TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING. 83 



worthy chief of the department of livestock, and others from your state 

 which has been honored more than any other, except Illinois, by represen- 

 tation in the Exposition, expect Michigan to take the lead in the horti- 

 cultural exhibit; and I will be greatly disappointed if you do not fully 

 equal any other state. 



MR. BELDEN SPEAKS FOB MICHIGAN. 



The Chair then introduced Hon. Eugene Belden of Jackson, member 

 of the Michigan Commission on the "World's Columbian Exposition. Mr. 

 Belden said: I am here by the authority of the board of managers to 

 confer with you on the subject of our exhibit at the World's Fair, and I 

 have been much gratified to note the interest which is manifested here 

 upon that subject. Now, the main question is, what can be done by your 

 society to aid in making this exhibit. In the first place, the amount of 

 money at the disposal of the commissioners. is but $100,000, which is but 

 one third the amount it should have to make a satisfactory exhibit. 

 While therefore the commissioners are very anxious to make a fine show, 

 especially since we are so near Chicago, they feel that they are unable to 

 do what they would like to do. The board of managers at the outset was 

 applied to by many persons proffering their services for large pay. We 

 found that if we began upon that plan and employed men to assist in this 

 work and paid them the amount they desired, the result would be that we 

 would soon exhaust the appropriation without accomplishing results com- 

 mensurate with the outlay. We first resolved, therefore, to employ no one 

 under pay, but to ask the people of Michigan to prepare the exhibit with- 

 out compensation, and thei-efore I have sought to map out the work so 

 that each individual would have very little to do. In the first place, 

 county committees have been appointed consisting of three or more mem- 

 bers, according to population; and in addition we have provided special 

 committees, not confined to any locality, who are to look after horticultural 

 subjects. For example, there is one on horses, another on cattle, another 

 on grains and grasses, and another on pomology, etc., making something 

 like six hundred men upon these committees. This has been done for two 

 reasons: First, because the appropriation is limited; and, second, because 

 if we start out to employ men for special work many would want employ- 

 ment and at large pay. It has been found that the men appointed very 

 generally accept the position with the understanding that there is no com- 

 pensation. 



With societies it is different. It is expected that societies like this will 

 be aided in making this collection, but to what extent this can be done, I 

 am not prepared to say. I am here to learn the desires of your society, 

 that I may be able to report to the board at its next meeting. There 



