Repoet on this Educational Exhibit. 453 



the part of its officers, and a larger expenditure for expert lalwr, trav- 

 eling expenses, etc., than would have been the case with more time. 

 The uncertainty, also, of the educational interests of the country receiv- 

 ing proper recognition from the Chicago authorities, and the long delay, 

 till January, 1893, in assigning space after such recognition was made, 

 greatly hampered their efforts. 



Tliat the bureau was able, under these conditions, to prepare so com- 

 plete an exhibit was due largely to the loyalty and zeal with which the 

 school superiutendents and principals responded to their appeals. The 

 educational bureau was charged with securing a proper representation 

 of the universities, colleges, professional and technical schools, acade- 

 mies, high schools and elementary schools. Its first circular, issued 

 October 26, 1892, urged the institutions to make an exhibit : First, as a 

 matter of National, State and local pride ; second, for the value to the 

 institution itself of preparing the exhibit ; third, for the opportunity of 

 winning the widest possible public recognition of any special merits. 

 A series of suggestions followed as to what might be exhibited. 



The chief objections on the part of the institutions to preparing an 

 exhibit were reduced to three : First, lack of time ; second, lack of 

 money, it being generally recognized that to push an exhibit through 

 rapidly would require nearly double the outlaj' necessary if the prepa- 

 rations could be made slowly ; third, a doubt as to the advisability of 

 preparing an exhibit under the cii'cumstances for so short a period. 

 To remove these objections, the bureau was authorized by the Board 

 of General Managers to announce that certain expenses connected with 

 the exhibit and all expenses after the actual preparation of material 

 would be borne by the bureau. Thi^ decision met the first two 

 objections, and the third was removed by the following plan, formu- 

 lated by the bureau and ratified by the Board of General Managers in 

 November, 1892. It was first published in the general circular, No. 5, 

 under date of November 29, 1892 : 



" Unless otherwise specified, all exhibits sent to the bureau will be 

 treated as contributed to the State's educational exhibit, which, after 

 the Columbian Exposition, will be kept in the Capitol at Albany as the 

 nucleus of & permanent educational museum. Exhibitors may, there- 

 fore, feel that they are preparing exhibits not simply for six months in 

 the temporary buildings at Chicago, but also for permanent display in 

 the finest fire-proof building on the continent, and in a location which 

 insures constant use." 



In return for these gifts the Board of General Managers agreed to 

 relieve schools entirely of charges for (1) printed forms, labels, shipping 

 envelopes, tags, etc. ; (2) special facilities for displaying work oi 

 unusual excellence ; (3) composition of handbooks ; (4) wing frames, 

 cabinets, showcases, tables and shelves ; (5) transportation ; (6) installa- 

 tion ; (T) care and supervision during the exposition. This effort tc 

 build up a pedagogic department in the State Museum at Albany was 

 heartily approved by the schools and colleges, and the result justified 

 the broad views of the commission, for save in the case of one institu- 

 tion every exhibit was given to the bureau on these terms. 



