Seattle's Farm Paper Says No to Paying for Portland's World's Fair
As The Oregonian promised a $100,000 state appropriation for the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial, a Seattle agricultural journal argued the money would be better spent on roads and irrigation — and doubted the crowds would ever show up.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Oregonian feels sure that the sum of $100,000 will be appropriated by the forthcoming legislature of the State of Washington for the Lewis and Clark fair to be held in Portland in 1905. The Oregonian is a paper which we much admire, but we think it is making a grave mistake in urging the holding of an Exposition upon the scale planned. It will cost too much money for the profit to be derived therefrom. We cannot see how it is expected that the attendance from the sparsely settled Northwest will be more than one or two hundred thousand during the season of six months. The receipts will therefore make up but a small amount of the cost. Appropriations will be asked of the National and Northwest state governments to bear the greater part of the expense — and that means the people will have to pay the bills.
It is urged that such an exposition will advertise the Northwest very greatly, and draw people and capital out here to develop our resources. The Ranch contends that the theory is very nice to solicit appropriations and subscriptions with, but it won't work out. People are not coming west to see an exposition which at best would be a feeble imitation of the immense and costly affairs which have been held back there for a succession of years. Something is said about the Oriental displays which will be made. We doubt if the Asiatics will be impressed with the exposition plan of encouraging trade nearly so much as they will by Jim Hill's twenty thousand ton steamers and $4 freight rate.
The Ranch does not want to seem to be an obstructionist, but we are opposed to this state granting an appropriation for the Lewis and Clark Centennial. Broadly speaking, it is impossible to make the exposition a success, either financially or of benefit in proportion to the cost. Put the several millions that would be required for such a show into modern highways, or irrigation improvements. We believe that ninety-nine out of every hundred of our readers who pay taxes agree with us that such an exposition is an unwise business proposition.
“Put the several millions that would be required for such a show into modern highways, or irrigation improvements.”
Then as now, the fight over whether the public should underwrite a spectacular regional showcase — a world's fair in 1905, a stadium or convention center today — split along the same lines: projected crowds, promised publicity, and who actually pays the bills. It is also an early round in the Seattle–Portland rivalry, with a Seattle paper openly rooting against its neighbour's big moment.
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