THE WORLD'S FAIR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 140, 15 June 1893, Page 12

THE WORLD'S FAIR.

THE OPENING CEREMONY,

San Francisco, May 25. The great Columbian Exposition was duly opened on May Ist by President Cleveland, who made a brief speech on the occasion, ■ praising American enterprise and activity, and the magnificent evidences of American skill and intelligence. For the lirab week tho attendance was very light, owing to bad weather, and, also, that although the Fair had been formally opened, a large quantity of exhibits were not in place, and' several of the exhibition buildings had not been completed. This wa3 true, particularly of tho edih'ce devoted to the Californian show. Then, again, the exorbitant restaurant charges made on the grounds by the concession- ' aries became such a crying evil that tho Council of Administration had to take action on it, and restore the business of feeding the visitors to something like a fair basis. On the 14th May exhibits of fruit, which wore picked some sixty days before n New South Wales, including apples, pears, and grapes, arrived. Not a blemish appeared on the fsuib, it being apparently aa sound as- when picked. Curiosity aroused as to the comparative attendance at the commencement of the Centennial and the present Exposition was gratified on the 14th by the publication of the official n'guree, which show that the attendance at Cho World's Fair during the first eleven days was nearly 219,000 greater than at the Centennial ac the corresponding period, tb.6 figures surprised many people. As the month wore on, things got into better shape on tho fair grounds, the weather grew more balmy and spring like, and these conditions had a marked effect on the. attendance. Tho losb advices from Chicago, May 24th, sa,y the people were coming into tho city in droves, and the ticket officers as well as the dillerent hotels, were humming with business. Sir James Long, proprietor of the Sheffield (England) "Telegraph," is authority for saying that this show ia the greatest ever held, and the British journalists who visited the grounds with him on May Bth, agree in his statement. It was tho most extensive, most costly, and architecturally the most imposing. It was a question of money, and never before had so much coin beou contributed for such a purpose. Tho buildings are much ahead of those seen at the Paris Exposition. But he was disappointedat the "unreadiness " of everything, and strangely enough most of tho backward exhibits were those which the Americans themselves are making. In Long's district in Sheffield all but two manuiacturera had practically boycotted this fair on account of the McKinloy Act preventing thorn from selling their goods in the United States. He approved of the act at the time they decided to do it, but subsequently thought it was a mistake. Many British merchants wore losing tha opportunity of their life time for advertising. Ho did not think the exhibition of paintings equal to that made in Vienna, nor did he think tha fair would bo a financial success. The first of the European excursions arrived May 24th, one French and one German party, and the managers say more will come each week. Up to the 24th, almost three-quarters of a million of people had paid for admission to " The White City" as the fair is called, and tha attendance seemed to be on the steady increase ; but still there are the samo forebodings as to its ultimate financial success in the"minds of a great many people, as those expressed by Sir James Long. The Sunday opening question is still an opan one, and likely to continue so, as thoCongressional subvention of two millions of dollars to the enterprise is burdened by the conditions that the gates shall remain closed during the tirat day of the week. This closure is an important item in tho income of the fair. More people would attend on Sunday than on any other day. The discussion on tho subject gives rise to a good deal of feeling1 among the members of tho Commission, I many of whom aro strong Sabbatarians, and will do evorythinj; in their power ag.iinst tho opening movement. "One interesting feature of the fair, is the series of women's press and literary congreases, at which Lady Abordeon has made some sensible speeches, especially at che formal dedication of tho Women's Buildin«-