a position
to do the first stroke of actual work toward
this end.
Furthermore, the entire appropriation
of 51.500.000 was made to cover the ex
penses of the government exhibition, in
cluding those of the Columbian commis
sion. It was not said in the law what
part of the sum should be spent by the
commission and this hr. s given rise to em
barrassment. For lac coaimission. in
salaries and otherwise, has already pro- i
videdfor the expenditure of about" a mil- j
lion, so that by the time it is through j
with its work there is likely to be little or !
nothing left to par for the exhibition.
However, the government bo.ird has ;
made up its mind that tills is none of its |
business. Congress has said that $400,000
shall tie paid fnr the building and that the
floor space provided shall be dOO.OOOsquare
feet. It is simply a question of arithme
tic to determine that the sum requisite to
till that space property is $1,000,000.
