Mr. JOSEPH FLORY,
Secretary Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission.

ST. Louis, U.S.A., November 26, 1902.

DEAR SIR: By direction of the Commission I respectfully call your attention to the following entry in the minutes of the proceedings at a meeting of the Commission held on October 2, 1902, as follows:

"President Francis was requested by the Commission to furnish a detailed statement of all outstanding contract obligations and other liabilities of the exposition for transmission to the President of the United States with the monthly report for the current month. He said the statement would be furnished the Commission as requested."

The statement referred to was not furnished to the Commission for transmission to the President of the United States with the monthly statement for the month of October. Presumably this default occurred because of your inability to have the statement prepared in season for transmission with that report. It is deemed by the Commission absolutely essential that the statement should be transmitted with the report for the month of November, to the end that it may be on file and available for examination by the President or by Congress.

You are, therefore, respectfully requested to furnish such detailed statement to the Commission at the earliest practicable date, to the end that it may be examined during the present meeting of the Commission.

The Commission desires that the statement should show the contract obligations for the several buildings, the names of the contractors, the dates fixed for payment, the amounts heretofore paid, and the date for final completion of each structure. Also all contracts existing requiring the payment of money for the acquisition of grounds and improvements to be made thereon, and for services rendered, or to be rendered, together with the amounts heretofore paid on the respective contracts, and the names of the contractors to whom payments have been or are to be made. In short, it is the desire of the Commission that the statement should give the substance of each and every contract for the payment of money made by the Exposition Company prior to November 1.

The Commission also desires that the statement should embrace an approximate estimate of the cost of all contemplated construction, improvements, and necessary expenditures connected with the exposition as contemplated by the plan and scope thereof heretofore approved.

The Commission deems the statement referred to necessary under the requirements of section 11 of the act of Congress approved March 3, 1901, which requires the Commission to give a general summary of the financial condition of the exposition.

The Commission will appreciate the courtesy of the statement in duplicate.