d of lady managers of the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition accepts with regret the resignation of Mrs.
James L. Blair as president; that it places upon its records its
appreciation of her service to the board of the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition. Her large abilities and her experience in
social and public affairs have been freely given to this work,
and she has served the board and the exposition with unwavering
zeal and with conspicuous ability. Her enthusiasm for the
exposition, her far-reaching sense of its aims and scope, her
large conception of the possibilities of our connection
therewith as a board, and her interests in its needs inspired
her administration of its affairs and called for the recognition
and thanks of this board, whose head and representative she was,
and of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition which she served.

Resolved, That this board of lady managers express its
recognition and gratitude by adopting these resolutions and that
the secretary be directed to send a copy to Mrs. Blair.

ANNA L. DAWES.
HELEN MILLER GOULD.
FRANCES MARION HANGER.
JENNIE GILMORE KNOTT.
EMILY S.G. HOLCOMBE.

On motion of Mrs. Manning, seconded by Mrs. Coleman, the resolution was
unanimously adopted.

President Francis then appeared before the board of lady managers, and,
upon the request of the chairman, made an address, in which he said, in
answer to a request to give to the board some idea concerning the cost
of the exposition:

I only can give you the comparisons with other of the largest
expositions ever held in this or any other country. I will state
as compared with the Paris Exposition, we are now nearer a state
of completion than that exposition was on the date of its
opening. That no exposition was ever so near completed four and
a half months prior to its opening. Of course we have a great
deal of work to do, and we must bear in mind that although we
use a vast amount of material, 90 per cent of the cost is put in
labor--not only the labor out on the grounds, but the labor in
the lumber districts, in the loading and unloading of the
lumber--and this comprises the greater part of our buildings as
they are built almost exclusively of lumber--the value of it is
comparatively small as compared with the cost of preparing it
for market and getting it here.

Then the mat