THE OOLOGIST. 



75 



are turned toward the next great 

 world's fair, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific 

 Exposition which will be held at Seat- 

 tle, Washington, opening June 1 and 

 closing October 15, 1909. 



This exposition will be held in a 

 section of the country where world's 

 fairs are new and for that and many 

 other reasons it is expected to be a 

 success, beneficially, educationally, 

 artistically and financially. 



Work on the grounds and buildings 

 of the exposition is well under way 

 and the management is determined to 

 have everything in readiness by open- 

 ing day. This has been written about 

 all expositions in late years, but the 

 promise has never been completely 

 fulfilled. The officials of the Alaska- 

 Yukon-Pacific Exposition, however, 

 liave started out with a completed-on- 

 opening-day idea above everything 

 else, and if they do not carry out 

 their plans it will not be because west- 

 ern energy has not been expended in 

 the task. 



The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposi- 

 tion promises to be different from for- 

 mer world's fairs in many ways, but 

 one policy stands out so far above 

 any of the rest that the entire press 

 of the country is commenting favor- 

 ably about it. No mony will be asked 

 from Uncle Sam to carry on the work! 

 That policy must be conceded as ori- 

 ginal. All the management desires 

 is for the United States government 

 to participate in the same manner as 

 foreign countries and the different 

 states, by erecting buildings; and in- 

 stalling exhibits therein. Former ex- 

 positions have been aided by the gov- 

 ernment in many different ways. Out- 

 right gifts of large sums of money 

 bave been made by Congress to some 

 world's fairs, while others have nego- 

 tiated loans from Uncle Sam, some 

 of which were paid back and some of 

 which were not. Some expositions 

 "have received both donations and 



loans. As stated before, the Alaska- 

 Yukon-Pacific Exposition will ask for 

 neither. A clause pledging this poli- 

 cy has been inserted in the congres- 

 sional bill making provision for parti- 

 cipation only by Uncle Sam. 



Since the United States government 

 began to patronize expositions down 

 to the .Jamestown fair, Congress has 

 appropriated a total of $28,752,251 for 

 world's fairs. Only $485,000 of this 

 money has been spent west of the 

 Rocky Mountains, the Lewis and 

 Clark exposition, one of the most suc- 

 cessful ever held, receiving the bene- 

 fit of that amount. 



The bill that has' been introduced at 

 the present session of Congress pro- 

 vides an appropriation of $1,175,000 to 

 enable Uncle Sam to take advantage 

 of the opportunity for effective adver- 

 tising. The money will be apportion- 

 ed as follows: 



Buildings Exhibit 



Government $200,000 $350,000 



Alaska 100,000 200,000 



Philippines 75,000 75,000 



Hawaii 50,000 75,000 



Fisheries 50,000 * 



* The fisheries exhibit is included 

 in the general government display. 



On .Tune 1, last before a crowd of 

 fifteen thousand persons, ground 

 breaking ceremonies were held, with 

 many prominent men making ad- 

 dresses, among whom was Hon. John 

 Barrett, director of the International 

 Bureau of American Republics, repre- 

 senting President Roosevelt. Prom 

 that date to the present time work has 

 been going on rapidly upon the exposi- 

 tion grounds. Most of the grading 

 and clearing has been finished. All 

 of the principal roadways, avenues, 

 circles and plazas have been complet- 

 ed. The Administration Building has 

 been erected and occupied by the exe- 

 cutive force for several months. Con- 

 tracts have been let for the construc- 

 tion of five large buildings and sever- 

 al small ones'. Among these are the 



