Report of Board of General Managers. 15 



Commissioner-at-Large Gorton W. Allen spoke as follows : 



That the World's Columbian Exposition is to be an unparalleled 

 success may as well be reajarded as assured. Not, indeed, because the 

 commissioners and the local directory are of themselves able to achieve 

 so dt sirable a result by their combined wisdom and enterprise, stimulpted 

 by a degree of enthusiasm that repels all thought or apprehen-ion of 

 failure, but rather because the World's Fair Exposition is the formulated 

 expression of the universal wish of the American people. It goes without 

 saying that that universal wish is, when formulated, a specific against 

 any tendency in the direction of failure. True, we admit the word failure 

 in our dictionaries, but it is most commonly employed as one of the 

 extremes in human endeavor from which we measure upwards, to actually 

 discover the distance between achievement and failure. The enterprise is 

 not seeking friends, for the obvious reason that it has no enemies — at 

 home or in foreign lands. 



If there has been in the past any suspicion or doubt as to the loyal 

 and liberal spirit of the Empire State and its chief city in any and every 

 way and manner to the end that the exposition shall be crowned with 

 success there is none nuw. Much as our people would have been delighted 

 had the generous oflfer of the metropolis been accepted, the failure to 

 secure the location has never for an instant provoked or suggested the 

 slightest feeling of retaliation, jealousy or envy. On the contrary, our 

 people would be more likely to contribute more generously lest their 

 failure to fulfill the largest expectation of Chicago should he attributed 

 to disappointment. 



Do you ask me what New York contemplates doing in aid of the 

 exposition ? I reply that she will occupy a conspicuous place upon the 

 site chosen, and will undoubtedly construct a building quite commensurate 

 to the necessities of its citizens who propose to patronize the exposition as 

 exhibitors and visitors. Its capacity will be ample ; its architectural 

 finish will be in harmony with and not inferior to the buildings of any 

 other State. I assure you whatever is necessary for New York to do to 

 accommodate her people will, I have no doubt, be done, and done as 

 promptly as the Governor and the Legislature can be duly advised by 

 competent authority of what is needed. 



And now, addressing myself more especially to the citizens of New 

 York, it appears to me that his excellency Gov. Flower should be requested, 

 by enactment of our Legislature, to appoint a commission, consisting of 

 such number as shall be deemed adequate, to visit the city of Chicago, 

 and, in connection with the World's Fair Commissioners f i om this State, 

 ascertain the needs of New York State exhibitors and visitors, and with 



