Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

by Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

The Exposition Company has assumed a full measure of the responsibilities—and possibly some of our responsibilities as well—for which we have not been duly grateful. Nevertheless, we are not inclined to blame these people, because they have contributed very largely and generously of local means to aid this enterprise, which leads them to the desire to supervise each and every detail in connection with this work. This desire to assume full responsibility is possibly responsible for the failure to assign to the ladies any particular work, and is also responsible for the curtailing of the jurisdiction of the National Commission. As the work progresses, however, I think that the company realizes the necessity of drawing upon all the forces available to make the exposition a success.

This Commission had a long and pleasant interview with the president of the exposition, at which time he brought out a desire for cooperation and assistance that had not yet been manifested. I believe now, as your body is organized, from the harmonious work accomplished at these meetings, and its cordial relations with the Exposition Company, and certainly with the Commission, the future promises more than has been accorded to similar organizations in the past. * * * We thank you, ladies, for the privilege of being before you, and cheerfully extend our salutations on the election of your president and upon the good will and spirit of harmony which prevails among you.

Mr. Lindsay then spoke as follows:

The board of lady managers exists by operation of law, the same that called the National Commission into existence. It was the duty of the National Commission to create it. It was the duty of the National Commission and of the local board to prescribe the powers and duties of the board of lady managers. Of course, these duties could not be accurately and technically laid out; we could only confer the power, and that would suggest what duties—what power within that general grant they should exercise. It is not the duty of the board of lady managers to be supervised by or to be subject to the local board. I was struck when I read the report made by Mrs. Montgomery of her interview with the local board, not by the gracious manner in which she was received and the graceful questions that were asked, but by the absolute failure in any particular to give definite reply or take any action upon any of the recommendations made by that committee.

What I think this board ought to do is to outline or prescribe the actual things it intends to do, report that to the National Commission and the local board, and then go ahead, not waiting to know whether this or that is within its powers or whether or not this is expedient and whether it can be carried out. Let some one take the responsibility of saying you can not do this or can not do that. As long as you deal in generalities with the National Commission, or agree to everything that is brought up by the local company, this board of lady managers will never become an active part or parcel of this great exposition.

I do not agree with my friend, Senator Carter, on another thing, and that is that these people are entitled to any consideration on account of the money they have expended. They came to Congress and asked Congress for authority to do this very thing; they did not come to Congress for any benefit that they expected to result to the country, but on account of their own local interests and to glorify the Louisiana Purchase and the people of the Louisiana Purchase, and, upon agreeing that they would do these things, privilege was granted by Congress, and the appropriation made. That appropriation is not part of their fund—that is the fund of the United States which is being distributed in the city of St. Louis, preeminently for the city and generally for the United States. And was not this board of lady managers created by the very act of Congress, and have you not some rights in this matter, to the end that you may accomplish the work that has been assigned to you?

I say the time has come when we have got to talk plainly and make some one responsible for your action or nonaction. If either board considers that you are going beyond your powers they will have the right to make restrictions, but as long as you keep within these powers and what you think you ought to do, I doubt if your work will be restricted in any way.

It is now only four months before the exposition opens, and if there is ever going to be anything accomplished by this board it is none too early to begin. For instance, the act of Congress provides that this board name a judge on all the juries that are to pass upon the results of female labor; we agreed to it and the local board agreed to it. Now, then, have you any notice of on which juries you are to be allowed to name a juror? Have any steps been taken to indicate on which of these committees you are to make appointments? The time has come for this work and if you are to have any authority, or if you are to do any of this work, it will not be of credit to this board unless you are able to make the proper preparations for these appointments. But if you have three months to look around, you will be able to find the proper persons and make these appointments intelligently. I hope before the next meeting of the National Commission you will have agreed specifically upon what you can do, what you desire to do, and what you are ready to do, so that the scope of action and authority of this board can be conferred upon it and insisting that the local board here either approve or disapprove of your action.

I appreciate all the troubles and difficulties these people have had, and it is my earnest hope that they will be able to give the members of this board a decided answer within the next month. * * *

In reply to a statement made by a member of the board that in an interview with the executive committee of the Exposition Company, Mr. Skiff, the director of exhibits, had said he could not give a list of exhibitors (or exhibits) until near the time of the opening of the exposition, because he did not know what would be entered, and the lists would not be completed until about that time. Mr. Lindsay further said: