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authorize such an appropriation, and, second, that the limited revenues
of the State would not justify it. When the commission failed in this
direction, a meeting was held to determine whether the commission should
attempt to go ahead with the work or abandon the enterprise. The
commission decided by an overwhelming vote that Texas could not afford
to deny herself participation in a universal exposition where all the
States and Territories of the United States would enter in friendly
competition, and the executive committee and the general manager were
instructed to proceed with the organization. The task of reorganizing
the work by counties was resumed, but with limited success. The plan was
to call upon the counties for a sum equal to 2 cents on the $100
property valuation, with which to create the Texas World's Fair
Commission fund. Out of 243 organized counties in the State the
following subscribed and paid the amounts set against them:

El Paso, Tom Green, Tarrant, Dallas, Harris, Jefferson, Galveston,
Smith, Nueces, and Comal.

Navarro, McLennan, Grayson, Travis, Harrison, Collin, Palo Pinto,
Fannin, Lamar, and Bexar counties endeavored to raise the assessments
set against them, but did not succeed in doing so, although their
subscriptions in the aggregate were generous. The subscriptions from the
counties mentioned amounted to $49,096.34.

The railroads of Texas subscribed approximately $25,000. Early in the
organization of the commission the Texas Bankers' Association passed a
resolution calling on its members to assess themselves for the Texas
World's Fair Commission fund at the rate of one-tenth of 1 per cent on
their capital stock. About one-half of the banks of the State subscribed
and paid on that basis an amount in the aggregate of $11,672.65. The
State Lumbermen's Association gave $3,133. The Texas Cattle Raisers'
Association subscribed $2,150.

The above sums, augmented by scattering amounts from different sources,
constituted a total fund to the commission of $126,780.14.

The Texas commission was composed of the following-named persons:

John H. Kirby, president; L.J. Polk, W.W. Seley, and Walter Tips,
vice-presidents; Royal A. Ferris, treasurer; Louis J. Wortham, secretary
and general manager; Paul Waples, chairman executive committee; A.W.
Houston, Barnett Gibbs, B.F. Hammett, Jesse Shain, E.P. Perkins, L.L.
Jester, Monta J. Moore; P.P. Paddock, executive commissioner; R.H.
Sexton, resident