THE PARIS EXHIBITION OF 1889.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1580, 11 March 1887, Page 3

THE PARIS EXHIBITION OF 1889.

The Champ do Mars has, says a Paris correspondent, been handed over within the last few days by the War Department to the Commission for the 18S9 Exhibition, and the works are to commence immediately: The time which remains for their execution is short enough, but, then, an idea prevails in many quarters that they will never be concluded—we are living in such a period of uncertainty and instability. The promoters of the enterprise are displaying wonderful activity, however, and the reports they issue every other day ought to convince an expectant population that the centenary of 1719 will be celebrated in the grandest style. French manufacture look forward with no optimism to the exhibition, which, only yesterday, I heard a wealthy employer of skilled labour term "a castle in the air;" while everybody even here knows that foreign countries have turned the cold shoulder to the show. The guarantee fund of £720,000 has certainly been covered and exceeded on paper, but the contributors to it have not paid up their shares, nor will they be called upon to do so, a very inconsiderable percentage on the amount promised being all that is to be demanded from them. The official circular asking for their co-operation makes this clear. The list, consequently, is to be kept open, and solvent subscribers to it will have the satisfaction of paying for those who are not such, when the inevitable deficit is ultimately declared. A very explicit circular from the Minister of Commerce has imposed, moreover, on all high provincial functionaries the necessity of swelling the subscription, not only by their personalcontributions, but by a display of zeal in persuading moneyed persons in their several departments to add to the fund. Pre* fects, county treasurers, &c, who do not care to risk removal from their posts have no alternative but to yield to this pressure, or shall we call it bhckmailing P