The Scandal of Washington’s World’s Fair Display

The dispatch from Chicago that Michigan captured the honors for forestry exhibits at the World's Fair, and that Washington state was not even mentioned, ought to put a blush of shame upon every citizen. When I was acting as executive commissioner, I appointed Prof. Henderson to prepare a forestry exhibit. A coterie of politicians at Port Townsend, acting as 'the executive committee,' voted that no money should be paid to him and ordered him to stop. No charge was made that Henderson was not competent. This 'ring' prevailed; Henderson was discharged, a year was lost, and these same men—when it was too late—re-appointed him. The blame rests upon the so-called executive committee, which would have been more appropriately known as the 'place-hunting committee.' Not only has $75,000 of the $150,000 appropriation been squandered, but the great opportunity to publish our resources to the world has been lost. Absent members of this committee have been drawing salaries without performing any service, and two newspaper correspondents have been on the payroll. The people of the state will always believe it was done to silence the press and pay for votes.