Читать книгу Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission - Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission - Страница 45

DEAR SIR: By direction of the Commission, I have the honor to call your attention to section 6 of the act of Congress making an appropriation for the exposition, and for other purposes, approved March 3, 1901, which provides that the appointment of all judges and examiners for the exposition shall be made by the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company, subject to the approval of the Commission created by section 2 of the act.

Some days ago a gentleman reported to the Commission that certain jurors had been appointed and were actually discharging their duties as judges and examiners. This rumor seemed to the Commission utterly incredible, but this morning the director of exhibits confirmed the rumor informally by admitting that certain jurors had been at work for a considerable length of time in certain departments of the exposition.

The Commission does not desire to assume a position at all hypercritical, but I am directed to say that an utter disregard of provisions of the law can not be countenanced.

To the end that no question may arise concerning the legality or regularity of the action of any jury or board of examiners, I have the honor to request, in behalf of the Commission, that the names of jurors be forwarded to the Commission for consideration before there is any pretense to giving them authority to act.

Inasmuch as an infraction of the law has heretofore occurred according to the director of exhibits, I can but request that the names of the jurors who have heretofore been commissioned to act be forwarded for consideration without delay. We are not unmindful that free and full consideration of the names of persons thus empowered to act without full authority will be somewhat embarrassing in view of their having been employed for a considerable length of time before the Commission will have been advised of their designation by the company.

Yours, very respectfully,

Thos. H. CARTER,

President.

Hon. D.R. FRANCIS,

President Exposition Company, Building.

As indicated by correspondence hereinafter set forth, the company did not present the names of jurors to the Commission on or before August 1, and indeed did not advise the Commission of the names of many of the jurors until long after the time had elapsed for the performance of their duties.

After the group juries had performed their duties certain persons, feeling aggrieved by the awards made, undertook to appeal to the Commission for redress. The Commission disclaimed jurisdiction to consider the matter until the awards were submitted to it for approval. Upon inquiry growing out of these attempted appeals, it was ascertained by the Commission that the Exposition Company questioned the right of the Commission to inquire into or in any manner to pass upon the justice or regularity of any award made. The company having submitted certain proposed amendments to the rules and regulations, the Commission undertook by further amendments to settle the question as to the right of the company to refuse to submit awards made to the Commission for its approval, as required by law. The right of the Commission to even inquire into charges of fraud, bribery, or corruption in connection with awards the company steadily denied and never conceded.

In the records of the Commission filed with this report will be found charges under oath against a division chief, alleging that he was a party to negotiations for a bribe of $2,000 to be paid on the awarding of the grand prize to a certain manufactured article, and that when the matter was brought to his attention his only explanation was that he had declined to be the stakeholder or custodian of the money because of possible criticism in case the transaction should become public. This individual was a member of the group jury, a member of the department jury of his department, and a member of the superior jury.

The Commission felt that investigation of such serious charges was absolutely necessary to guarantee the integrity of the awards.

On October 18, 1904, Commissioner Allen, as acting president of the

Commission, set forth the existing status of the case in a letter to

Hon. D.R. Francis, president of the Exposition Company, reading as

follows: